ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors consider basic formulations for the finite element approach for the approximate solution of plate problems. They examine thin plates and isotropic plates. For this reason they shall not be concerned with membrane forces and only consider bending stresses. The plates may have any shape and support any transverse loading. The polynomial representing the deflection will accordingly have some terms. The authors present the details of finite element analysis without giving formulas for the stiffness matrix and the force matrix. The triangular elements with nine degrees of freedom in rectangular coordinates gave the least satisfactory results. An 18-DOF triangle with nodes at corners and at midpoints along the sides is another possibility.
