Concepts underlying finite element methods for structural analysis

Several topics which underlie the finite element method tools commonly in use in the nuclear power industry are reviewed. They are important because of the understanding which they provided to the user of finite element method tools. They are collected here to popularize them and enlarge the engineers's ability to critically examine the results of his calculations. The topics are time integration and mass representation, creep analysis, finite strain plasticity, and nearly incompressible analysis. (Auth.)