In this course, the student will learn the technical and methodological bases useful for the realisation of finite element studies of practical problems in solid mechanics. Through examples close to real case studies, the student will also develop a critical view of the possibilities and limitations of these numerical methods and related software. The structure of the course follows the classical approach of modelling, namely: the mathematical formulation of the finite element problem of linear statics, the physical modelling (geometry, choice of constitutive models, boundary conditions), choice of the finite element formulation, mesh generation, convergence study, solution of the problem, post-processing, analysis of the results and writing of a detailed and critical report.

The structure of the course is based on theoretical presentation, tutorials and practical exercises to learn how to use a finite element modelling software. A mini-project is also present for the student to learn how to apply these concepts to a real world problem.