ME 478 FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

Chapter 4. Beam Elements

These have stiffnesses in two directions

M M+dM
V V+dV

Only subject to transverse loading (Ignore extension)

j φj
i
yj

Each node has two DOF

4.1
Step 2. Select a displacement function
Let’s assume that the transverse displacement is of the form:
vˆ = a1 xˆ 3 + a 2 xˆ 2 + a3 xˆ + a 4
This is reasonable because we have 4 dof per element (2 per node)
Now solve for the a’s
vˆ(0) = dˆ y1 = a4
dvˆ(0) ˆ
= φ1 = a3
dxˆ
vˆ( L) = dˆ y 2 = a1L3 + a2 L2 + a3 L + a4
dvˆ( L ) ˆ
= φ 2 = 3a1L2 + 2a2 L + a3
dxˆ
Solving for the a’s gives:
2 1 
vˆ =  3 ( dˆ y1 − dˆ y 2 ) + 2 (φˆ1 + φˆ2 )  xˆ 3 +
L L 
− 3 ˆ ˆ ) − 1 (φˆ + φˆ )  xˆ 2 + φˆxˆ + dˆ
 L2 y1 ( d − d y2 1 2  y1
 L 
Which we can write in matrix form as:
 dˆ y1 
 ˆ 
φ 
vˆ = Ndˆ = [N1 N2 N3 N 4 ] 1 
ˆ
d y 2 
 φˆ 
 2
The shape functions are:
1 1 3
N1 = 3 ( 2 xˆ 3 − 3 xˆ 2 L + L3 ) N2 = 3
( ˆ
x L − 2 ˆ
x 2 2
L + ˆ
x L3
)
L L
1 1
N 3 = 3 ( −2 xˆ 3 + 3 xˆ 2 L ) N 4 = 3 ( xˆ 3 L − xˆ 2 L2 )
L L

4.2
Step 3. Define strain/displacement and stress/strain relations
Assume the following relation:
d 2 vˆ
ε x ( xˆ , yˆ ) = − yˆ 2
dxˆ

Then
 dˆ y1 
 
12 xˆ − 6 L 6 xˆL − 4 L2 − 12 xˆ + 6 L 6 xˆL − 2 L2   φˆ1 
ε x = − yˆ  3
ˆ
  ˆ  = − yˆ B d
 L L3 L3 L3
 d y 2 
 φˆ 
 2
The stress/strain relation is expressed as:
σ x = Dε x where D=E
Thus: σ x = − ŷDB dˆ

Step 4. Derive the element stiffness matrix and equations

x̂
m̂1 m̂2
Pˆy1 Pˆy 2

4.3
The total PE
π p =U + Ω
Internal Strain Energy
1
U = ∫∫∫ σε dV
V
2
Potential energy of the external forces

Ω = − ∫∫ Tˆy vˆds − Pˆy1dˆ y1 − Pˆy 2 dˆ y 2 − mˆ 1φˆ1 − mˆ 2φˆ2

( )
2
1
π p = ∫ ∫∫ σ xε x dAdx − ∫ Tˆy vˆbdx − ∑ Pˆyi dˆ yi + mˆ iφˆi
L A
2 L i =1
Which we can rewrite in matrix form as:
1 T
π p = ∫ ∫∫ σ x ε x dAdx − ∫ b Tˆy vˆ T dx − dˆ T Pˆ
L A
2 L
Making the appropriate substitutions (rewrite in terms of d)
1 2 ˆT T
π p = ∫ ∫∫ yˆ d B DBdˆ dAd xˆ − ∫ bTˆy dˆ T N T dxˆ − dˆ T Pˆ
L A
2 L

EI ˆ T T ˆ
=∫ d B Bd dxˆ − ∫ wdˆ T N T dxˆ − dˆ T Pˆ
L
2 L
Where we have used the definition of moment of inertia
I = ∫∫ yˆ 2 dA
A

4.4
We want to find the minimum potential energy
So we differentiate w.r.t. d and set = 0

∫ ∫
ˆ − wN T dxˆ − Pˆ = 0
T
EI B B d ˆ
x d
L L

And Voila!! ˆ dˆ − fˆ = 0
K
 12 6 L − 12 6 L   dˆ y1   fˆy1 
    
EI  4 L2 − 6 L 2 L2   φˆ1   fˆφ 1 
 = 
L3  12 − 6 L  dˆ y 2   fˆy 2 
 
 sym 4 L2   φˆ2   fˆφ 2 
 
What about extension along the length?

2-D Beams
Recall from truss element
 fˆx1  AE  1 − 1  dˆ x1 
ˆ =   
 f x 2  L  − 1 1  dˆ x 2 
Then we simply insert the additional terms
 AE AE 
 L 0 0 − 0 0 
L
 
  dˆ x 1   f x 1 
EI EI EI EI ˆ
 12 6 0 − 12 6
 L3 L2 L3 L2   dˆ   ˆ 
  y1   y1 
f
 EI EI EI
 4
L
0 −6 2
L
2
L   φˆ1   fˆφ 1 
 AE  ˆ  =  ˆ 
 0 0 d x2   fx2 
 L   dˆ   fˆ y 2 
 EI EI  y2   
 12 −6  φˆ  ˆ
  2   φ 2 
 f
L3 L2
 EI 
 sym 4 
 L 

