Finite element limit analysis

Finite element limit analysis is like playing with building blocks. Imagine you have a bunch of blocks and you want to build a really strong structure, like a castle. You can create a model of the castle using these blocks and then figure out if it would collapse under certain conditions, like if a really strong wind were blowing against it.

In finite element limit analysis, people do something similar, but instead of building castles with blocks, they create a computer model of a structure using a program called finite element analysis (FEA). This model can be anything from a bridge to a car or even a plane.

This program will divide the structure into very small pieces, almost like tiny blocks, called "finite elements". Then it will use some maths to figure out how the structure would behave under given conditions, like pressure or temperature. It can help figure out what kind of forces, or pressure, the structure can withstand before it breaks.

Just like how building blocks can get stronger or weaker depending on how many you use or how thick they are, the finite elements can change depending on the size and shape of the parts of the structure.

In summary, Finite Element Limit Analysis is like building a strong structure out of blocks, but with a computer program that uses maths to see how that structure behaves under certain conditions.