MANE 4240 & CIVL 4240

Introduction to Finite Elements

Prof. Suvranu De

Higher order elements

Reading assignment:
Lecture notes
Summary:
Properties of shape functions
Higher order elements in 1D
Higher order triangular elements (using area coordinates)
Higher order rectangular elements
Lagrange family
Serendipity family

Recall that the finite element shape functions need to satisfy the
following properties
1. Kronecker delta property
1 at node i
Ni
0 at all other nodes

Inside an element
u N 1u1 N 2 u 2 ...

At node 1, N1=1, N2=N3==0, hence

u node 1 u1
Facilitates the imposition of boundary conditions

2. Polynomial completeness
If

u 1 2 x 3 y

Then

N x
i

N y
i

Higher order elements in 1D

2-noded (linear) element:

x1

x2

x x2
N1
x1 x 2

N2

x x1
x 2 x1

In local coordinate system (shifted to center of element)

x
1

ax
2a
ax
N2
2a
N1

3-noded (quadratic) element:

x1 x3
1

x2
2

x x2 x x3
N1
x1 x2 x1 x3
x x1 x x3
N2
x2 x1 x 2 x3
x x1 x x2
N3
x3 x1 x3 x 2

In local coordinate system (shifted to center of element)

x
1

3
a a

x1 a ; x 2 0 ; x3 a

x a x
2a 2
x a x
N2
2a 2
a2 x2
N3
a2
N1

 x x2 x x3 x x4
N1
x1 x2 x1 x3 x1 x4
4-noded (cubic) element:
x x1 x x3 x x4
N2
x1 x3 x4 x2
x2 x1 x2 x3 x 2 x4
x
x x1 x x 2 x x 4
N

3
1 3 4 2
x3 x1 x3 x2 x3 x 4
x x1 x x2 x x3
N4
x4 x1 x4 x2 x 4 x3
In local coordinate system (shifted to center of element)
2a/3 2a/3 2a/3
1

4
a

9
N1
( x a )( x a / 3)( x a / 3)
3
16a
x
9
N2
( x a )( x a / 3)( x a / 3)
3
16a
27
N3
(a x)(a / 3 x)(a x)
3
16a
27
N4
( x a )( x a / 3)( x a / 3)
3
16a

Polynomial completeness
Convergence
rate (displacement)
2 node; k=1; p=2

1
x
x2

3 node; k=2; p=3

x3

4 node; k=3;
p=4

x4

Recall that the convergence in displacements

u uh

Ch p ; p k 1

k=order of complete polynomial

Triangular elements
Area coordinates (L1, L2, L3)
1
P A2
A3
A1

2
x

Total area of the triangle A=A1+A2+A3

At any point P(x,y) inside
the triangle, we define
3

A1
L1
A
A2
L2
A
A3
L3
A

Note: Only 2 of the three area coordinates are independent, since

L1+L2+L3=1

ai bi x ci y
Li
2A

1 x1
1
A area of triangle det 1 x 2
2
1 x 3

y1
y 2
y 3

a1 x 2 y 3 x3 y 2

b1 y 2 y 3

c1 x3 x 2

a 2 x3 y1 x1 y 3

b2 y 3 y1

c 2 x1 x3

a3 x1 y 2 x 2 y1

b3 y1 y 2

c3 x 2 x1

Check that

L1 L2 L3 1
L1 x1 L2 x2 L3 x3 x
L1 y1 L2 y 2 L3 y3 y

1
P

L1= constant

P
A1

2
x
Lines parallel to the base of the triangle are lines of constant L

L1= 1
1
P

A1
2
x
L3= 0

L2= 1

L1= 0
3
L3= 1

L2= 0

We will develop the shape functions of triangular elements in

terms of the area coordinates

For a 3-noded triangle

N1 L1
N 2 L2
N 3 L3

For a 6-noded triangle

L2= 0

L1= 1
1

L2= 1/2
L2= 1

L1= 1/2

6
y

L1= 0
3

2
L3= 0

5
x
L3= 1/2

L3= 1

How to write down the expression for N1?

