Finite Element Methods and Applications
Overview
This unit provides the fundamental knowledge of application of numerical methods in civil engineering applications. Special focus will be on matrix analysis of structure and application of finite element methods to civil engineering structures.
Requisites
Rule
Postgraduate
Admission to cognate PG Engineering degree
OR
CVE20003 Design of Concrete Structures
AND
CVE30002 Design of Steel Structures
01-June-2025
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Analyse a simple frame structure using the coordinate transformation method, i.e., to establish structural stiffness matrix for frame structures, to convert member loads to nodal loads, and to determine forces and moments in each member (K1, K3, S1, S2)
- Describe the theory of finite element methods and the solution algorithms in the FE programs (K1, S1)
- Select appropriate elements and formulate the structure accordingly to reproduce the real behaviour (K3, K4, S2)
- Use a general purpose FE program to perform stress analysis for a simple structure and consider various behaviour of beams, plates, shells and continuum elements (K2, K3, K4, S1, S2)
- Examine the stability of structures and determine the elastic buckling load (K1, K3, S1, S3)
- Idealise and apply various loads to structures and determine the performance (K1, S3)
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus Lecture | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| On-campus Class | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Unspecified Activities Independent Learning | 8.50 | 12 weeks | 102 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Individual | 40 - 50% | 1,2,3,4,5,6 |
| Project | Group | 30 - 40% | 3,4,6 |
| Quiz | Individual | 10 - 20% | 1,2,3,4,5,6 |
Hurdle
As the minimum requirements of assessment to pass a unit and meet all ULOs to a minimum standard, an undergraduate student must have achieved:
(i) An aggregate mark of 50% or more, and (ii) Must pass all assignments.Students who do not successfully achieve hurdle requirement (ii) in full will receive a maximum of 45% as the total mark for the unit.
Content
This unit provides an overview of the numerical methods used to analyse the civil engineering structures with the special focus on finite element methods. Main topics covered are:
- Numerical methods in engineering applications
- Matrix structural analysis
- Mathematical formulation of the Finite element Method (FEM)
- Variational and energy methods
- Element interpolation functions and numerical integration
- Finite element analysis for time-dependent problems
- Application of finite element software to analyse static and dynamic structural problems and stability of structures
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.