Advantages of using the Finite Elements Method in Stress Analysis and Isostatic Curves, as Opposed to the Photoelasticity Method, in E-Learning

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, carrying out of practical applications, it has been a challenge for technical higher education. Several technical disciplines, such as the strength of materials, requires students to access the laboratories and perform specific tests. Among these, the photoelasticity method is established for determination of the isocline and isochromatic families of curves. The method involves the analyze of an optically transparent, homogeneous and isotropic material, in an unsolicited state, through polarized light. This requires that the test specimen to be fixed into the polariscope, which implies the physical access of the students into the laboratory. The result obtained, as an image, is often blurred or hard to interpret. On the other hand, the determination of the above-mentioned families of curve by the finite element method (FEM) may be carried out remotely on any PC on which a specific finite element analysis program is installed, if the result of a tensile test on an identical specimen in shape and dimensions, as that one used for photoelasticity is transmitted to the users. In addition to the advantage of remote work, which can be overseen on a platform such as Microsoft Teams or Google Meat, once the analysis with the finite elements is completed, several additional results are available. In this paper, the authors aim to present the usefulness of using the finite elements method (FEM) as opposed to the photoelasticity method, especially under the circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic. Also, at the end of the paper, a comparative table is presented containing the results that can be obtained by the two methods.