Stress flow analysis of bio-structures using the finite element method and the flow network approach

Bio-structures have been optimized by nature to possess remarkable resiliency and strength yet retain a light-weight composition. The hierarchical geometrical arrangements that are prevalent in bio-structures, coupled with heterogeneous constituents, present uncertainty as to what dictates the structural response. Although computational mechanics experiments give an overall distribution of stresses in the structural system, the underlying details of the stress flow patterns in the structure are hard to identify. This paper discusses the development of software that integrates the results from computational mechanics experiments with advanced mathematical algorithms to capture the stress distribution in a bio-structure subjected to an external load. A fundamental issue addressed in this work is the procedure used to prepare data in appropriate format for the seamless transition from finite element binary database files to an abstract mathematical domain. The robust, platform-independent procedure developed for this transdisciplinary strategy efficiently handles the large datasets produced by the high performance computational mechanics experiments.