**Disclaimer**

This syllabus is to be used as a guideline only. The information provided is a summary of topics to be covered in the class.
Information contained in this document such as assignments, grading scales, due dates, office hours, required books and materials may be from
a previous semester and are subject to change. Please refer to your instructor for the most recent version of the syllabus.

MAE 404/MAE 598: Finite Elements in Engineering TR 3:00-4:15 PM Location: SCOB 228

Instructor: Jay Oswald, ERC 353, (480) 965-4317, joswald1@asu.edu

Teaching Assistant: Jing Hu, ECG 205, mae404@asu.edu
Office Hours: Jay Oswald ERC 353: M 2:00-3:30 pm, T 10:00-11:30 am
Jing Hu ECG 205: M 4:00 – 6:00 pm, W 2:00 – 4:00 pm, F 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Course site: Assignments and solutions to projects will be posted to Canvas.
Prerequisites: MAE 213 or ECE 313; CEE 384, MAE 384 or ECE 384
Prerequisites competencies: Free-body diagrams and vector calculus operations
Textbook: Fish and Belytschko: A First Course in Finite Elements, Wiley, 2007. ISBN 0470035803
Description: Introduces ideas and methodology of finite element analysis. Applications to solid mechanics,
heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and vibrations.

Course objectives and learning outcomes:

This class will impart theoretical, programming, and application knowledge of linear finite element methods. After
this course, students should be able to develop finite element equations for the governing equations of heat
transfer and stress analysis and perform finite element simulations to model stress and heat flow in engineering
applications. Students will solve problems both with commercial finite element software as well as MATLAB
programs assigned for each topic.

Homework: There will be three types of assignments given over the semester. The number in parenthesis is
an estimate for how many of each assignment will be given.
 Book problems: will be assigned weekly but not collected. The midterm exam will include problems from
these problems.
 Programming assignments (14): due one week after assigned. Programs must be written in MATLAB and
submitted electronically. Submissions are graded every 30 minutes, and you may submit as many times as
needed before the due date.
 Projects (3): due three weeks after assigned. Project involve solving problems in elasticity or heat conduction
with MATLAB programming, analytical methods, and commercial finite element software.

Grading: Weekly Programming HW 30%

FE projects (incl. final project) 40%
Midterm exam 30%
Grading scale:
A+ ≥ 98 92 ≤ A < 98% 90 ≤ A- < 92%
88 ≤ B+ < 90% 82 ≤ B < 88% 80 ≤ B- < 82%
78 ≤ C+ < 80% 70 ≤ C < 78%
60 ≤ D < 70% E < 60%

General Class Policies:

 Homework must be completed in a professional manner or points will be deducted.
 Test/Grading Discrepancies: When assignments are returned, you have a period of two weeks
to bring any grading discrepancies to me.
 Project submissions must be submitted electronically via Gradescope.

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Weekly schedule and topics covered:
Week 1: Direct assembly for discrete systems
Week 2: 2D/3D truss systems
Week 3: Strong and weak forms for elasticity and heat conduction in 1D
Week 4: Shape functions and Gaussian quadrature in 1D
Week 5: Implementation of finite elements in 1D
Week 6: Strong and weak forms for heat transfer in 2D/3D
Week 7: Shape functions for quadrilateral elements
Week 8: Shape functions for triangular elements
Week 9: Gaussian integration in quad/triangular elements
Week 10: Implementation of finite elements in 2D/3D for heat transfer problems
Week 11: Stress averaging and verification methods for FEM
Week 12: Strong and weak forms for linear elasticity
Week 13: Implementation of finite elements in 2D/3D for stress analysis
Week 14: Strong and weak forms for analysis of beams
Week 15: Implementation of finite elements for beams

Absence Policies:
 Your presence is required in all classes, recitations, and exams (except for religious observance of official
university-recognized religious holidays, attendance of university-sanctioned events and activities)
 When sick with communicable disease or documented illness that requires you to miss class, you must get it
documented by a medical doctor and the doctor’s note e-mailed to your instructor prior to class.
 Make up Exams and Homework postponements will be given for absences that are due to religious
observances/practices that are approved by university policy or due to other events or activities sanctioned
by the university. In those cases, the student must notify the instructor at least two weeks ahead so that
arrangements can be made.
 Make-up exams will be different versions from the ones given in class, although the difficulty level will be as
similar as possible.
 Students who expect to miss class due to officially university-sanctioned activities should inform the instructor
early in the semester. Alternative arrangements will generally be made for any examinations and other
graded in-class work affected by such absences. The preceding policies are based on ACD 304–04,
“Accommodation for Religious Practices” and ACD 304–02, “Missed Classes Due to University-Sanctioned
Activities.”

