ON THE PERFORMANCE OF MINDLIN PLATE ELEMENTS IN MODELING PLATE-ELASTIC MEDIUM INTERACTION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY.

This paper discusses the finite element analysis of the flexural interaction between an elastic plate and an elastic half-space. The applicability of certain Mindlin-type plate elements, bsed on reduced integration techniques, to this class of interaction problem is investigated. A series of numerical computations reveal that those elements which possess spurious zero-energy modes are deficient in modelling properly the interaction phenomenon. It is also found that the 'heterosis' plate element reported in the literature is capable of modelling the plate-elastic medium interaction very efficiently.