Is LimitState:RING a finite element (FE) package?
LimitState:RING is a flexible and powerful tool, but it is not based on finite element analysis methods. Finite element analysis is undoubtedly a convenient numerical procedure for the analysis of continua. However, masonry arches comprise blocks separated by joints and it is therefore more convenient to use a different procedure which takes account of their inherent ‘discontinuous’ nature. Hence LimitState:RING uses ‘rigid block analysis’, a computational limit analysis procedure which is very different from conventional finite element analysis. For example, when analysing a masonry arch bridge using conventional finite element analysis, a non-linear analysis generally has to be performed in order to analyse the ultimate ‘collapse’ limit state. Numerous input parameters are involved and, because of the incremental nature of the analysis, numerical convergence problems are commonplace. This means that the time and cost necessary to perform an analysis are generally high. LimitState:RIN
