AEM - FEM Comparison:

Obstacles Facing Finite Element Method (FEM):  The main obstacle facing FEM when modeling structures is the modeling of large cracks and element separation. Although there are several FEM techniques that enable element separation, these are still limited to small problems with limited cracking and separation and cannot be generalized for use by practicing engineers in a full structural application. Using FEM, the element separation location can be either pre-defined by the user or automated; however, both solutions are impractical. Pre-defining the location controls the site of element separation, an event unknown in many cases, especially during structural collapse. Automation of element separation can be done using the Element Erosion Technique by removing damaged elements from the analysis when certain damage criteria are met. This also is not a practical solution as the crack width is limited to the element size and will cause cracks of large size that will never close in an application like earthquake loads. This solution will also not work when it comes to large scale problems when full structures are being modeled if we consider all of the elements to be close in size to the expected crack width.


Advantages in using the Applied Element Method (AEM):  The main advantages of using AEM center around its ability to reliably and accurately predict structural behavior beginning with the initial loading stages, into crack initiation, through propagation on to complete collapse. AEM’s algorithms facilitate complex structural analysis without any user intervention and without artificial assumptions as to where or when cracks will occur.