Geometrically nonlinear analysis of laminate composite plates and shells using the eight-node hexahedral element with one-point integration

An eight-node hexahedral isoparametric element with one-point quadrature for the geometrically nonlinear static and dynamic analysis of plates and shells of laminate composite materials is formulated and implemented in this work. The element is free of volumetric and shear locking and spurious modes are not detected. Shear locking is avoided using a corotational system for strain and stress components, whereas volumetric locking is controlled using one-point quadrature for the dilatational (or spherical) part of the gradient matrix. The efficiency and potential of the three-dimensional element in the analysis of plates and shells of laminate composite materials undergoing large displacements and rotations are shown solving several numerical examples and comparing with results obtained by other authors using different plate and shells elements.