Software for the Evaluation of the Influence of the Formulation of Finite Elements in the Simulation of the Behavior of Simple Structures – Part 2

Abstract

The use of software based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) requires knowledge of the different types of elements and the variables implicit in their formulation, such as the discretization of the unknown field, the shape functions, the numerical integration scheme, and the inter-element compatibility. FEM is the most widely used method for structural analysis in various branches of engineering. However, its users do not always take into account the variables involved or the influence they may have on the results. In part, this is because the available software does not always allow interaction with them. This work describes a software developed by the authors for teaching FEM that allows interaction with these variables to evaluate their influence on the results of structural simulations. In the first part (S. Zera et al., Mecánica Computacional, 42:1587–1596, (2023)) the capabilities of the software to study two-dimensional structures under states of plane stress and strain and plate bending were presented. In this second part, its capabilities are extended for the study of shell structures.