MANE 4240 & CIVL 4240

Introduction to Finite Elements

Reading assignment:
Logan 10.2 + Lecture notes
Summary:

Prof. Suvranu De

Four-noded
rectangular element

Finite element formulation for 2D:

Step 1: Divide the body into finite elements connected to each
other through special points (nodes)
py
v3
3
px
4
3
u3
u 1
v4
2
v
v2
Element e
v
1
1
4
u 2
u
u4
ST
u2

v1
2
v 2
y
d=
x
y
u 3
Su
u1
v 3
1

v
x
x
u 4
u
v
4

Computation of shape functions for 4-noded quad

Special case: rectangular element
Properties of shape functions
Computation of strain-displacement matrix
Example problem
Hint at how to generate shape functions of higher order
(Lagrange) elements

Summary: For each element

Displacement approximation in terms of shape functions

u=Nd
Strain approximation in terms of strain-displacement matrix
=Bd

Stress approximation
= DB d
Element stiffness matrix

k = e B D B dV
T

Element nodal load vector

f = e N X dV + e N T S dS
V
ST

 


 

Constant Strain Triangle (CST) : Simplest 2D finite element

Formula for the shape functions are

v1
v3
1
u1
(x1,y1)

v1
1
(x1,y1)

v2

u1
v

(x,y)

v3

(x3,y3)
3

u2

2 (x2,y2)

v2

u1
v
1
0 u 2

N 3 v 2
u 3

v 3

u=Nd
0

N2

N3

N1

N2

Approximation of the strains

x

= y

xy

y
B d

u
v
y + x

N1(x,y)
N2(x,y)
0

x
x
N1(x,y)
0
B= 0

y
N (x,y) N (x,y) N (x,y)
1
2
1
x
y
y

a1 = x2 y3 x3 y 2
a2 = x3 y1 x1 y3
a3 = x1 y 2 x2 y1

b1 = y 2 y3
b2 = y3 y1
b3 = y1 y 2

c1 = x3 x2
c2 = x1 x3
c3 = x2 x1

k = e B D B dV
T

Since B is constant

y1
y 2
y3

Element stiffness matrix

N3(x,y)
x

u3

u2

2 (x2,y2)

k = B D B e dV = B D B At

b1 0 b2 0 b3 0

N2(x,y)
N3(x,y) 1
0
= 0 c1 0 c2 0 c3
y
y 2A
c1 b1 c2 b2 c3 b3
N2(x,y) N3(x,y) N3(x,y)

x
y
x
0

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

v (x,y) N1(x,y)v1 + N2(x,y)v2 + N3(x,y) v3

Approximation of displacements

(x3,y3)

u (x,y) N1(x,y)u1 + N2(x,y)u2 + N3(x,y)u3

3 nodes per element

2 dofs per node (each node can move in x- and y- directions)
Hence 6 dofs per element

u (x, y) N1
u=
=
v (x, y) 0

(x,y)

where

u3

a1 + b1x + c1 y
2A
a + b x + c2 y
N2 = 2 2
2A
a + b x + c3 y
N3 = 3 3
2A
N1 =

t=thickness of the element

A=surface area of the element

Element nodal load vector

f = e N X dV + e N T S dS
V
ST

 


 

Class exercise

Class exercise

For the CST shown below, compute the vector of nodal loads due to surface traction

l13e

= e N T S dS
T

fS2y

fS2x

l13e

fS3y

fS2y

f S = t

fS2x

fS3x

(0,0)

(1,0)

py=-1

fS3x
3

py=-1

T
along 2 3

T S dS

T
along 2 3

T S dS

0
TS =
1

fS3y

ST

f S = t

The only nonzero nodal loads are

1

f S2 y = t

x1= 0

f S3 y = t

x =0

N 2 along 2 3 p y dx
N 3 along 23 p y dx

a2 + b2 x (x3 y1 x1 y3 ) + ( y3 y1 )x
a + b x + c2 y
N 2 along 23 = 2 2
= 2A =
2A
2A

y =0
y1 y1 x
y1 (1 x)
y (1 x)
=
= 1
1 x1 y1
1 x1 y1 y1 ( x3 x2 )
det 1 x 2 y2 det 1 x 2 0
1 x 3 y3
1 x 3 0
(can you derive this simpler?)
= 1 x
=

4-noded rectangular element with edges parallel to the

coordinate axes:
1

f S2 y = t

x=0

N 2 along 23 p y dx

(x4,y4)

3 (x3,y3)

= t (1 x)(1) dx

x =0

t
2

u (x,y) Ni (x,y)ui

2b

(x,y)
y

Now compute
1

f S3 y = t

x =0

i =1

(x1,y1)

N 3 along 23 p y dx

i =1

v (x, y) N i (x, y)v i

2a

2 (x2,y2)

