A Cosserat Point Element (CPE) for finite deformation elastic-viscoplastic materials

Background: Recently the theory of a Cosserat Point has been used to develop an eight noded 3-D brick Cosserat Point Element (CPE) for finite deformation elasticity.  In contrast with standard finite element procedures, the CPE approach treats the element as a structure and proposes a strain energy function that ensures positive stiffness to all inhomogeneous modes of deformation.  This leads to a CPE that does not experience hourglass instabilities exhibited by elements in commercial codes.