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The linear, finite-membrane-strain, fully integrated, quadrilateral
shell element (S4) can be used when greater solution accuracy is desired, for
problems prone to membrane- or bending-mode hourglassing, or for problems where
in-plane bending is expected.
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The linear, finite-membrane-strain, reduced-integration, quadrilateral
shell element (S4R) is robust and is suitable for a wide range of applications.
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The linear, finite-membrane-strain, triangular shell elements (S3/S3R) can be used as general-purpose elements. A refined mesh may be
needed to capture bending deformations or high strain gradients because of the
constant strain approximation in the elements.
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To account for the influence of shear flexibility in laminated composite
shell models, use the shell elements suitable for modeling thick shells (S4, S4R, S3/S3R, S8R); check that the assumption of plane sections remaining plane is
satisfied.
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Quadratic shell elements, either quadrilateral or triangular, are very
effective for general, small-strain, thin-shell applications. These elements
are not susceptible to shear or membrane locking.
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If you must use second-order elements in contact simulations, do not use
the quadratic, triangular shell element (STRI65). Use the 9-node, quadrilateral shell element (S9R5) instead.
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For very large models that will experience only geometrically linear
behavior, the linear, thin-shell element (S4R5) will generally be more cost-effective than the general-purpose
shell elements.
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The small membrane strain elements are effective for explicit dynamics
problems involving small membrane strains and arbitrarily large rotations.
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