Toward interoperability between FEM systems: A domain-aware framework for translating and benchmarking FEBio models in PolyFEM
Date
2026
Authors
Pak, Zahra
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Abstract
Finite element interoperability remains difficult when simulation models must be transferred between systems with different input structures, material semantics, and physics support. This thesis inves- tigates that problem through a case study of translating FEBio models into PolyFEM-compatible representations. The thesis presents a modular Python framework for parsing, translating, and bench- marking FEBio models in PolyFEM. The framework includes a FEBio parser, an intermediate repre- sentation, a translation layer for generating PolyFEM-compatible artifacts, and an automated bench- mark runner with PolyFEM execution validation. Each benchmark case is classified as success, par- tial, unsupported, or failed, allowing interoperability limitations to be analyzed systematically. The framework was evaluated on 126 FEBio benchmark cases. Of these, 26 converted successfully, 20 converted partially using documented material fallbacks, 78 were classified as unsupported because the required physics formulations are not implemented in PolyFEM, and 2 failed due to parser- level errors. Among the 46 cases where a sim.json file was generated, 39 executed successfully in PolyFEM, giving an execution success rate of 84.8% .
The results show that the primary interoperability barrier between FEBio and PolyFEM is physics scope rather than XML-to-JSON syntax translation. In particular, fluid-structure interaction, biphasic poroelasticity, and reaction-diffusion models could not be translated because PolyFEM lacks corre- sponding formulations. Within PolyFEM’s supported solid-mechanics scope, the framework achieved reliable structural conversion and high execution success. This thesis contributes a working FEBio- to-PolyFEM interoperability framework, a four-status benchmark methodology, and an empirical analysis of structural and semantic transferability between the two FEM systems.
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Keywords
Simulation, FEM Systems, Finite Element Method