ABSTRACT
The accuracy of the fi nite element model can be enhanced by either increasing the number of elements in the model or using higher-order elements. Increasing the number of element is called h-refi nement, while increasing the order of the element is called p-refi nement. Increasing the number of elements or the elements’ order will lead to signifi cant increase in the computational time and requires memory to solve the problem. Consider the stress analysis of a plate with holes shown in Figure 7.1a. A linear quadratic element is used to determine the stress concentration factor. The exact solution is available from the theory of elasticity, and Figure 7.1b shows the fi nite element mesh. The mesh consists of 86 elements. To study the effect of the number of elements on the solution, the number of elements is increased and the stress concentration is obtained for all mesh sizes.
