Method of Finite Elements I
Spring semester 2023
Prof. Dr. Eleni Chatzi & Dr. Adrian Egger
Assistant: Konstantinos Vlachas
Monday 12:45-15:30, HCI J4
*The course is not offered in hybrid form. Attendance is in person, with recordings from previous years made available only as a learning material.
Content
The course introduces students to the fundamental concepts of the Method of Finite Elements, including element formulations, numerical solution procedures and modelling details. We aim to equip students with the ability to code algorithms (based on Python) for the solution of practical problems of structural analysis.
Every course is supplemented with an hour of Demos & Exercises. For this, we recommend that you bring your laptops in the classroom.
***** DISCLAIMER: This course does not serve as an introduction to commercial software; it, instead, aims to offer insights into how uch computation is achieved *****
Course book
The lectures slides will be updated throughout the course. They are based on the following books:
[O] Structural Analysis with the Finite Element Method Linear Statics, available online from the ETH Library: external pageVol. 1 & external pageVol. 2 by Eugenio Onate
[F] Introduction To Finite Element Methods (IFEM), Carlos Felippa, University of Colorado at Boulder, external pageavailable online
Useful Reading:
Finite Element Procedures, K.J. Bathe, Prentice Hall, 1996
General Information
Grading - Moodle Exam
The final grade is computed by 45% from a compulsory continuous performance assessment task (i.e. 3 graded Homeworks (15% each)) and by 55% by a written examination, which will be on the last day of the course. The compulsory continuous performance assessment task need not be passed on its own; it is awarded a grade which counts proportionally towards the total course unit grade.
Assistant
Visiting hours: sign up via the calendar option offered on the Moodle platform.
Moodle
This courses uses Moodle for supporting materials & discussions. The system is highly catered to getting you help fast and efficiently from classmates, the TAs, and instructors. We encourage you to post your questions on the offered Q&A Forum.