Course content

Energy principles for establishing stiffness relationships for beam - , plane stress - and plate bending problems. Global stiffness relationship achieved by element properties. Superelement and substructure techniques. Use of computer programs in finite element analysis. Examples of modelling of marine structures.

Learning outcome

After completion of this subject the student should understand the basis for finite element analysis of structures, be able to carry out finite element analysis with an existing computer program as well as critically assess the calculation results. The student should be able to:
- Understand the energy principles that form the basis for the Finite Element Method.
- Understand how the stiffness relationships for a structure can be established.
- Understand what is meant by super-element and substructure techniques and what is the purpose of such techniques.
- Understand which criteria that need to be fulfilled to ensure that a Finite Element Method should converge towards the exact solution when the mesh size is decreased.
- Understand which sources of error can influence the results of finite element analysis; including discretization errors and round offerrors occuring during solving the resulting equation system.
- Be able to establish the stiffness relationship for elements for trussworks, frames, thin plates with membrane or lateral loads; i.e plane stress and plate bending problems based on energy principles and interpolation of the displacement fields.
- Be able to explain how the stiffness relation for the (global) structure can be established by means of the element stiffness
- Be able to carry out a finite element analysis of a frame structure and a steel plated structure with membrane stresses by using a relevant computer program and critically assess the results of the analysis.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures, exercises, including two mandatory computer exercises. The subject will be lectured in English. Portfolio assessment is the basis for the grade in the course. The portfolio includes a final written exam (70%) and a midterm test (30%). The results for the parts are given in %-scores, while the entire portfolio is assigned a letter grade. Postponed/repeated exams may be oral.
Examination papers will be given in English only. Students are free to choose Norwegian or English for written assessments.

Compulsory assignments

• Exercises

Recommended previous knowledge

TMR4105, TMR4167, TMR4247, TMR4170.

Course materials

K. Bell: Matrix Methods (in Norwegian), Tapir, 1994; or equivalent textbook.
T. Moan: Finite Element Modelling and Analysis of Marine Structures, Department of Marine Technology, NTNU, September 2003.

Credit reductions