Finite element analysis (FEA) is a cornerstone of modern computational mechanics, enabling the simulation of complex physical systems by subdividing a continuum into discrete finite elements. This ...

Professor of Mechanics, Washington University, St. Louis, Mo. It's easy to construct finite-element models with errors. And it's just as easy to correct them, when you know how. The first step in a ...

In advanced engineering circles, the finite element method — or, more commonly, finite element analysis — is a real staple. With the advent of more powerful home computers, though, even your home ...

Watch out — You can get different results depending on how you mesh the model. Second-order shell elements: Meshing the thin band with secondorder-shell elements produces precise curvilinear geometry.