An improved method has been developed for the computation of the section forces and stiffness in nonlinear finite element analysis of RC plane frames. The need for a new approach arises because the conventional technique may have a questionable level of efficiency if a large number of layers is specified and a questionable level of accuracy if a smaller number is used. The proposed technique is based on automatically dividing the section into zones of similar state of stress and tangent modulus and then numerically integrating within each zone to evaluate the sectional stiffness parameters and forces. In the new system, the size, number and location of the layers vary with the state of the strains in the cross section. The proposed method shows a significant improvement in time requirement and accuracy in comparison with the conventional layered approach. The computer program based on the new technique has been used successfully to predict the experimental load-deflection response of a RC frame and good agreement with test and other numerical results have been obtained.