code_aster and Salomé applied to advanced civil engineering
Go further with code_aster in civil engineering: soil-structure interaction and dynamic impedances, spectral modal analysis, non-linear modelling of reinforced concrete and non-linear pseudo-static analysis, on real building cases.
Course summary
Do you recognize yourself?
- You want to switch to open-source code for better technological control and a cost advantage, but you don't know where to start or how to structure your first simulations.
- You run mechanical simulations that fail to converge or produce inconsistent results: poorly defined boundary conditions, incorrect material properties, contact or non-linearity issues… and you spend hours trying to figure out what's going wrong.
- You struggle to interpret .mess files and solver messages: has the simulation actually converged? Are the Newton iterations acceptable? Are the results physically consistent?
- You want to go beyond tutorials and fully master code_aster to adapt it to your industrial use cases: automating simulations, chaining multiple analyses, running parametric studies, or integrating the solver into a broader simulation workflow.
Why our training in particular?
Theory revisited, immediate practice
Two days of hands-on practice backed by a review of theoretical fundamentals. Each practical exercise is more demanding than the previous one: you progress in concrete steps, from discovery to industrial-level work — not through slides.
From installation to post-processing: the complete workflow
You learn to operate and master the tools (Salomé, code_aster and Paraview) together, as in your day-to-day work. Not just the solver: the entire simulation chain.
Practitioner trainers, in front of you
Our engineers and PhDs use code_aster daily on industrial projects at Simvia. In person, they share with you live the best practices, the pitfalls to avoid and the troubleshooting tips you won't find in any documentation.
Close-knit supervision
1 trainer for a maximum of 8 trainees during practical work. When you get stuck, an expert is right beside you.
A network, not just a training course
The inter-company format brings together engineers from different sectors and backgrounds around the same challenges. You exchange feedback, compare approaches and leave with a network of peers who share your technical day-to-day.
Audience
- Corporate: engineers and technicians with a basic understanding of the physical and digital aspects covered by the course.
- Academic: researchers, PhD students and students at higher education and research institutions.
Prerequisites
Basic proficiency in code_aster. Good general knowledge of continuum mechanics and numerical solution methods. Basic knowledge of non-linear analysis.
Detailed programme
Day 1 Morning: Soil-Structure Interaction and Dynamic Impedances
Theoretical Session:
- Overview of different approaches to soil-structure interaction
- MISS3D–code_aster coupling
Practical Session:
- Calculation of dynamic impedances using MISS3D and code_aster
Day 1 Afternoon: Modal response spectrum analysis with soil-structure interaction
Theoretical section:
- Introduction to modal response spectrum analysis
- Accounting for soil-structure interaction
- Post-processing of modal response spectrum analysis
Practical Session:
- Modal response spectrum analysis of a building with soil-structure interaction
Day 2 Morning: Nonlinear modeling of reinforced concrete
Theoretical Session:
- Modeling reinforced concrete with code_aster
- Nonlinear constitutive laws of concrete and steel
Practical Session:
- Construction of a reinforced concrete slab and beam model with material nonlinearities
Day 2 Afternoon: Nonlinear Pseudo-Static Analysis
Theoretical Section:
- Nonlinear soil-structure interaction (uplift)
- Methodology for nonlinear pseudo-static analysis
Practical Session:
- Pseudo-static analysis of a reinforced concrete slab with material nonlinearities and uplift
Practical details
- Hours: 9:00 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 17:00.
- On site: EDF Lab Paris-Saclay (Palaiseau), lunches and coffee breaks included. Remote: two days one week apart, to practise in between.
- Language: spoken French with English material (remote sessions in English).
- Each trainer supervises at most 8 trainees during hands-on work.
- Help installing the latest version of the code and certificate of completion.
Dates, place, language, prices and registration are given on each session page.
Accessibility
We are committed to making our training accessible to people with disabilities. Every situation is unique, so please contact us before registering so that we can study together the educational, technical or organisational adaptations that can be put in place.