The purpose of this engineering
technical letter(ETL)is to provide guidance to engi-
neers who are unfamiliar with the finite element
method,but who are interested in understanding its potential for use in geotechnical engineering.The emphasis is on practical applications.The objective is to provide a basis for understanding what can be learned from finite element analyses,what skills are required for its application,and what resources in terms of time,effort,and cost are involved.
