NURBS-based analysis of higher-order composite shells

Isogeometric analysis (IGA) can represent general double-curved geometries very well, as opposed to the classic finite element method (FEM). A composite shell is introduced for a third-order shear deformation theory (TSDT) that achieves the C2 required continuity by the use of higher-order NURBS through a k-refinement strategy. The TSDT is therefore an approach that can be easily implemented in view of the IGA advantages. Numerical locking is...