AbstractThe theory, function generator routine and testing procedures are given for a six‐node 18 degree of freedom triangular element. At corner nodes the variables are the displacement and the two slopes. At midside nodes the variables are the displacement, the slope normal to the side, and the rate of change of this along the side—i.e., the rate of torsion. Of two options, one divides the triangle into three and takes different quartic displacements in the three regions, and the other uses displacement functions with singularities at the vertices. According to a test which compares the energies of the two formulations by eigenvalues, the second is the better if the integration is accurate. The same test, together with others based on finite differences and on nodal values, etc. checks the correctness of the routine decisiv