ENME E6333: Finite Element Analysis II

Course Overview

This advanced course in Finite Element Methods (FEM) delves into the theoretical and computational techniques used to tackle complex engineering problems. Topics include eigenvalue problems such as vibrations and buckling, transient phenomena including heat conduction and structural dynamics, fracture and failure analysis, and nonlinear mechanics. Emphasis is placed on understanding the underlying algorithms and implementation strategies essential for developing and applying FEM solutions. Through a combination of theoretical analysis, programming assignments, and an in-depth final project, you will investigate a computational mechanics problem aligned with your research interests. At the end of the course, you will undertake a final project focusing on computational mechanics. This could involve writing your own code using MATLAB or Python or developing modules using the commercial FEM software, ABAQUS.

This course will deepen your expertise in computational modeling and prepare you for research or advanced engineering practice. To take this course you must have basic knowledge of finite element methods equivalent to the introductory class ENME 4332 Finite Element Analysis I.

Course Instructor

Haim Waisman

Professor and Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics

Haim Waisman is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at Columbia University. His research interests lie in computational mechanics, where he develops advanced finite element methods for modeling fracture and damage in materials, as well as novel design-optimization approaches for structures subjected to extreme conditions.

Waisman earned his BSc and MSc in Aerospace Engineering from the Technion — Israel Institute of Technology, and his PhD in Civil Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in 2005. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Scientific Computing Research Center (SCOREC) at RPI and in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern University before joining Columbia University in 2008.

Waisman is the recipient of the 2012 DOE Early Career Award, the 2014 Leonardo Da Vinci Award from the Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI) of ASCE, and several best paper awards. In 2022, he was elected Fellow of the ASCE Engineering Mechanics Institute, and in 2025 was named Fellow of the United States Association for Computational Mechanics (USACM).

He currently serves as an associate editor of the ASCE Journal of Engineering Mechanics and is on the editorial board of Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, among other journals. Previously, Waisman served as Chair of the ASCE-EMI Computational Mechanics Committee and was a member of the Executive Board of the US Association for Computational Mechanics.