FINITE ELEMENT METHOD FOR GRADIENT PLASTICITY AT LARGE STRAINS

A finite element method for gradient elasto-plastic continuum in which the yield strength of strain hardening/softening materials not only depends on the effective plastic strain but also on its Laplacian is presented. The consistent integration algorithm to update the stress and the internal state variable at integration points and the consistent compliance matrix for the gradient plasticity are formulated in the non-local sense. The methodology to derive the finite element formulation for the gradient plasticity at large strains presented in this paper is applicable to general finite element analysis; the formulation in the context of the two-dimensional four-noded mixed finite element with one integration point and mean von Mises yield criterion is particularly derived. Numerical examples are tested to demonstrate the capability and performance of the present finite element method at large strain in solving for the strain localization problem