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Verification vs. Validation in Relation to FEA

by Tony Abbey6,625 views

I was recently tasked with creating material to explain what Verification and Validation (V&V) are in relation to FEA (finite element analysis).

To help guide me I listed some questions I felt an FEA engineer would want to ask and posted them as open questions in my LinkedIn Group (Finite Element Analysis Training).

  • What are Verification and Validation?
  • How are they different?
  • How do I apply this to FEA in “hands on” work, not as a software developer?
  • Doesn’t Verification check against benchmark examples and Validation check against test?
  • I check my work diligently, why do I need V&V?
  • Shouldn’t my manager be worrying about this, not me?
  • Bottom line, how would V&V help my client and me?

Some of the questions were a little tongue in cheek, but they prompted a good discussion. The list also gave me a baseline to work from, which I hoped would address the processes from a bottom up perspective, rather than the usual high-level view.

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About the author

Tony Abbey

Tony has been working with FEA for nearly 40 years, both in Industry and for FEA software providers in the UK and the US. Experience covers most of the analysis disciplines such as Dynamics, Nonlinear, Composites, Fatigue and Fracture, Optimization etc.

He provides FEA related training with NAFEMS and consultancy with his own company, FETraining. He has created and taught a wide range of FEA based training classes over the past 15 years. This is delivered live or via e-Learning. Tony has developed a reputation for providing the student with an experience that is full of insight gained from his extensive experience, but which also challenges and motivates.

Tony presents papers at NAFEMS and other conferences on a regular basis and has been involved with NAFEMS since its formation.

Tony contributes articles on FEA each month to Desktop Engineering and is a guest blogger on several sites.

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