difference between Finite element analysis and computational mechanics

[szy]

So the title is pretty self explanatory, but let me really explain what I'm trying to understand.

As a prospective structural engineer, I wanted to know the difference between FEA and C.M. To be more specific, computational 'structural' mechanics, as opposed to comp. fluid mech.

I have heard that FEA is fairly interdisciplinary, i.e. something that draws a lot from applied math and even computer science. So the question is - how is computational structural mechanics different.

And is FEA really employed a lot in construction. I know that it's very useful in aerospace, but how about good ol buildings.

cheers.

[szy]

oh well, wish someone knew about it.

[ktel]

Wish I could help you but I'm more on the CFD side of things. I just Googled it though and was reading a Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computational_mechanics and CM sounds like a broader description of computational modelling. I would think computational structural mechanics wouldn't be that different from FEA. It would be just as interdisciplinary (my CFD work is pretty interdisciplinary as you described). My boyfriend is a CivE and has not employed FEA once in any of his designs, but perhaps it would be used on an unconventional building design, but yes it is more often used for aerospace and other types of designs.

[szy]

interesting. I thought that FEA would have utility in construction, but as you said, maybe not.

Thanks anyways. btw, if you don't mind me asking, you doin PhD ???

[ktel]

I don't think FEA has any use in normal day-to-day construction, but I'm sure it has a place there somewhere.

I'm dong my Masters.

[thakchi]

I think FEA is more applicable to complex loading patters and BCs in which there are multiple expected failure mechanisms (buckling, fatigue, etc.). I know that the Aerospace industry uses a lot of FEA for aircraft/spacecraft structural analysis. On a slightly unrelated subject, FEA is becoming increasingly popular for solving flow problems (as opposed to Finite Difference). Other more popular and robust CFD methods are higher order methods like DG and SD.

[Mariotto]

Is this still workin? 11 years later...

 

I can reply