TABLE OF CONTENTS In this chapter we describe some features of the companion computer program which may be used to perform numerical studies for many of the topics discussed in this book. The source program and manuals are available at no cost from the publisher's web page:
http://books.elsevier.com/companions
or from the authors' web page:
http://www.ce.berkeley.edu/~rlt
The computer program described in this volume is intended for use by those who are undertaking a study of the finite element method and wish to implement and test specific elements or specific solution steps. The program also includes a library of simple elements to permit solution to many of the topics discussed in this book. The program is called FEAPpv to emphasize the fact that it may be used as a personal version system. With very few exceptions, the program is written using standard Fortran, hence it may be implemented on any personal computer, engineering workstation, or main frame computer which has access to a Fortran 77 or Fortran 90/95 compiler.
It still may be necessary to modify some routines to avoid system-dependent difficulties. Non-standard routines are restricted to the graphical interfaces and file handling for temporary data storage. Users should consult their compiler manuals on alternative options when such problems arise.
Users may also wish to add new features to the program. In order to accommodate a wide range of changes several options exist for users to write new modules without difficulty. There are options to add new mesh input routines through...