Academic Integrity and Copyright Laws:

 Students in this class must adhere to ASU’s academic integrity policy, which can be found at
https://provost.asu.edu/academic-integrity/policy. Students are responsible for reviewing this policy and
understanding each of the areas in which academic dishonesty can occur. In addition, all engineering students
are expected to adhere to both the ASU Academic Integrity Honor Code and the Fulton Schools of
Engineering Honor Code. All academic integrity violations will be reported to the Fulton Schools of Engineering
Academic Integrity Office (AIO). The AIO maintains record of all violations and has access to academic integrity
violations committed in all other ASU college/schools.
 Unethical behavior (cheating) will not be tolerated and will be sanctioned by a zero score for the assignment,
quiz, or exam, and, at the instructor’s discretion, the final course grade may be lowered by one letter grade.

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 Homework, Quizzes, and Exams are considered as individual assignments, not as group assignment unless
specified by the instructor.
 In this class it is encouraged for you to work in small groups on projects and assignments. However, all
submitted assignments will be scanned for plagiarism. Copying, submitting other’s work as your own, or
allowing others to copy your own work will result in a zero score on all offending assignments, a penalty of
one letter grade from the final grade and referral to the Dean’s office. To protect yourself, do not share your
MATLAB source code with other students.
 You are welcome to discuss the homework with others, but is expected (in fact, required by ASU’s academic
integrity policy) that your homework represent your own understanding and efforts and may not represent
the work of others. Students caught violating the Student Academic Integrity Policy (AIP) will be sanctioned
according to ASU’s AIP policy. This includes students helping others violate the AIP.
 Course content, including lectures, are copyrighted materials and students may not share outside the class,
upload to online websites not approved by the instructor, sell, or distribute course content or notes taken
during the conduct of the course (see ACD 304–06, “Commercial Note Taking Services” and ABOR Policy 5-
308 F.14 for more information).
 You must refrain from uploading to any course shell, discussion board, or website used by the course
instructor or other course forum, material that is not the student's original work, unless the students first
comply with all applicable copyright laws; faculty members reserve the right to delete materials on the
grounds of suspected copyright infringement.

Disability Accommodations: Suitable accommodations will be made for students having disabilities. Students
needing accommodations must register with the ASU disabilities resource Center and provide documentation of
that registration to the instructor. Students should communicate the need for an accommodation in sufficient
time for it to be properly arranged.

Harassment and Sexual Discrimination:

 Arizona State University is committed to providing an environment free of discrimination, harassment, or
retaliation for the entire university community, including all students, faculty members, staff employees, and
guests. ASU expressly prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation by employees, students,
contractors, or agents of the university based on any protected status: race, color, religion, sex, national origin,
age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and genetic information.
 Title IX is a federal law that provides that no person be excluded on the basis of sex from participation in, be
denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity. Both Title IX
and university policy make clear that sexual violence and harassment based on sex is prohibited. An individual
who believes they have been subjected to sexual violence or harassed on the basis of sex can seek support,
including counseling and academic support, from the university. If you or someone you know has been
harassed on the basis of sex or sexually assaulted, you can find information and resources at
https://sexualviolenceprevention.asu.edu/faqs.
 Mandated sexual harassment reporter: As employees of the University, the instructors of this class are
considered mandated reporters and therefore are obligated to report any information regarding alleged acts
of sexual discrimination that we are informed of or have a reasonable basis to believe occurred.
 ASU Counseling Services, https://eoss.asu.edu/counseling, is available if you wish to discuss any concerns
confidentially and privately.

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Policy Against Threatening Behavior: Students, faculty, staff, and other individuals do not have an unqualified
right of access to university grounds, property, or services. Interfering with the peaceful conduct of university-
related business or activities or remaining on campus grounds after a request to leave may be considered a crime.
All incidents and allegations of violent or threatening conduct by an ASU student (whether on- or off-campus)
must be reported to the ASU Police Department (ASU PD) and the Office of the Dean of Students.
Student with disabilities: Students requesting accommodation for a disability must be registered with the
Disability Resource Center (DRC) and submit appropriate documentation from the DRC.
Syllabus Changes: The information contained within this syllabus may be changed at any time. Notice along with
a revised syllabus will be provided to the students via Canvas.

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