Expert systems and finite element structural analysis — a review

Finite element analysis of many engineering systems is practised more as an art than as a science. It involves high level expertise (analytical as well as heuristic) regarding problem modelling (e.g. problem specification, choosing the appropriate type of elements etc.), optical mesh design for achieving the specified accuracy (e.g. initial mesh selection, adaptive mesh refinement), selection of the appropriate type of analysis and solution routines and, finally, diagnosis of the finite element solutions. Very often such expertise is highly dispersed and is not available at a single place with a single expert. The design of an expert system, such that the necessary expertise is available to a novice to perform the same job even in the absence of trained experts, becomes an attractive proposition. In this paper, the areas of finite element structural analysis which require experience and decision-making capabilities are explored. A simple expert system, with a feasible knowledge base for problem modelling, optimal mesh design, type of analysis and solution routines, and diagnosis, is outlined. Several efforts in these directions, reported in the open literature, are also reviewed in this paper.