AbstractWhen analysing complex structures it is rarely feasible to represent explicitly all the structural features which may contribute significantly to local or global structural performance. This paper presents a variety of methods for representing features which are below the economic analysis scale. Two approaches are described—referred to as implicit stiffness calculation and implicit mesh refinement. The former is essentially approximate and uses relatively simple formulae and computations. The latter involves quite extensive subsidiary calculation, but can lead to numerically exact simulation of fine mesh behaviour in so far as it affects neighbouring structure. Stiffness equivalence principles are stated and a number of computation schemes are presented and illustrated with simple two‐dimensional examp