An effective method and its application in assembling the structural stiffness matrix in material-nonlinear finite element analysis

A very effective technique for assembling the structural stiffness matrix in material-nonlinear finite element analysis is presented. Its application to the stable crack growth analysis is described in detail. A finite element analysis of the process of slow crack growth for a center-cracked specimen subjected to monotonically and slowly increased load until the point of fast fracture is reached is made by means of a material-nonlinear and quasi-three-dimensional finite element program developed by the technique, as an example to illustrate that the technique has been successfully applied to a practical problem.