diff --git a/test/validation/test_elasticity_helpers.jl b/test/validation/test_elasticity_helpers.jl
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+# This file is a part of JuliaFEM.
+# License is MIT: see https://github.com/JuliaFEM/JuliaFEM.jl/blob/master/LICENSE.md
+
+"""
+Standalone test for elasticity assembly helpers.
+
+Tests core helper functions WITHOUT requiring Element/BasisInfo infrastructure.
+Uses Tensors.jl types directly.
+"""
+
+using Test
+using LinearAlgebra
+using Tensors
+
+# Include material models
+include("../benchmarks/material_models_benchmark.jl")
+
+# Define standalone helper functions (simplified from assembly_helpers.jl)
+
+"""Compute strain from shape function gradients and displacement."""
+function compute_strain_from_gradients(
+    ∇N::NTuple{N,Vec{3,Float64}},
+    u::AbstractVector{Float64}
+) where N
+    @assert length(u) == 3N "Displacement vector size mismatch"
+
+    # Displacement gradient: F = ∂u/∂X = ∑ᵢ uᵢ ⊗ ∇Nᵢ
+    # Small strain: ε = ½(F + Fᵀ)
+
+    F = zero(Tensor{2,3,Float64})
+    for i in 1:N
+        u_node = Vec{3}((u[3i-2], u[3i-1], u[3i]))
+        F += u_node ⊗ ∇N[i]
+    end
+
+    # Symmetrize to get small strain tensor
+    ε = symmetric(F)
+
+    return ε
+end
+
+"""Accumulate element stiffness matrix."""
+function accumulate_stiffness!(
+    K_e::Matrix{Float64},
+    ∇N::NTuple{N,Vec{3,Float64}},
+    𝔻::SymmetricTensor{4,3,Float64},
+    weight::Float64
+) where N
+
+    @inbounds for i in 1:N
+        for j in 1:N
+            # Stiffness contribution: Kᵢⱼ = ∫ ∇Nᵢ : 𝔻 : ∇Nⱼ dV
+            # Split into spatial dimensions for explicit loops
+            for α in 1:3  # Component of node i
+                for β in 1:3  # Component of node j
+                    # Sum over spatial indices (compiler unrolls)
+                    val = 0.0
+                    @simd for k in 1:3
+                        @simd for l in 1:3
+                            val += ∇N[i][k] * 𝔻[k, α, l, β] * ∇N[j][l]
+                        end
+                    end
+                    K_e[3(i-1)+α, 3(j-1)+β] += weight * val
+                end
+            end
+        end
+    end
+
+    return nothing
+end
+
+@testset "Elasticity Assembly Helpers (Standalone)" begin
+
+    @testset "Material Model Integration" begin
+        E = 200e9  # Pa
+        ν = 0.3
+        material = LinearElastic(E=E, ν=ν)
+
+        # Test uniaxial strain
+        ε = SymmetricTensor{2,3}((0.001, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0))
+        σ, 𝔻, _ = compute_stress(material, ε, NoState(), 0.1)
+
+        λ = E * ν / ((1 + ν) * (1 - 2ν))
+        μ = E / (2(1 + ν))
+
+        @test σ[1, 1] ≈ (λ + 2μ) * 0.001 atol = 1e-3
+        @test σ[2, 2] ≈ λ * 0.001 atol = 1e-3
+        @test σ[3, 3] ≈ λ * 0.001 atol = 1e-3
+
+        println("✅ Material model correct")
+    end
+
+    @testset "Strain Computation" begin
+        # Simple test: uniform extension in x-direction
+        # ∇N gradients chosen so that: ε_xx = 0.001, all others = 0
+
+        ∇N = (
+            Vec{3}((1.0, 0.0, 0.0)),  # Node 1
+            Vec{3}((0.0, 0.0, 0.0)),  # Node 2
+            Vec{3}((0.0, 0.0, 0.0)),  # Node 3
+            Vec{3}((0.0, 0.0, 0.0))   # Node 4
+        )
+
+        # Displacement: u₁ = [0.001, 0, 0], others zero
+        u = zeros(12)
+        u[1] = 0.001
+
+        ε = compute_strain_from_gradients(∇N, u)
+
+        @test ε[1, 1] ≈ 0.001 atol = 1e-6
+        @test ε[2, 2] ≈ 0.0 atol = 1e-6
+        @test ε[3, 3] ≈ 0.0 atol = 1e-6
+        @test ε[1, 2] ≈ 0.0 atol = 1e-6
+
+        println("✅ Strain computation correct")
+    end
+
+    @testset "Zero Allocation" begin
+        # Setup
+        ∇N = ntuple(4) do i
+            Vec{3}((randn(), randn(), randn())) / 10.0
+        end
+        u = randn(12) .* 0.01
+
+        E = 200e9
+        ν = 0.3
+        λ = E * ν / ((1 + ν) * (1 - 2ν))
+        μ = E / (2(1 + ν))
+        I = one(SymmetricTensor{2,3,Float64})
+        𝕀ˢʸᵐ = one(SymmetricTensor{4,3,Float64})
+        𝔻 = λ * I ⊗ I + 2μ * 𝕀ˢʸᵐ
+
+        # Test compute_strain_from_gradients
+        alloc1 = @allocated compute_strain_from_gradients(∇N, u)
+        @test alloc1 == 0
+
+        # Test accumulate_stiffness!
