Cast3M is a general purpose code for solving partial differentials equations by the finite element method, developed by the French Atomic Energy Commissariat (CEA). The main scope of the code is to solve non-linear mechanical problems including plasticity, buckling, creep, seismic analysis, thermo-plasticity, post-buckling, fracture mechanics etc. A variety of 2D and 3D problems can be modelled with the use of a comprehensive library of structural finite elements (shell elements, beam elements, solid elements, joint elements etc) combined with a wide range of constitutive models for engineering materials like steel, masonry, concrete etc.

Cast3M presents a complete system, integrating the solver with the pre- and post-processing phases by use of a high level macro-language, GIBANE, allowing the user to specify commands involving operators acting on objects in order to create new objects. Cast3M can be seen as a powerful toolbox with more than 500 elementary operators acting on simple or complex objects. This gives the user the possibility to adapt Cast3M to its own requirements and specific needs.

JRC ELSA and CEA established as early as 1990 a bilateral collaboration on the development of CASTEM 2000, the forerunner of Cast3M, with the main objective to develop further the Cast3M (CASTEM 2000) features for Earthquake Engineering applications. The collaborative efforts aim for the common development of numerical tools for structural analysis of civil engineering structures subjected to seismic loading, based on the concepts and the architecture of the Cast3M computer code environment.

Cast3M is the reference code for earthquake engineering at ELSA, and represents a unique environment for all computations including the design of the experiment, the assessment of the test feasibility, pre-test calculation, on-line calculation during the test (e.g. sub-structuring), the identification, calibration and development of material models (local or global) and parametric studies.

More information available at Cast3M homepage.