Connecting Finite Element Modeling With Strengths of Materials and Vibrations Using Beam Experiments

Students tend to compartmentalize individual classes throughout their time in school; associating that which is taught in one class with only that class. A finite element class offers a unique opportunity to illustrate the connection between several engineering topics through modeling and experiments since it is used to solve many different types of problems (e.g. force-deflection, stress-strain, heat transfer, fluid transport, and vibrations). In addition, providing hands-on experiments is an excellent way to illustrate concepts. Particularly, experiments can help students visualize the additional abstractions present in a finite element model while demonstrating the connections between several prerequisite engineering courses. Here we present experiments that connect finite element modeling with two classes: Strength of Materials and Vibrations. These experiments highlight the effects of finite element modeling choices and illustrate errors in the approximations.