The results of the MindFEM engine are checked against closed-form solutions, published literature sources and ETABS and SAP2000 models of the same structures. The deviation and the kinds of reference are defined on the Verification page.
Distribution across the published records
| Deviation band | Records |
|---|---|
| below 0.01% | 532 |
| 0.01% – 0.1% | 164 |
| 0.1% – 1% | 208 |
| 1% – 5% | 95 |
| 5% – 15% | 30 |
| above 15% | 3 |
| Total | 1032 |
Subject and kind of reference
| Subject | Published source | Closed form | Independent program | Independent calculation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frame Element | 46 | 30 | 20 | 96 | |
| Shell Element | 113 | 21 | 7 | 141 | |
| Dynamics and Stability | 8 | 16 | 24 | ||
| Loads and Ground | 16 | 22 | 4 | 42 | |
| Result Integration and Constraints | 1 | 68 | 61 | 130 | |
| Program Comparison | 12 | 587 | 599 | ||
| Total | 184 | 169 | 648 | 31 | 1032 |
Largest deviation by subject
| Subject | Records | Largest deviation | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frame Element | 96 | 26.60% | Critical load |
| Shell Element | 141 | 25.80% | Radial displacement at the load point |
| Dynamics and Stability | 24 | 1.44% | Mode (2,1) frequency [Hz] |
| Loads and Ground | 42 | 2.27% | Maximum ground pressure |
| Result Integration and Constraints | 130 | 9.60% | Q: T at x = 31 m [kNm] |
| Program Comparison | 599 | 13.25% | TG: Myy beside the wall end [kNm/m] |
Verification pages
- Frame Element — prismatic and tapered members, shear deformation, end releases, semi-rigid connections, rigid end zones and the axial bar
- Shell Element — the patch test and the eigenvalue test, plate bending, locking checks, membrane behaviour, transverse shear, laminate and orthotropic sections, the CLT strip and the MacNeal-Harder and NAFEMS standard problems
- Dynamics and Stability — vibration modes, buckling, second order effects and initial strain
- Loads and Ground — self weight, moving loads and influence lines, the compression-only ground spring, Janssen silo pressure, Rankine earth pressure and the culvert
- Result Integration and Constraints — design strip, PIER, section geometry and Section Cut together with the body constraint and the rigid diaphragm
- Program Comparison — comparison with a model of the same structure built in ETABS or SAP2000
Scope
Every record in this section belongs to the engine itself. The calculation steps of a macro are given on that macro's own verification page.
The verification covers the analysis types the engine performs today. These are linear static, P-Delta, iterative second-order, nonlinear static with tension-only or compression-only members, modal and linear buckling analysis. Geometrically nonlinear analysis with large displacements, material nonlinearity and time-history dynamics are outside the engine's scope.
The equations the engine solves and the analysis types it offers are covered on the MindFEM Engine page.