Utilizing the strain gradient notation process and the free formulation, an efficient way of constructing membrane elements will be proposed. This strategy can be utilized for linear and geometric non-linear problems. In the suggested formulation, the optimization constraints of insensitivity to distortion, rotational invariance and not having parasitic shear error are employed. In addition, the equilibrium equations will be established based on some constraints among the strain states. The authors' technique can easily separate the rigid body motions, and those belong to deformational motions. In this article, a novel triangular element, named SST10, is formulated. This element will be used in several plane problems having irregular mesh and complicated geometry with linear and geometrically nonlinear behavior. The numerical outcomes clearly demonstrate the efficiency of the new formulation.

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