Free FEA software recommendations

[HanStrulo]

Happy Monday Everyone,

Could I get some recommendations on free FEA software to help me design connections or structural elements (near connections)?

Thanks alot.

 

[JedClampett]

OK, I'll bite.
If you're going to use this to produce work that you're going to bill for, you should expect to pay for your tools. I wouldn't want to explain to a client that I picked up some shareware off the internet to design their project. There's a reason people charge for it.

 

[JoshPlumSE]

I'm mostly with JedClampett on this one. If you're doing something with FEA and connections, then you'll likely have to pay for it. Even if you found something, you'd probably have to carefully check and validate the answers it gives you.

There is free software available from some places. Some of it pretty good. However, that is usually written by a vendor to encourage the use of their product. Hilti did this for awhile with their base plate program.... Not sure if it's still free or not. Some of the wood joist manufacturers have their own beam design software to help you choose between products (Weyerhaeuser?).

There are a few simple FEA programs that are free. But, they're mostly geared towards academia and not towards design. I can't think of any that actually do code checks on members.... Definitely not connections. Those are much harder to in a program and require a more advanced code check algorithm.... not generally the type of thing companies give away for free.

You might check AISC's steel resources to see if they have anything. It might be just a spreadsheet or a something simple. But, they tend to keep track of useful resources for engineers.

Caveat:
I work for a structural engineering software company (CSI) that does FEM analysis and member design and such. So, keep in mind that I have bias on this subject.... Even when I try to keep that bias out of my posts on this forum.

 

[GregLocock]

To be honest anybody who runs any FEA without validating it is a blindfolded monkey throwing darts at a dartboard. Every program of any complexity I have ever used has a bug list which affects RESULTS.
Here's the EULA for the software I use, we're paying tens of thousands a year for each user


8 WARRANTY; LIMITATIONS.
8.1 XXXXXXX warrants that the Software when used as permitted under this Agreement and in accordance with the instructions
in the Documentation (including use on a computer hardware and operating system platform supported by XXXXXXX) will
conform substantially to its associated Documentation for a period of ninety (90) days from the initial delivery date.
Any claim by Customer of a breach of this warranty must be made in writing and within ninety (90) days of the delivery
date.
8.2 EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY STATED IN SECTION 8.1 OF THIS AGREEMENT AND TO THE EXTENT NOT
PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW, NEITHER XXXXXXX NOR ANY SUPPLIER OF XXXXXXX MAKE ANY
WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WITH RESPECT TO THE SOFTWARE, DOCUMENTATION, MAINTENANCE,
SERVICES OR OTHER MATERIALS PROVIDED UNDER THIS AGREEMENT. XXXXXXX FURTHER EXPRESSLY
DISCLAIMS THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND
NON-INFRINGEMENT. XXXXXXX MAKES NO WARRANTY THAT THE OPERATION OF THE SOFTWARE WILL
BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE.
8.3 Customer's exclusive remedy, and XXXXXXX's sole liability, for Software that does not meet the warranty set forth in Section
8.1 will be, at XXXXXXX's option: (i) to [highlight #FCE94F]correct the non-conforming Software within a reasonable time[/highlight] so that it conforms
to the warranty; (ii) to replace the non-conforming Software with another XXXXXXX software offering of substantially
similar functionality; or (iii) if neither (i) or (ii) is commercially feasible, permit Customer to terminate the license as
to the non-conforming Software and refund of the license fees and associated, unused Maintenance fees actually paid
to XXXXXXX for the non-conforming Software. XXXXXXX will have no responsibility or obligation under the foregoing warranty
or otherwise with respect to: (a) any Software that has been modified by anyone other than XXXXXXX, or (b) failure of the
Software caused by Customer or its agents through accident, abuse or misapplication.
9 LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.
9.1 Customer acknowledges that the Software along with the Documentation, Maintenance and any services provided
hereunder are only an aid in Customer's development of Customer's products and[highlight #FCE94F] is not intended as a substitute for
sound engineering judgmen[/highlight]t. XXXXXXX [highlight ]will not be liable in any manner whatsoever for the data output[/highlight] obtained through
use of the Software. Customer shall, at its own expense, indemnify, defend and hold XXXXXXX harmless from and against
any claim(s) brought against XXXXXXX by a third party arising out of, or related to, Customer's use of the data output
obtained from use of the Software.
9.2 NEITHER XXXXXXX NOR ITS SUPPLIERS OR AFFILIATES WILL BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT,
CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE OR SPECIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST
DATA, SAVINGS, PROFITS OR REVENUES) ARISING OUT OF, RELATING TO, OR IN CONNECTION WITH
THE SOFTWARE, DOCUMENTATION, MAINTENANCE, SERVICES, OTHER MATERIALS OR THIS
AGREEMENT, EVEN IF XXXXXXX HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH LOSS OR CLAIM.
XXXXXXX'S TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF, RELATING TO, OR IN CONNECTION WITH
THE SOFTWARE, DOCUMENTATION, MAINTENANCE, SERVICES, OTHER MATERIALS AND THIS
AGREEMENT, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE, WILL BE LIMITED TO AND WILL IN
NO EVENT EXCEED THE AMOUNT ACTUALLY RECEIVED BY XXXXXXX FOR THE ITEM THAT IS THE
SUBJECT MATTER OF, OR IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE CAUSE OF ACTION. NO ACTION,
REGARDLESS OF FORM, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT MAY BE BROUGHT BY
CUSTOMER MORE THAN ONE YEAR AFTER THE CAUSE OF ACTION ACCRUED. TO THE EXTENT ANY
APPLICABLE LAW LIMITS THE SCOPE OF THIS SECTION 9.2., THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE
INTERPRETED TO CONFO

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[HanStrulo]

Thank you for the answers.

The reason I wanted to find a FEA software is because i would like to learn about this particularly. We don't use it in my company. we usually use spreadsheets to check connections.

I noticed that i don't really understand the stress paths and how connections work and i thought a FEA software will help me visualize it. ( at my free time of course).

 

[MotorCity]

FEA is ok for visualizing how loads flow through the connection, but if you are designing connections in a productive office setting, I would recommend using a spreadsheet or connection design software that makes code checks. Due to its high degree of accuracy, FEA can give a false sense of security. I tend to stick with simplified free body diagrams of connections as much as possible.

 

[drawoh]

HanStrulo,

CALCULIX is Free Software, available as source code. There are threads on it in forum572. You can examine the source code if that is what you wish.

I do not disagree with the comments about commercial software, above.

--
JHG

 

[HanStrulo]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

 

[BulbTheBuilder]

Let me add a little to what they've said (they said it all lol). To visualise the load flow I'd read you literatures/books as they are way's to transfer the load (examples Uniform force method and Kiss method). Understanding these theories will make you visualise the loads better and have better control. One thing you'll observe in software is there vary from hand calculations. The reason is the software are mostly written to consider things we might and uses FEM in their analysis.
In my opinion, learning the load from hand written is better than trying to trying to use the software.

P.S also refer horizontal and vertical braces literatures as they contribute to load transfer in connections.

I don't know why it shows "Civil/Engineering" by my username. How do I change it to structural :'(