ABSTRACT
There is no better way of illustrating the steps involved in a finite element analysis than by analyzing a simple truss. Indeed, a truss is the first structural system introduced into the cursus of engineering studies. As early as the first year, the student becomes acquainted with a truss in engineering statics. A truss offers all the attributes needed to illustrate a finite analysis without the need to resort to advanced mathematical tools such as numerical integration and geometrical transformations that are required in the analysis of complicated structures.
