Developments in Finite Element Analysis

When non-linear finite element analysis (FEA) was first applied to rubber problems in the late 1960 s, only the largest universities and research institutes could afford the powerful computers needed. But significant advances in computer hardware and software have reduced the cost of computing so much that it is now available to almost everyone. Indeed, the playing field has been leveled to the extent that for moderately complex problems, the only significant difference between the capability of a large corporation and a small start-up company may lie in the skills of their analysts. The pace of development has been rapid and much has changed since Chapter 9 was first written and then revised for the second edition of this book. Yet, the fundamental principles have remained unchanged. Instead of revising Chapter 9 for this third edition, it was decided to write a second part to cover salient developments in the field.