Handling Irregular and Complex Geometries

Abstract

In the analysis using the finite element method (FEM) of structural components under multiple loading conditions, these are studied individually to obtain the individual structural responses of each of them. In a standard h-adaptive analysis process, different meshes would be generated with each applied load. Therefore, an extensive analysis would be necessary to obtain the stiffness matrix for each case. A solution to this approach is based on receiving a mesh that can be used for all cases and that, in turn, allows the user to achieve the desired error. This work defines a practical method that allows obtaining the optimal mesh in linear static refinement problems for multiple load cases about the size relationships of the elements and the expressions that relate the estimated errors between successive meshes. The suggested method is numerically validated through two-dimensional examples.