SUMMARYThe 3-node triangular discrete Kirchho theory (DKT) element is studied in the context of explicit software for crash analysis. The element uses linear interpolation for the in-plane displacement, quadratic interpolation for the normal rotations. The transverse displacement has a Hermite cubic interpolation along element sides. Discrete Kirchho conditions are imposed at the corner nodes and the sides. The element is condensed to 每ve degrees-of-freedom per node and can be used with other 3-node and 4-node elements. For benchmark example, the DKT element gives good accuracy whereas the 3-node C 0 element is too sti . Examples of high-speed component impact analysis demonstrate that DKT element performs as good as Belytschko-Tsay quadrilateral element, which has been the main element used for crashworthiness analyses.