Full shell surface coupling along a line with non-conforming meshes

Abstract In intricate, large-scale metal structures, the modelling efficiency and flexibility are substantially limited by the requirements of finite element size, shape, edge orientation compliance and nodal alignment throughout the domain. Such limitations often necessitate the use of complex transitional meshes in intersection regions of plated components, thereby resulting in complex global mesh configurations and significantly increased computational demands. Within this backdrop, this paper presents an original and systematic methodology for translational and rotational coupling of thin plate and shell surfaces along an arbitrary 1D interface, which provides a systematic framework for: (i) geometric modelling of weld lines; (ii) coupling of regions with different mesh densities or element types within a system; and (iii) domain partitioning problems with computationally heterogeneous partitions. The methodology is based upon novel coupling element formulations, which employ principles of the mortar method for interface discretisation and an augmented Lagrangian Multiplier approach for constraint enforcement, and have been implemented for application with co-rotational Reissner–Mindlin shell elements. A series of numerical examples demonstrates the accuracy, versatility, and substantial computational and practical benefits of the developed framework for surface coupling along a line in large-scale metal structures.