High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Stress analysis is an engineering (e.g., civil engineering, mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering) discipline that determines the stress and strain in materials and structures subjected to static or dynamic forces or loads. A stress analysis is required for the study and design of structures, e.g., tunnels, dams, mechanical parts, structural frames and aircraft structure among others, under prescribed or expected loads and/or deflections. Stress analysis may be applied as a design step to structures that do not yet exist or an investigative process for parts that have failed.