Computational Mechanics

Computational mechanics combines the principles of mechanics with approximation techniques and numerical methods to solve complex stress, vibration, and other structures problems. Finite element analysis (FEA) is a well-known branch of computational mechanics. The Structures and Mechanical Systems group is active in developing new and better computational mechanics technology and in using existing methods to address practical problems. 

• The Structures group specializes in assembling the right team and computational resources to quickly attack difficult interdisciplinary problems. Our engineering staff has over a century of combined experience in developing and applying computational mechanics methods to improve our customers’ products. In addition, over 160 other UDRI professionals are available to contribute their expertise in materials and testing.
• Our extensive experience with practical FEA applications includes: stress, vibration, and buckling analysis of building designs, pressure vessels, turbine engine components, pneumatic tires, composite materials, and aircraft and automotive subsystems; design and optimization of structures; aerodynamic and aeroelastic analysis; and heat transfer, thermal stress, damping, and optical distortion and analysis.  We have in-house and are familiar with a variety of general-purpose and specialized FEA systems, and can import our customers’ CAD models into our FEA modeling/meshing packages to accurately and rapidly create FEA models.
• We specialize in the development of new methods to solve difficult or unusual problems. Computational mechanics experts at UDRI are responsible for significant problem-solving advances in areas including: optimization, nonlinear structural analysis, material modeling, structural damping, probabilistic structural analysis, life prediction (metals and composites), impact modeling and heat transfer/thermal stress.