4.5
But we still have a beam that is lying on the x axis
Let’s rotate this in space

Local to Global Transformation

 dˆ x1   c s 0 0 0 0  d x1 
ˆ    
 d y1   − s c 0 0 0 0  d y1 
 φˆ   0 0 1 0 0 0  φ1 
ˆ =  
1

d x 2   0 0 0 c s 0  d x 2 
dˆ   0 0 0 −s c 0  d y 2 
 y2    
 φˆ2   0 0 0 0 0 1   φ2 

And following the same procedure as before

4.6
 Plane Frame Example
Let’s use the same example as before, except we are going to weld
all the joints together rather than pin them

L1=14.14 E1=1000
A1=0.28 I1=0.04
L1=10 E1=1000
A1=0.05 I1=0.00125

L1=10 E1=1000
A1=0.1 I1=0.005
The elemental stiffness matrices are for
Element 1
 f x1(1)   10 0 0 − 10 0 0   d x1(1) 
 (1)     (1) 
 y1  
f 0 . 06 0 . 3 0 − 0 . 06 0 . 3   d y1 
 f (1)   2 0 − 0 .3 1   φ1(1) 
φ2
 (1)  =    (1) 
 f x 2   10 0 0  u x 2 
 f y2  
(1)
0.06 − 0.3 u y 2 (1) 
 (1)    
 fφ 2   sym 2   φ 2 (1) 
Element 2
 f x 2 ( 2 )  0.015 0 − 0.075 − 0.015 0 − 0.075   d x 2 ( 2 ) 
 ( 2)    
 f y2   5 0 0 −5 0  d y 2 ( 2 ) 
 f ( 2 )   0 .5 0.075 0 0.25   φ 2 ( 2 ) 
φ2
 ( 2)  =    ( 2) 
 x3  
f 0 . 15 0 0 . 075  u x3 
 f y 3( 2)   5 0  u y 3 ( 2) 
 ( 2)     ( 2) 
 f φ 3   sym 0 . 5   φ 3 

4.7
 Element 3
 f x1( 3)  10.08 9.91 − 0.84 − 10.08 − 9.91 − 0.85  d x1( 3) 
 ( 3)    
 f y1   10.08 0.84 − 9.91 − 10 .08 0.85  d y1( 3) 
 f (3)   11.31 0.84 − 0.84 5.65   φ1( 3) 
φ1
 ( 3)  =    ( 3) 
 x3  
f 10 . 08 9 . 91 0 . 85  u x 3 
 f y 3 ( 3)   10.08 − 0.85 u y 3 (3) 
 ( 3)     ( 3) 
 φ 3  
f sym 11 . 31   φ3 
Step 5: Assembly
Rules:
1. Compatibility
The joint displacement of all the members meeting at a
joint must be the same

2. Equilibrium
The sum of all the forces exerted by all the members that
meet at a joint must balance the external forces acting on
that joint
These are applied by expanding the element stiffness matrices by
adding the missing rows and columns for each matrix

Reconnecting members
1. Enforce compatibility rule
 d x1(1)   d x1( 2 )   d x1( 3)   d x1 
 (1)   ( 2 )   ( 3)    Drop the
 d y1   d y 1   d y 1   d y 1 
 φ (1)   φ ( 2 )   φ ( 3)   φ1  element index
 1 (1)   1 ( 2 )   1 ( 3)    from the nodal
d x 2  d x 2  d x 2  d x 2 
 (1)   ( 2 )   ( 3)    displacements
d y 2  = d y 2  = d y 2  = d y 2 
 φ (1)   φ ( 2 )   φ ( 3)   φ 
 2   2   2   2
 d x 3 (1)   d x 3 ( 2 )   d x 3 ( 3)   d x 3 
 (1)   ( 2 )   ( 3)   
d y3  d y3  d y3  d y3 
 φ (1)   φ ( 2 )   φ ( 3)   φ 3 
 3   3   3 

4.8
 2. Enforce equilibrium rule
sum of the forces at each node

f x1 + f x1 + f x1 = f x1
(1) ( 2) ( 3)

: : :

Form master (global) stiffness equations

Thus,
20.1 9.9 .84 −10 0 0 −10.1 − 9.9 − .84 d x1   f x1 
 10.1 − .54 0 − .06 .3    
 − 9.9 −10.1 .84 d y1   f y1 
 13.3 0 − .3 1 .84 − .84 5.65  φ1   fφ 1 
    
 10.0 0 − .075 − .015 0 − .075d x 2   f x2 
    
5.06 − .3 0 −5 0 d y 2  =  f y 2 
 
 2.5 .075 0 .25  φ2   fφ 2 
    Step 6:
 10.1 9.9 
− .77 d x3   f x3 
    
 15.1 .84 d y3   f y3 
 
 sym 11.8  φ3   fφ 3 
Apply Boundary Conditions

4.9
 Displacement Boundary Conditions:
u x1 = u y1 = u y 2 = 0
Force Boundary Conditions
f y3 = 1 f x3 = 2
Applying Displacement Boundary Conditions:
u x1 = u y1 = u y 2 = 0
Remove the rows and columns associated with zero displacements

Ku = f
Solve this using Gauss elimination
(or simply invert K using Mathematica)

K −1f = u

Step 7: Solution
d x1   0 
d   0 
 y1   
 φ1  − 0.078
   
d
  
x 2 0.0013 
   
d = d y 2  =  0 
 φ   0.010 
 2  
d x3   0.44 
d   
 y3   − 0.23 
 φ3   0.082 

4.10