The objective of this course is to teach students the fundamentals of finite element analysis of structures. In this field, it is essential for engineers to know the basic principles, assumptions and limitations of the modeling choices made and to be able to analyze the results obtained.
Structural modeling can be divided into 4 areas, which will be covered during the various sessions of the course:
Each lesson will include a theoretical introduction followed by a numerical application during a practical session. Two calculation software packages are used: Castem, the CEA's free software package, which has no interface and allows the different stages of the calculation to be understood; and Abaqus, one of the most widely used software packages in industry for the calculation of structures.
| On completion of the unit, the student will be capable of: | Classification level | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Understand the main steps involved in solving a structural calculation. | 1. Knowledge | Essential |
| Perform a numerical calculation on a simple structure and analyze the results. | 3. Apply | Important |
| Perform a simple but critical analysis of the results obtained. | 4. Analyse | Essential |
| Select appropriate modeling hypotheses and know their limitations. | 4. Analyse | Useful |
| Percentage ratio of individual assessment | Percentage ratio of group assessment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written exam: | 0 | % | Project submission: | 0 | % |
| Individual oral exam: | 0 | % | Group presentation: | 0 | % |
| Individual presentation: | 100 | % | Group practical exercise: | 0 | % |
| Individual practical exercise: | 0 | % | Group report: | 0 | % |
| Individual report: | 0 | % | |||
| Other(s): 0 % | |||||
| Type of teaching activity | Content, sequencing and organisation |
|---|---|
| Courses and Practical courses | Introduction to the finite element method Choice of elements Convergence study Accounting for symmetries Choice of boundary conditions Beams Plates and shells Eigenmodes of structures Vibration of structures Non linear constitutive behavior : example of plasticity Large transformations Accounting for contact |