SUMMARYThe governing equations for large strain analysis of elastic-plastic problems are reconsidered. An improved form of these equations is derived, which is valid for small increments of strain and large increments of rotation. Special attention is paid to the integration procedures for these equations in the deformation history. It is shown that the tangent modulus procedure for integration of the constitutive equations is conditionally stable, and that implicit methods, such as the 'mean normal' method, are to be preferred. A novel procedure is introduced for the treatment of nonlinear geometric effects. The performance of various element types is examined, with specific attention to effects of 'locking' and distortion. Several applications are discussed to illustrate the various aspects of the formulation developed in this paper.