Finite Panel for Static Analysis of Plates

Finite panels are large finite elements which permit plate structures to be analyzed with minimum discretisation. Data preparation and computer storage requirements are significantly reduced with finite panels compared with conventional finite elements. A new finite panel for plate bending is presented which removes a number of restrictions of an earlier panel. Complete functions are used to represent displacements, with coefficients being chosen to make a modified potential energy functional assume a stationary value. Panel matrices, which are presented in an explicit form, may be used to analyze structures using standard finite element procedures. The panel has variable degrees of freedom, which enables convergence to be readily assessed. For single panels, and plate systems simply supported on two opposite sides, the proposed method leads to many well known exact and approximate solutions. Two examples demonstrate the accuracy of the panel.