PART I: APPROXIMATE METHODS FOR CONTINUUM PROBLEMS

- Differential, integral and variational formulations for continuum problems

- Finite difference methods

- Ritz-Galerkin methods

PART II: THE FINITE ELEMENT METHOD FOR LINEAR STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS

- C0 continuity problems

- Finite elements for Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beams; modelling of nonlinear constitutive response

- Finite Element formulation: governing equations, weighted residual approach, variational approach

- Finite Element formulation for dynamic applications: mass matrix and integration methods of equations of motions

- Finite elements for plane problems: triangular elements, rectangular elements (Lagrangian, Serendipity)

- Isoparametric elements with rectilinear and curvilinear boundaries.

- Finite elements for 3D problems

- Finite elements for axy-symmetric structures

- Numerical Gauss integration

- Finite elements for Kirchhoff and Mindlin plates

- Plane elements for shells

PART III: FEM APPLICATIONS

• General hints on Computer Codes for FEM analysis

• Use of MATLAB and SAP to perform structural analyses by the FE method.