A HIGH PRECISE RECTANGULAR ELEMENT WITH 4 NODES AND 12 DOF

A rectangular element formulation for the static and dynamic analysis of linear-elastic space structures composed of plate and beam-type members is presented in this study. The element considered in the present study has three degrees of freedom (DOF) at each node and an in-plane rotational DOF, which makes it compatible with two-dimensional (2D) beam-type element models. Then the element can be used with facility for the modeling of infilled frame and shear wall with the connections of slab components or 2D beam components. The rectangular element considered here yields highly accurate results with a very small number of elements. The effectiveness and simplifications of the presented rectangular element is demonstrated by three static and dynamic structural analysis examples. The results also show that the presented element be of high facility in solving stress problem of complex structures (such as infilled wall structures and shear wall structures).