Programming the Finite Element Method

Presents compact and portable FORTRAN programs for solution of problems using the finite element method. All code is presented in full, and the user is encouraged to look into the subroutines to see how they actually work. Covers the main areas of engineering analysis: equilibrium, transient, and eigenvalue problems. In the structures/solid mechanics area, programs solve problems ranging from simple structural analysis, through linear elastic analyses of two-dimensional solids with a variety of finite elements, to complex three-dimensional analyses involving nonlinear material properties. Dynamics applications are covered, including both time-domain and eigenvalue problems. Programs for solving transient problems of fluid/heat flow are presented, including novel, element-by-element algorithms.

Following the highly successful previous editions, this 4th edition contains programs and subroutine libraries fully updated to Fortran95, which are freely available on the Internet. A wide variety of problem solving capabilities are presented including structural analysis, elasticity and plasticity, construction processes in geomechanics, uncoupled and coupled steady and transient fluid flow and linear and nonlinear solid dynamics. A major new feature is the inclusion of parallelised programs, using MPI, which enable parallel processing of all types of finite element analyses. Performance evaluation shows that these programs make efficient use of parallel hardwares ranging from supercomputers to clusters of PCs.

Key features include:

• A clear outline of modular programming philosophy.
• More than 60 programs covering a wide range of problems in engineering and science.
• Results display using PostScript files.
• Exercises for students to solve.
• A simple but powerful parallelisation strategy.

These improvements all contribute to a more comprehensive book with a wide appeal. It will be of particular interest to students and practitioners in the application of finite element methods; to undergraduates and postgraduates in civil, mechanical and aeronautical engineering (stress analysis and fluid flow problems); to applied mathematicians and physicists (solution of partial differential equations); and to engineers in all of the above fields.