This book is intended to be a companion to the NAFEMS book, "An Introduction to the Use of Material Models in Finite Element". It is intended to inform Finite Element Analysis users of the manner and methodologies by which materials are tested in order to calibrate material models currently implemented in various FEA programs. While the new work will seek first to satisfy the basic material models outlined in the companion book, it makes important extensions to FEA used in currently active areas including explicit simulation.

The modelling of nonlinear behaviour of materials for Finite Element Analysis can be vexing problem. A host of challenges exist, ranging from the difficulty of obtaining pertinent material data to the conversion of this data into the input files needed by the FEA program. Too often, the material models themselves are ill-suited to describe the observed material behaviour. In this book, we frame  the landscape of the problem and look for pragmatic ways in which the analyst can obtain good simulation results with existing off-the-shelf material models available with the FEA programs.

The testing of concrete is not covered in this books. Readers should refer instead to the NAFEMS publication, "How to Model Structural Concrete Using Finite Elements" as being an appropriate source of information regarding concrete properties.

We also seek to emphasize the fluid nature of this field. This book represents the current stable state of the art with respect to material calibration for FEA but will not seek to include matter that is being actively researched in the field.