Abstract: A new approach, "condensed approach", is proposed for the finite element analysis of elastic-plastic materials. The total domain of the structure is divided into two regions. One is an elastic region and another is a mixed region of a plastic region blended with some elastic elements. The effects of the elastic region on the mixed region are expressed by equivalent general forces acting on the boundary nodes between the two regions. So the elastic-plastic analysis may be considered only in the mixed region. Because the mixed region is considerably smaller than the elastic region in general, a great deal of operation time to form the general stiffness matrix repeatedly and to solve the equations is saved and computation cost is cut down greatly. Some examples are given in illustra-tion of the approach.