The aim of this contribution is to present numerical comparisons of model-order reduction methods for geometrically nonlinear structures in the general framework of finite element (FE) procedures. Three different methods are compared: the implicit condensation and expansion (ICE), the quadratic manifold computed from modal derivatives (MD), and the direct normal form (DNF) procedure, the latter expressing the reduced dynamics in an invariant-based span of the phase space. The methods are first presented in order to underline their common points and differences, highlighting in particular that ICE and MD use reduction subspaces that are not invariant. A simple analytical example is then used in order to analyze how the different treatments of quadratic nonlinearities by the three methods can affect the predictions. Finally, three beam examples are used to emphasize the ability of the methods to handle curvature (on a curved beam), 1:1 internal resonance (on a clamped-clamped beam with two polarizations), and inertia nonlinearity (on a cantilever beam).

Nonlinear vibrations of free-edge shallow spherical shells with large amplitudes are investigated, with the aim of predicting the type of nonlinearity (hardening/softening behaviour) for each mode of the shell, as a function of the radius R of curvature of the shell, from the plate case (R → ∞) to the limit of non-shallow shell. Two different models (based on von Kármán's assumptions or on full numerical finite element approach), and two different methods (normal form and modal derivatives) are contrasted.