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Finite Element Analysis is a very popular, computer-based tool that uses a complex system of points called nodes to make a grid called a "mesh." The mesh contains the material and structural properties that define how the structure will react to certain loading conditions, allowing virtual testing and analysis of stresses or changes applied to the material or component design. This groundbreaking text extends the usefulness of finite element analysis by helping both beginners and advanced users alike. It simplifies, improves, and extends both the finite element method while at the same time advancing adaptive refinement procedures.
These improvements are made possible due to a change in notation that embeds knowledge of solid continuum mechanics into the equations used to formulate the stiffness matrices; this allows the modeling characteristics of individual elements to be identified by visual inspection. The ability to visually relate the equations involved in element formulation to the physical process they represent is like having an x-ray of the inner workings of the finite element method; it is similar is to the effect that Graphical User Interfaces or GUI's had on computing. As a result, students at any level of finite element study are provided with an understanding of the capabilities and limitations of this powerful analytic tool.
