Abstract
Hierarchical finite element method is presented for the local stress analysis of thin-walled structures. In the local stress analysis, the zooming technique is used for the substructures in the h-version finite element method, while the over-all structure is analyzed and highly accurate local stresses can be calculated simultaneously by the proposed method. The singular elements are used to prevent the deterioration of convergence of the solution when concentrated forces are applied and stress concentration is received, and transition elements can be improve on the efficiency of the numerical calculation. The adaptability of this method in regard to analyze local stress of thin-walled structures is demonstrated by several examples, and local stress analysis of thin-walled portal-frame and steel deck bridge with trapezoidal ribs are shown.
