ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the formulation of plate and shell elements in the isogeometric approach. The implementation of the nonuniform rational B-spline (NURBS) surface functions for either the geometry or the shape functions of flat and free-form surfaces of plate and shell formulations is highlighted in detail. This chapter uses the program lists and concept of the NURBS from Chapter 1. The numerical integration introduced in Chapter 2 is adopted for constructing the stiffness, mass matrices, and loading vector from the NURBS surface functions. Based on the plate and shell theories discussed in Chapters 3 and 4, the implementation of the isogeometric approach to the plate and shell element is discussed. All the numerical examples are accompanied by their relevant and complete MATLAB® codes.
