THE NUMERICAL CALCULATION OF ERROR LIMITS IN THE DESIGN OF RODS AND PLATES IN THE ELASTIC RANGE

Approximate methods are used in the solution of many technical problems, and the numerical results achieved are subject to certain errors that arise from simplifications introduced into the model, approximation errors, rounding-off errors, and programming errors. Efforts to establish quantitative error limits are at an early stage of development, and these are currently available only for certain classes of problem. The procedure for establishing error limits for rods and plates in the elastic range presented in this paper is independent of the way in which the numerical results have been obtained (e.g. by finite element methods or by a differential method). It covers errors arising from the simplification of the mathematical model and errors that arise in the solution of this simplified model (rounding-off errors, etc.). It is also possible to detect falsification of the results arising from algorithm or programming errors.