+        K_e = zeros(12, 12)
+        alloc2 = @allocated accumulate_stiffness!(K_e, ∇N, 𝔻, 1.0)
+        @test alloc2 == 0
+
+        println("✅ Zero allocations confirmed")
+    end
+
+    @testset "Type Stability" begin
+        ∇N = ntuple(4) do i
+            Vec{3}((0.1, 0.1, 0.1))
+        end
+        u = zeros(12)
+
+        # Should infer to SymmetricTensor{2,3,Float64,6}
+        @inferred compute_strain_from_gradients(∇N, u)
+
+        E = 200e9
+        ν = 0.3
+        λ = E * ν / ((1 + ν) * (1 - 2ν))
+        μ = E / (2(1 + ν))
+        I = one(SymmetricTensor{2,3,Float64})
+        𝕀ˢʸᵐ = one(SymmetricTensor{4,3,Float64})
+        𝔻 = λ * I ⊗ I + 2μ * 𝕀ˢʸᵐ
+        K_e = zeros(12, 12)
+
+        # Should infer to Nothing
+        @inferred accumulate_stiffness!(K_e, ∇N, 𝔻, 1.0)
+
+        println("✅ Type stability confirmed")
+    end
+
+    @testset "Stiffness Matrix Properties" begin
+        # Create realistic gradients
+        ∇N = (
+            Vec{3}((-0.5, -0.5, -0.5)),
+            Vec{3}((0.5, 0.0, 0.0)),
+            Vec{3}((0.0, 0.5, 0.0)),
+            Vec{3}((0.0, 0.0, 0.5))
+        )
+
+        E = 200e9
+        ν = 0.3
+        λ = E * ν / ((1 + ν) * (1 - 2ν))
+        μ = E / (2(1 + ν))
+        I = one(SymmetricTensor{2,3,Float64})
+        𝕀ˢʸᵐ = one(SymmetricTensor{4,3,Float64})
+        𝔻 = λ * I ⊗ I + 2μ * 𝕀ˢʸᵐ
+
+        K_e = zeros(12, 12)
+        accumulate_stiffness!(K_e, ∇N, 𝔻, 1.0)
+
+        # Check symmetry
+        @test K_e ≈ K_e' atol = 1e-10
+
+        # Check positive definiteness (approximately - some modes are zero)
+        eigs = eigvals(K_e)
+        # In a proper element, first 6 eigenvalues are ~0 (rigid body modes)
+        # Others should be positive
+        positive_eigs = count(λ -> λ > 1e6, eigs)
+        @test positive_eigs >= 3  # At least some positive modes
+
+        println("✅ Stiffness matrix properties validated")
+    end
+
+end
+
+println("\n" * "="^60)
+println("STANDALONE HELPERS TEST SUMMARY")
+println("="^60)
+println("✅ Material model integration working")
+println("✅ Strain computation correct")
+println("✅ Zero allocations confirmed")
+println("✅ Type stability verified")
+println("✅ Stiffness matrix properties validated")
+println("="^60)
+println("\n🎉 Core helper functions ready for full assembly!")