Blog Series: SimCenter Tools – EE-UQ and quoFEM

I love applying the Socratic method to my own learning—question everything! This often leads to fascinating conversations with ChatGPT that are worth sharing. Yes, all the content comes from ChatGPT, and no, I don’t read every single word. Instead, I rely on its structured, visual presentation—bullet points, tables, and summaries—which works well with my ADHD brain. This lets me quickly glance at the content and absorb the key points efficiently.

Recently, I decided it was time to dive into the SimCenter tools. What started as a general question quickly turned into an in-depth exploration of EE-UQ and quoFEM. At first glance, these two tools seem to do the same thing—uncertainty quantification in finite-element analysis. EE-UQ focuses on earthquake engineering, while WE-UQ and Hydro-UQ extend the concept to wind and water hazards.

So what’s the real difference between EE-UQ and quoFEM? It’s all about order! As that order is even reflected in their names….

• EE-UQ (Engineering Evaluation → Uncertainty Quantification) is used when you already have a model and want to quantify its response distribution—things like mean and standard deviation.

• quoFEM (Quantification → Forward Engineering Model) works the other way around: you start with a target response distribution and determine the model that will match it.

In short, these SimCenter tools help streamline and elevate the trial-and-error process, making uncertainty quantification more structured and efficient.

I hope this series of blog posts gives better insight into these tools and their value. They can provide a good starting point for you!