Chapter A. Introduction

When performing a FE calculation of a structure, the modeling assumptions as well as the objectives must be defined. Those goals generally consist of solving:

the displacements caused by a static loading (permanent) quasi-static (without inertial effects) or dynamic (fast-loading,)
internal state, such as stresses, damages inflicted (cracking, etc.)

Among the modeling hypotheses, it is preferable to handle chronologically:

the choice of the general formulation,

the dimensionality of the model,
the choice of the elements,
the definition of the interactions with the environment.

A1. A general formulation for linear elastic calculations

A2. The dimensionality of the model

A3. The choice of the FE

A4. Interaction between the structure and its environment

A5. Estimation of the quality of the approximated numerical solution