This article describes how the finite element method can be integrated into the education of undergraduate mechanical engineering students. The teaching of finite element theory, the use of commercial software in engineering courses, and the application of the finite element method in the context of mechanical design and analysis are discussed.

Major French Romanesque churches built during the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries often feature axially oriented masonry barrel vaults over central nave spaces. Nave side aisles and, when present, galleries are also usually vaulted. Construction sequences can play an important role in determining stresses and displacements for these churches. The feasibility of using an element "birth/death" capability to include the effects of the construction sequence in their finite element stress analysis is demonstrated. The potential importance of construction sequence effects is also demonstrated