A Web-Based Architecture for Interactive Finite Element Program

Abstract

In the recent decade, using of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and smart phones had incredible growth and they can be used as a small computer in business, communication and education. Most of current civil engineering software are created for desktop computers in specific operating system and platforms without any portability and flexibility feature. This paper proposed a web-based architecture for an interactive Finite Element (FE) program. The architecture supports linear and nonlinear analysis of reinforce concrete buildings subjected to static and dynamic loading. Structure modeling is performed on the client-side via any internet browser. Data is send to the server and analyzed by FE program which has been installed on the server. Then, the result of analysis which is response of structure under imposed load is send back to the client-side to show and plot output of analysis. The developed software which is named Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Structure (ARCS) implemented in secure and user friendly interface. Running software in offline mode is possible for modeling but internet connection is needed to transfer input data to the server and transfer output of analysis from server to the client-side. The most important advantage of proposed model is operating system and platform independency. Backup capability of all data and authority access control are other features of ARCS. Therefore the developed software is able to use extensively by engineers to carry out modeling and analysis of structures by any PDAs or smart phones through any operating systems and platforms.

Web application for size and topology optimization of trusses and gusset plates

“…The core structural analysis module was written in C++ and was linked to the web interface through PHP. Hejazi et al [12] developed an interactive finite element web application for linear and nonlinear analysis of reinforced concrete structures subjected to static and dynamic loading. An exception to the web-based structural engineering software developed prior to the year 2013 is the one developed by Chen et al [13] which featured a rich Java-based graphics user interface (GUI) on the client side and a parallel C++-based finite element module on the server side.…”