An Edge-based Imbricate Finite Element Method (EI-FEM) with full and reduced integration

An Edge-based Imbricate Finite Element Method (EI-FEM), aiming at combining the ease of mesh generation using triangular elements and the improved accuracy of quadrilateral elements, is proposed. Two finite elements for 2D analyses that imbricate each other while being assembled are designed based upon the triangulation of the domain. By means of two numerical benchmark analyses, we show that similar improvements with respect to numerical accuracy as obtained by the recently proposed Edge-based Smoothed Finite Element Method (ES-FEM) can be obtained, without sacrificing the standard concepts of the Finite Element Method.

► We propose two finite elements that imbricate while being assembled.
► A smooth displacement field is obtained.
► An improved accuracy is obtained compared to linear finite elements.
► Links with the Edge-based Smoothed FEM are investigated.