This book is intended for all structural engineers wishing to solve problems using FEA, including both experienced engineers and students who want to know what FEA is, how it works, and how to use good modeling practices to develop accurate and reliable finite element models. The reader is assumed to have a basic understanding of physics and of statics and strength of materials, in particular, as a prerequisite to reading this book.

While there is much information in the published literature regarding the FEM theory, there is little on practical modeling techniques with FEA for mechanical engineers. Engineers often learn basic FEA rules from textbooks, but the vast majority learn FEA through years of experience developing finite element models.

In this book, I do not explain the reader how to use an FEA software, I present the best practical methods and guidelines for the development and validation of finite element models. My objective is to provide mechanical structural engineers with the keys to developing accurate and reliable finite element models by avoiding the most frequent errors.

I organized the book in such a way that the reader is not obliged to read this book from the first to the last page but is free to pick out information here and there according to their needs. Some information is repeated in various chapters intended to stand alone, while other information is limited to a single chapter that is referenced by others. However, I would recommend that if you are starting out in FEA that you read the entire book in chapter order to understand all the ins and outs.

In this first edition, I cover the static, buckling and modal analysis for linear and non-linear structural behaviors.