A formex formulation of the topological configuration, geometry, loading and support conditions of finite element meshes used for the analysis of thin-walled structures is presented. The finite element mesh required for the structural analysis is generated from a series of modifications and transformations of a protomorph. The formex formulation is implemented in a menu driven preprocessor for the analysis of thin-walled structures of arbitrarily shaped section. Several examples generated using this formulation are presented.
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