Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
(OP)
Hi. I’ m a structural engineer with a M.S. in structural engineering (and 12 years experience, including a great deal of FEA modeling experience), but I never completed a class that was solely about FEA. I certainly had classes where it was a topic (like my second structural analysis class, where the direct stiffness method was covered and my Advanced mechanics of materials class), but never one where it was covered by itself. At this point, is it really worth it (in anyone’s opinion) to try to take an on-line course in it somewhere? My concern is that what made me drop it in Grad school, is probably what would make me drop it again: impracticality. The class I was in (for a couple of months) in Grad school, we got so caught up in the mathematics of it, and it was disconnected from practical modeling concerns that it was useless. I’ve tried to study this subject, but I was considering a more structured approach (but I didn’t know how effective it could/would be). Thoughts?





RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
corus
RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
I would consider myself pretty proficient at modeling (in fact many people here approach me to fix their models (i.e. instabilities, etc.)). But I was just kicking around the idea. I’ve always felt that more fundamentals couldn’t hurt.
RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
I would note that you can't possibly get all the necessary work from one course though. So if your school doesn't have an advanced course with dynamics, consider seeking out a seminar offered by the software vendors.
Regards,
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RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
by Daryl L. Logan ? Is it a good book (i.e. practical)?
Does it have practical applications in the Civil/structural area?
RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
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RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
If you think that after 12 years you know everything worth knowing om FEA you probably don't need the class (or classes).
As for practical courses, they are often good. But I would say that knowing the theoretical background (like shape functions) can be more rewarding in the long perspective. Do you know what limitations the shape functions give on the analysis results?
If you find a good course, go for it.
Good Luck
Thomas
RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
Cheers
Greg Locock
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RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
Some of you sound as if you are afraid of mathematics. You remind me of some of my students expecting to go through a whole course learning only "practical" things whatever that means. I throw down some equations and they start to get a glazed look in their eyes.
RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
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I don't deny that doing some "spraying" should/would be necessary. But most texts I have seen treat the subject have done a very poor job of it. (It is possible to treat this without a(n) too esoteric explanation.) As we are all engineers here, I think we all recognize that some books in our field fall short (in some subject areas egregiously so); but in no area does this seem to be more so than in finite elements.
RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
Logan's equations are generally explained in good detail without being so indepth that you feel a need to get out your calculus book. I don't think he spends enough time addressing topics like convergence criteria, but he does give plenty of examples (even if they are more truss-related rather than plates, bricks, or other element types), and he provides flow charts for developing analytical code.
RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
I also recommend that you consider at least being familiar with the theory. In my opinion, it's impossible to responsibly use FEA without knowing at least some of the theoretical foundations of the method. If the theory built into the software is incapable of modeling the problem you are attempting to solve, refining until you get a converged "answer" will have proved nothing. I've seen several analysts misuse and abuse fea tools because they didn't understand the theory.
Doug
RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
I completely agree with people who say : knowledge about theory of finite elements is essential for understanding how to model a structure a part of it , how to implement a material and so on. I also assume that you understand the behaviour of a structure under some kind of loads and so that you will be able to accept or reject the result of an analysis and then understand that you have to re-model the structure.
However, my advice is to study these two books that you can buy through amazon:
1) Fundamentals of finite element analysis by David V. Hutton
it's more practical then Zienkiewicz.
2) Finite Element design of concrete structures by G. A. Rombach .
Best wishes
Aliante
RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?
Understanding the underlying principles that govern the Finite Element Method is essential to its practicality. Thus, the suggestion to take the theoretical course is a very good idea if you plan to use and understand FEA software.
G. Coppola
RE: Worth it (at this point) to take an FEA class?