Summary: A nonlinear finite element technique is developed for analyzing the nonlinear static and dynamic responses as well as the nonlinear stability of single-layer reticulated shells under external loads, in which the nonlinear three-dimensional beam elements are employed. Using the updated Lagrangian formulation, we derive a tangent stiffness matrix of three-dimensional beam element, considering the geometric nonlinearity of the element. Moreover, the modified Newton–Raphson method is employed for the solution of the nonlinear equilibrium equations, and the Newmark–\(\beta\) method is adopted for determining the seismic response of single-layer reticulated shells. An improved arc-length method, in which the current stiffness parameter is used to reflect the nonlinear degree of such space structures, is presented for determining the load increment for the structural stability analysis. In addition, an accurate incremental method is developed for computing the large rotations of the space structures. The developed approach is presented in matrix form, which is particularly convenient for developing a computer program. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the application of the present method and to investigate the effects of the geometrical nonlinearity of the space structures.