Realize the N1 must be zero along edge 2-3 (i.e., L1=0) and at
nodes 4&6 (which lie on L1=1/2)

N1 c L1 0 L1 1 / 2
Determine the constant c from the condition that N1=1 at
node 1 (i.e., L1=1)

N1 ( at L1 1) c11 1 / 2 1
c2
N1 2 L1 L1 1 / 2

N1 2 L1 ( L1 1 / 2)
N 2 2 L2 ( L2 1 / 2)
N 3 2 L3 ( L3 1 / 2)
N 4 4 L1 L2
N 5 4 L3 L2
N 6 4 L3 L1

For a 10-noded triangle

L1= 1

L2= 0
1

L2= 1/3

L2= 1

L2= 2/3
y

10

L1= 2/3

L1= 1/3

x
L3= 0 L3= 1/3 L3= 2/3 L3= 1

L1= 0
3

N1
N2
N3
N4
N5
N6
N7

9
L1 ( L1 1 / 3)( L1 2 / 3)
2
9
L2 ( L2 1 / 3)( L2 2 / 3)
2
9
L3 ( L3 1 / 3)( L3 2 / 3)
2
27
L1 L2 ( L1 1 / 3)
2
27
L1 L2 ( L2 1 / 3)
2
27
L2 L3 ( L2 1 / 3)
2
27
L2 L3 ( L3 1 / 3)
2

:
N 10 27 L1 L2 L3

NOTES:
1. Polynomial completeness

Convergence
rate (displacement)
3 node; k=1; p=2

1
x
x2
x3

x2 y

y
xy

y2

xy 2 y 3

6 node; k=2; p=3

10 node; k=3; p=4

2. Integration on triangular domain

1

1.

2.

l1-2

1 2 edge

3
2
x

L1 L2 L3 dA 2 A
k

L1 L2 dS l1 2

k! m! n!
(2 k m n)!
k! m!
(1 k m)!

3. Computation of derivatives of shape functions: use chain rule

e.g.,
N i N i L1 N i L2 N i L3

x
L1 x L2 x L3 x

But

L1
b1

;
x 2 A

L2 b2 L3 b3

x
2 A x
2A

e.g., for the 6-noded triangle

N 4 4 L1 L2

N 4
b
b
4 L1 2 4 L2 1
x
2A
2A

Rectangular elements
Lagrange family
Serendipity family
Lagrange family
4-noded rectangle
y
2
1
a
a
b
b
3

In local coordinate system

N1

x
4

N2
N3
N4

( a x )(b
4ab
( a x )(b
4ab
( a x )(b
4ab
( a x )(b
4ab

y)
y)
y)
y)

9-noded quadratic
y 5
a
a

2
b
6
b
3

9
7

Corner nodes
x(a x) y (b y )
x( a x)
N

2
2
2b 2
2a 2
2
a

x(a x) y (b y )
x( a x)
N3

4
2a 2
2a 2
2b 2

1
8
4

y (b y )
2b 2

N1

y (b y )
2b 2

Midside nodes
a 2 x 2 y (b y )
N5

2
2

a
2b
a2 x2
N7

2
a

y (b y )

2b 2

Center node
a2 x2
N9

2
a

b2 y 2

2
b

x(a x)
N6
2a 2

b2 y2

2
b

x( a x)
N8
2
2a

b2 y 2

2
b

NOTES:
1. Polynomial completeness

1
x

x2
x3
x4

xy

x2 y

x3 y

y2

Convergence
rate (displacement)
4 node; p=2
9 node; p=3

xy 2 y 3

x 2 y 2 xy 3 y 4

x 5 x 4 y x 3 y 2 x 2 y 3 xy 4 y 5
Lagrange shape functions contain higher order terms but miss
out lower order terms

Serendipity family
4-noded same as Lagrange
8-noded rectangle: how to generate the shape functions?
First generate the shape functions of the
y 5
midside nodes as appropriate products of
2
1
a
a
1D shape functions, e.g.,
b
8
2
2
2
2

x
(
b

y
)
(
a

x
)
b

6
x N
; N8
5

b 2
a
2
b
2
a
b

7
4 Then go to the corner nodes. At each corner
3
node, first assume a bilinear shape function as in
a 4-noded element and then modify:
(a x)(b y )

bilinear shape fn at node 1: N1

4ab
N 5 N8

actual shape fn at node 1:

N1 N1

2
2

8-noded rectangle
y 5
a
a

2
b

1
8

6
b
3

Midside nodes

a 2 x 2 (b y )
N5

2

2b

x N a2 x2
7

2
a

(b y )
2b

(a x)
N6
2a

b2 y 2

2
b

2
2
(a x) b y
N8

2
2a b

Corner nodes
(a x)(b y ) N 5 N 8
(a x)(b y ) N 5 N 6
N1

N2

4ab
2
2
4ab
2
2
(a x)(b y ) N6 N 7
(a x)(b y ) N8 N 7
N3

N4

4ab
2
2
4ab
2
2

NOTES:
1. Polynomial completeness

1
x

x2
x3
x4
x

x2 y

x3 y
4

x y x y

y2

xy

8 node; p=3

xy 2 y 3

12 node; p=4

x 2 y 2 xy 3 y 4
2

x y

Convergence
rate (displacement)
4 node; p=2

xy

16 node; p=4

More even distribution of polynomial terms than Lagrange

shape functions but p cannot exceed 4!