With the rap1d development of computational capab1lities, nonl1near f1nite element analys1s 1n structural mechan1CS has become an 1mportant field of research. Its objective is the real1stic assessment of the actual behaV10r of structures by numerical methods. Th1S requires that all nonlinear effects, such as the nonl1near character1stics of the mater1al and large deformations be taken 1nto account. The act1vities in th1S f1eld be1ng worldw1de, d1rect 1nteraction between the various research groups 1S necessary to coordinate future research and to overcome the time gap between the generat10n of new results and the1r appearance 1n the 11terature. The f1rst U.S.-Germany Sympos1um was held 1n 1976 at the Massachusetts Inst1tute of Technology. Under the general to- P1C "Formulat1ons and Computat1onal Algorithms in Fin1te Ele- ment Analysis" 1t prov1ded an opportun1ty for about 20 re- searchers from each country to present lectures, hold discus- sions, and establ1sh mutual contacts. The success of th1S first sympos1um was so encourag1ng that 1t seemed natural to organ- 1ze a second bilateral meet1ng, this time 1n Germany, and to 1nv1te researchers from other European countr1es as well.

This book contains a collection of papers presented at the Europe-US Symposium on Finite Element Methods for Nonlinear Problems. The symposium was held at the Norwegian Institute of Technology, Trondheim, Norway during August 12 to 16, 1985. The finite element method has during recent years gained a position as the most important discipline in computational mechanics. The basis for this method was laid out about two decades ago, and linear finite element techniques are today well established and well understood. Much work is still being done in order to make these linear methods more efficient and reliable. However, a sub stantial part of the current research efforts in the finite element field is focused on developing the nonlinear capabilities of the method. This task is highly challenging and demanding, both from a theoretical and practical point of view. It was in this spirit that the Europe-US Symposium on Finite Element Methods for Nonlinear Problems was organized. The meeting may be seen as the continuation of the US-Germany Symposium on Finite Element Methods held in 1976 at MIT, Cambridge, USA and the Europe- US Workshop on Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis in Structural Mechanics held in 1980 at the Ruhr-Universitat, Bochum, West-Germany."