Structure Engineering 101

Structural Engineering 101

Local vs Global Buckling: How to Tell Them Apart

Buckling is often treated as a single failure mode, but in reality, local vs global buckling refers to two distinct instability mechanisms. Local buckling affects individual…

Buckling Checks

/ 26 Feb 2026 / by: Yevheniia Sidakova

EC3 Buckling Curves a/b/c/d Explained in Plain Terms

EC3 buckling curves exist to account for real-world imperfections and residual stresses that apply to flexural buckling of compression members…

Eurocode3 Members

/ 20 Feb 2026 / by: Yevheniia Sidakova

FEA Loads: Body Forces vs Pressures vs Accelerations (And Common Modeling Mistakes)

In Finite Element Analysis (FEA), the load type defines where the force actually goes in the model. Choosing the wrong…

Loads & Combinations

/ 11 Feb 2026 / by: Yevheniia Sidakova

Buoyancy Loads in FEA: Reference Volume, Sign Conventions, and Verification Checks

Buoyancy loads look simple on paper: hydrostatic pressure up, weight down, equilibrium reached. In FEA, however, buoyancy is one of the…

/ 06 Feb 2026 / by: Yevheniia Sidakova

Hydrostatic Tank Loads in FEA: Pressure Distribution, Fill Levels, and Sanity Checks

Hydrostatic pressure is one of the most common, and most frequently misunderstood, load types in structural FEA. Unlike point or uniform loads, fluid…

/ 27 Jan 2026 / by: Yevheniia Sidakova