REVIEW OF THE FINITE PARTICLE METHOD FOR
COMPLEX BEHAVIORS OF STRUCTURES

Finite Particle Method (FPM) is a recently proposed method for structural behavior analysis. Different from the traditional methods generated from continuum mechanics and variational principles, the FPM is based on the vector mechanics. With the description of point values and path units, the FPM models the physical body composed of finite particles whose motions are described by Newton’s second law. In the FPM, no iterations are necessary to follow nonlinear laws, and no matrices are formed or solved. These features make the FPM have more advantages than traditional methods in the complicated behavior analysis of structures, including dynamic responses, geometric nonlinearity, material nonlinearity, buckling or wrinkles failure, mechanism motion, contact and collision, etc. The theoretical fundamentals and some numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the advantages and applications of this method in the complicated behaviors research fields of structures. The trends of this method are also proposed.