Structural Simulation

Engineers and doctors have one thing in common: They both deal with structures. The engineer builds bridges, buildings, and other massive structures, while the the doctor fixes smaller structures such as capillaries, nerve endings, and bones. In both fields it helps to look at the situation and try a few different combinations before they go in and actually do something. This allows them to track down problems before they engage their building skills, which can save time and expense later on, as well as avoid the loss of life. This process is called “structural simulation”, and it helps a number of different fields of study.

Structural simulation allows a basic simulation of the structure; in essence, the person running the simulation is more interested in a general case and just wants to see what kind of stress it will take before it breaks. This is not a behavioral simulation, where the person running it is interested in what happens when the structure is acted upon. The structural simulation allows the person running it to make sure that it can deal with certain stresses, and that it will perform as it should in general situations.

These simulations are run at what is called a “simulation center”. This is usually part of a hospital, but there is an engineering equivalent in the office. The computers required to run the simulations use a lot of processing power due to the number of calculations required, as well as the type of calculations. There is also specialized equipment involved, allowing the engineer or doctor to input their needs rather quickly. Engineers tend to use scanners that can render a three-dimensional building out of a blueprint, whereas doctors require that the computer be able to adapt a simulated anatomy quickly to that of a patient. Because of this, the computers tend to be clumped together so as to make the best use of the limited resources that they represent.

In either case, structural simulations allow an engineer or doctor to make several mistakes in a situation that does not cost lives or money. They can make a few adjustments, try something new, and see how it works until they get it right. That makes it a great problem-solver, dealing with potential problems ahead of time. For all of the money spent on the computers, software, and associated electronics, this ends up saving far more money than it costs.