An 8-node brick element with mixed formulation for large deformation analyses (Q1371761)

We develop an eight-node brick element by using a mixed formulation. This element uses a reduced integration scheme and the hourglass control technique. It has the correct rank of the element stiffness matrix so that the hourglass modes can be avoided completely. It passes large strain patch tests and guarantees stability and convergence. With the aid of Hu-Washizu principle and ``assumed strain'' method, the element gives no volumetric locking for (nearly) incompressible materials and by setting some shear parameters \(\beta_{ij}\) to about zero, ``shear locking'' can also be reduced or even eliminated for thin bodies in pure bending. The element is economical since only one-point quadrature is used to evaluate the element stiffness matrix. Several examples concerning the patch tests, large deflection of beams and plates as well as some metal forming processes are used to show the performance of this element.