Determination of local mesh parameters in finite element problems

Two basic cases of convergence of finite element solution in the static problems of the theory of elasticity are considered. Based on Saint-Venant’s principle, the sufficiency of finite element mesh refinement for local regions with stress concentration is determined. An algorithm is presented for evaluation of point-by-point convergence of solution for local mesh refinement. To illustrate the method, the results of computation of a cylindrical three-layered composite shell under local loads are given. For stresses reaching the maximum value in the loaded area, the mesh density parameters yielding an initial approximation are found.