Live Online Course – 9th Edition
May 5th, 7th, 8th, 12th, 14th, and 15th, 2026
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Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is a great tool for biologists, palaeontologists, doctors, veterinarians, and other life sciences specialities in which researchers face questions about biomechanics of living and extinct organisms. Elements like bone, arthropod exoskeleton, mollusc shells, or the stems and leaves of plants can be analysed using this technique.
FEA is a non-invasive modelling technique, based on the principle of dividing a system into a finite number of discrete elements where the equations are applied. Although statical and dynamic analysis can be solved using FEA, in this course only statical analysis will be covered.
In this course, we will provide an introduction to Finite Element for modelling biological structures and understanding how they work. We will cover all the steps involved in FEA (for static analysis) except the creation or reconstruction of the model.
After the theoretical introduction, we will build and analyse plane 2D and 3D finite element models and deepen on the methods and software required to perform FEA. Key questions such as mesh size, boundary conditions, applied forces, material properties and numerical singularities will be thoroughly addressed. The last day of the course will be dedicated to discussing models that participants may use in their future research.
Places are limited to 16 participants.
Day 1 (Jordi Marcé-Nogué).
1. An introduction to the use of Finite Element Analysis (FEA):
1.1. Mathematical model, features, and practical procedure.
2. Basic continuum mechanics:
2.1. Stress, displacements, strain, constitutive equations.
2.2. Failure criteria on elastic materials.
Day 2 (Jordi Marcé-Nogué).
3. Theoretical approach to Meshing:
3.1. Types of mesh.
3.2. Mesh generation.
3.3. How to evaluate a mesh (quality and reliability).
3.4. Recommendations for a good practice.
4. Material Properties:
4.1. Biomechanical properties of the bones to be used in FEA.
4.2. Considerations for non-lineal materials to understand the modelling of soft tissues.
Day 3 (Jordi Marcé-Nogué).
5. 2D Plane models reconstruction:
5.1. Theoretical tools for the creation of 2D plane FEA biomechanical models of biological structures.
5.2. A practical guided example
Day 4 (Josep Fortuny and Jordi Marcé-Nogué).
6. 3D FEA models
6.1. Introduction to 3d Digitalization of biological models
6.2. Theoretical tools for the creation of 3D FEA models of biological structures.
6.3. A practical guided example: Biological Implications. Interpretation of the results.
Day 5 (Josep Fortuny and Jordi Marcé-Nogué).
7. Analysis of the FEA results
7.1. Interpretation of the results
7.2. Comparative methods
7.3. Validation of the models
Day 6 (Josep Fortuny and Jordi Marcé-Nogué).
8. Presentation and discussion of future models
Graduate or postgraduate degree in any Life Sciences discipline.
Familiarity with 3D virtual model generation, as the starting point of the course will be with the model already built.
All participants must have a personal computer (Windows) with the following minimum requirements: Windows, 4 GB RAM, 1 GB memory dedicated to the graphic card, 20 GB of hard disk space available.
Online live sessions on May 5th, 7th, 8th, 12th, 14th, and 15th, 2026.
From 14:00 to 18:30 (Madrid time zone).
Total course hours: 48 (24 hours of online live lessons, plus 24 hours of prerecorded classes and assignments).
This course is equivalent to 2 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System). The recognition of ECTS by other institutions depends on each university or school.
In the live sessions we will combine online lectures with hands-on computational exercises.
Live sessions will be recorded. However, attendance to the live sessions is required to obtain the course certificate.
This course will be delivered in English.
Dr. Jordi Marcé-Nogué
Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Spain
Institut Català de Paleontologia M. C.
Spain
Carmona et al. Science Advances, 2021 Vol 7, Issue 13
Marcé-Nogué J. 2022. PeerJ 10:e13890 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13890
