ANALYSIS REFERENCE Chapter 1.

Introduction

Section 1 Overview
FEA NX is a program developed for the advanced nonlinear and detail analysis of structural and geotechnical
engineering applications. It is founded on the C++ based Finite Element Analysis engine. Various analysis
methods such as static analysis, dynamic analysis, seepage analysis, stress-seepage coupled analysis,
consolidation analysis, construction stage analysis, slope stability analysis, are provided (Table 1.1.1) and various
specialized elements are provided to accurately model the structure or ground to perform effective analysis.

Table 1.1.1 FEA NX Analysis Types Analysis Types

Linear static analysis
Linear buckling analysis
Nonlinear static analysis
Construction stage analysis
Consolidation analysis
Fully Coupled Stress-Seepage analysis
Seepage(steady-state) analysis
Seepage(transient) analysis
Eigenvalue analysis
Response spectrum analysis
Linear time history(modal/direct) analysis
Nonlinear time history analysis
1D/2D equivalent linear analysis
Slope stability(SRM/SAM)
Nonlinear time history + SRM
Heat Transfer(steady-state) analysis
Heat Transfer(transient) analysis
Thermal stress analysis
Fully Coupled (Thermal-Hydro-Mechanical) analysis

This manual is mainly composed of theoretical and technical information that make up the base of detailed
analysis for the effective usage of the FEA NX program. The contents of each chapter are as follows:

Chapter 2: Node and Coordinate system

Chapter 3: Elements for modeling
Chapter 4: Material models for detailed ground or structural analysis
Chapter 5: Algorithms used to perform analysis
Chapter 6: Load and Boundary condition

Section 1. Overview | 1
2 | Section 1. Overview

Chapter 1. Introduction
ANALYSIS REFERENCE

This manual contains all the functions of FEA NX, but the range of usable functions may be different depending
on the version.
ANALYSIS REFERENCE Chapter 1. Introduction

Section
Section22 Unit System
The physical quantities such as structure size, material properties etc. needed to define the analysis model is
generally defined with reference to a particular unit system. With FEA NX, the unit conversion for
force/length/time is possible and the user can change the unit system during modeling when defining the
analysis model. Before running the analysis, the units for force/length/time need to be unified in a single unit
system, either the English unit system or the SI unit system.

Table 1.2.1 Units used in the Physical quantity English SI

English/SI unit system
Position, Length, Displacement Inch meter
Modulus of Elasticity lbf/inch2 Newton/meter2
Moment inch-lbf Newton-meter
Force lbf Newton
Mass lbf-sec2/inch kilogram
Time second second
Stress lbf/inch2 Newton/meter2

The unit system used for modeling in FEA NX is converted to the M-K-S (meter, kilogram, second) unit system
for analysis. The analysis results are automatically converted to the unit system used in the modeling process.

Section 2. System of Units | 3

4 | Section 3. File System

Chapter 1. Introduction
ANALYSIS REFERENCE

Section 3 File system

During finite element analysis on the FEA NX, several files need to be created or saved and various temporary
files are created or deleted. The files used on the FEA NX and their content are as follows.
Table 1.3.1 Main files in FEA NX
File name Form Content
ModelName.fea Binary Model data file
ModelName_AnalysisName.mec ASCII Interpreter input file
ModelName_AnalysisName.log ASCII Analysis execution record file
ModelName_AnalysisName.out ASCII Analysis result data file
ModelName_AnalysisName_usr.out ASCII History result data file
ModelName_AnalysisName.nfxp Binary Analysis result data file (Post-
processing)
ModelNmae_AnalysisName Binary Construction stage analysis restart data
_ConstructionStageName.RST file

The result files available the FEA NX are ASCII form .out files and binary form .nfxp files. Fundamentally, the
results are included in the .nfxp and used for result interpretation using the interpreter. The ASCII result .out file
can also include results like the .nfxp file and the degree of inclusion can be controlled by the user options. For
construction stage analysis, which takes longer than other types of analysis, the analysis can be terminated
forcefully due to user inattention or system instability. As a provision, the .RST file contains the restart data that
allows continued analysis from the shut down construction stage.

The temporary files created during the analysis process of FEA NX and their content are as follows.

Table 1.3.2 Files created during File name Point of creation/Content

numerical analysis
InputName.DASM#.bin Generation, finite element related information for all analyses
Generation, matrix information when selecting the multi frontal
InputName.FACT#.bin#
method
InputName.EIGS#.bin# Lanczos resampling information when selecting eigenvalue analysis
Large scale matrix, vector related information internally recorded in
InputName.MSTO#.bin
the disk

The temporary files created during analysis are created in the scratch folder. The default value of the scratch
folder is the same as the model file position.
ANALYSIS REFERENCE Chapter 1. Introduction

Section
Section44 Notation System
This manual uses both the matrix notation and component notation. The matrix notation is very useful in
expressing tensors and is hence used when possible.

The values needed for theory development are scalar, vector, second order tensor or matrix, fourth order tensor
etc. The matrix notation is expressed as follows.

Table 1.4.1 Matrix notation Value Notation

Scalar u
Vector u , 

Second order tensor, matrix A , 

Fourth order tensor C

The notation for vectors and tensors are the same when bold fonts are used, so the two need to be distinguished
by their content. Matrix notation is very effective when understanding the relationship between physical
quantities or their physical meaning. However, it is better to use the component notation when performing
complex arithmetic operations or calculations between components, which are hard to express using the matrix
notation. The component notation is based on coordinate systems. Each system can be defined by a basis vector.
Base vectors are expressed in the 3D space as e i , (i  1, 2,3) and may not be perpendicular to each other. When
using a basis vector, an arbitrary vector u can be expressed as follows.

u  u1e1  u 2e2  u 3e3 (1.4.1)

ei : displacement

uj : stress

In the component notation, the subscript i represents the covariant basis vector or component in a strict sense.
The superscript j represents the contravariant basis vector or component. Generally, the two are the same in
the orthonormal coordinate system and hence not separated.
When using the component notation, it is convenient to use the summation convention on repetitive indexes as
shown below.

u  u i ei
(1.4.2)

Section 4. Notation System | 5

6 | Section 4. Notation System

Chapter 1. Introduction
ANALYSIS REFERENCE

Similarly, second order tensors and fourth order tensors can be represented using the component notation as
shown below:

A  Aij eie j C  Cijklei e j ek el

, (1.4.3)

This manual assumes that the summation convention is applied unless otherwise specified.
ANALYSIS REFERENCE Chapter 1. Introduction

Section
Section55 Sign Specification
FEA NX uses the following sign conventions on stress and pore pressure to provide consistency in result
generation.

Positive (+) normal stress represents tension (Figure 1.5.1).

Positive (+) pore stress also represents tension
Positive (+) pore water pressure represents compression (Figure 1.5.2).

Here, the pore stress is stress defined by the pore water pressure development and only has value in the normal
direction. Hence, the pore water pressure and pore stress have opposite signs according to the sign convention.

Figure 1.5.1 Positive stress z

 zz
direction
 zx  zy
Figure 1.5.2 Positive pore water
pressure  yz
 xz  yy p p

 xy  yx p
 xx p

Section 5. Sign Specification | 7