Tag
FEA
5 posts
June 6, 2026
When stiffness, not strength, kills the panel
Thin panels go unstable long before they run out of strength, and the linear eigenvalue load FE hands you is an optimistic upper bound, not an answer. Notes on eigenvalue versus post-buckling, stiffener pitch, boundary conditions, and imperfection knockdowns.
April 12, 2026
FE-test correlation notes that don't fit on a slide
Practical lessons from correlating models with coupon, element and full-scale test. Gauges, boundary conditions, the conservatism multiplier on fatigue, and the little reference model.
November 15, 2024
Mesh convergence is not a checkbox
Refining until the number stops moving is necessary but nowhere near sufficient. Singularities, stress recovery, picking the right quantity to converge, and knowing when to stop.
December 11, 2023
Bearing, bypass, and why I still keep a hand-calc workbook open
Fastener load distribution is the classic place FE flatters you. Some thoughts on bearing-bypass, fastener flexibility, and why the spreadsheet still gets the last word.
September 30, 2023
Don't trust GFEM stress, trust GFEM load
A short note on sub-modelling: the global model is a load bookkeeper, and the one check that catches most of the mistakes.