suanPan is a powerful finite element method (FEM) simulation platform for solid mechanics, civil
engineering, structural engineering and earthquake engineering. It combines a fast modern C++ core
with a flexible, command-driven modelling language, making it suitable for research, teaching and
demanding engineering analysis.
From small validation models to large-scale nonlinear simulations, suanPan brings analysis procedures,
element formulations, material models and high-performance solvers together in one integrated,
cross-platform application.
Analysis capabilities
- Static and nonlinear static analysis
- Dynamic and seismic analysis with implicit and explicit time integration
- Arc-length continuation and collapse analysis
- Frequency, eigenvalue and buckling analysis
- Structural optimization workflows
- Response spectrum and single-degree-of-freedom response tools
Extensive modelling library
- Beam, truss, membrane, plate, shell, solid, contact, joint, embedded, mass and spring elements
- Elastic, plastic, damage, viscoelastic, hysteretic, orthotropic and geotechnical material
models
- Metal plasticity, concrete damage, soil and user-defined constitutive models
- Structural, fibre and NM section models with code-based design support
- Constraints for multi-point connections, rigid walls, embedding, gaps and particle collision
- A rich collection of load types, recorders and analysis steps
High performance
- Shared-memory parallelism with Intel TBB
- Distributed-memory parallelism with MPI for cluster simulations
- Optional GPU acceleration with CUDA and MAGMA
- Optimized sparse direct solvers and linear algebra backends, including Intel oneMKL, OpenBLAS
and AOCL
- Native builds for Linux, Windows and macOS on both AMD64 and ARM64
Productive modelling
- Clear, human-readable, command-based input files
- Interactive console with a guided
overview introduction
- Batch analysis with
suanPan -f model.sp
- VTK output for post-processing and visualization in ParaView
- Variables, macros and mathematical expressions for reusable models
- Extensive examples, a searchable online manual and a VS Code extension with syntax highlighting
and autocompletion
Ideal for
- Researchers developing and validating numerical models and algorithms
- Civil, structural and earthquake engineers performing nonlinear analysis
- Educators and students learning finite element methods
- Engineers working with material calibration, contact, buckling, dynamics and optimization
Getting started
Launch suanPan from a terminal:
flatpak run io.github.tlcfem.suanPan
At the prompt, type overview for a guided introduction. To run an existing model
file:
flatpak run io.github.tlcfem.suanPan -f model.sp
This Flathub build includes VTK-based visualization support and uses Intel oneMKL on x86_64
and OpenBLAS on aarch64 for linear algebra.
Documentation and support
suanPan is free and open-source software, distributed under the GNU General Public License v3.0
or later.