4 nodes per element

2 dofs per node (each node can move in x- and y- directions)
8 dofs per element

Generation of N1:

At node 1

l1 ( x ) =

x x2
x1 x 2

has the property

l1(y)

l1 ( x 2 ) = 0

2b
1

N1

2
2a

l1 ( x1 ) = 1

Similarly
1

y y4
y1 y 4

1
(x x 2 )( y y 4 )
4 ab
1
(x x1 )( y y 3 )
N2 =
4 ab
1
(x x 4 )( y y 2 )
N3 =
4 ab
1
(x x 3 )( y y1 )
N4 =
4 ab
N1 =

has the property

l1 ( y 1 ) = 1

l1 ( y 4 ) = 0

l1(x)

l1 ( y ) =

Using similar arguments, choose

Hence choose the shape function at node 1 as

x x2
N 1 = l1 ( x )l1 ( y ) =
x1 x 2

y y 4

y1 y 4

1
=
(x x 2 )( y y 4 )
4 ab

Properties of the shape functions:

1. The shape functions N1, N2 , N3 and N4 are bilinear functions
of x and y
2. Kronecker delta property

1 at node ' i '

N i ( x, y ) =
0 at other nodes
3. Completeness
4

i =1
4

3. Along lines parallel to the x- or y-axes, the shape functions

are linear. But along any other line they are nonlinear.
4. An element shape function related to a specific nodal point is
zero along element boundaries not containing the nodal point.
5. The displacement field is continuous across elements
6. The strains and stresses are not constant within an element
nor are they continuous across element boundaries.

Ni =1
N i xi = x

i =1
4

i =1

N i yi = y

The strain-displacement relationship

Computation of the terms in the stiffness matrix of 2D elements (recap)

x

= y
xy

v4

u1
v
1
N1(x, y)
N3(x, y)
N 2 (x, y)
N 4 (x, y)
0
0
0
0
u 2

x
x
x

x
N3(x, y)
N1(x, y)
N 2 (x, y)
N 4 (x, y)v 2
0
0
0
= 0

y
y
y
y u 3
N (x, y) N (x, y) N (x, y) N (x, y) N (x, y) N (x, y) N (x, y) N (x, y)
3
3
1
2
2
4
4
v3
1
y
x
y
x
y
x
y
x


 
u 4
B
v
4

y3 y
y y2
y1 y 0
0
0
0
y y4
1
B=
x x2
x1 x
x x4
x3 x
0
0
0
0

4ab
x x2 y y4 x1 x y3 y x x4 y y2 x3 x y1 y

Notice that the strains (and hence the stresses) are NOT constant within an element

v3
4

u4

The B-matrix (strain-displacement) corresponding to this element is

u3
u1

v
y
v1 (x,y)

v2

1 u1

u2

N (x,y)
1
x

N1 (x,y)

v1

u2

v2

N 2 (x,y)
x

N1 (x,y)
y
N1 (x,y)
x

0
N 2 (x,y)
y

N2 (x,y)
y
N2 (x,y)
x

u3
N 3 (x,y)
x
0
N 3 (x,y)
y

v3
0
N 3 (x,y)
y
N 3 (x,y)
x

u4

v4

N4 (x,y)
x

N4 (x,y)

N4 (x,y)

0
N4 (x,y)
y

We will denote the columns of the B-matrix as

B u1

N 1 (x,y)

N 1 (x,y) ; and so on...

0
=
; B v1 =

N (x,y)

N 1 (x,y)
y

The stiffness matrix corresponding to this element is

k = e B D B dV
T

which has the following form

u1

v1

k11
k
21
k 31

k
k = 41
k 51

k 61
k
71
k 8 1

u2

v2

u3

v3

u4

v4

k18
k 2 8
k 38

k 48
k 58

k 68
k 78

k 8 8

k12
k 22

k13
k 23

k14
k 24

k15
k 25

k16
k 26

k17
k 27

k 32
k 42

k 33
k 43

k 34
k 44

k 35
k 45

k 36
k 46

k 37
k 47

k 52
k 62

k 53
k 63

k 54
k 64

k 55
k 65

k 56
k 66

k 57
k 67

k 72
k 82

k 73
k 83

k 74
k 84

k 75
k 85

k 76
k 86

k 77
k 87

u1
v1
u2

Notice that these formulae are quite general (apply to all kinds
of finite elements, CST, quadrilateral, etc) since we have not
used any specific shape functions for their derivation.

v2
u3
v3
u4
v4

The individual entries of the stiffness matrix may be computed as follows

k11 = e Bu1 D Bu1 dV; k12 = e Bu1 D Bv1 dV; k13 = e Bu1 D Bu2 dV,...
T

k 21 = e Bv1 D Bu1 dV; k21 = e Bv1 D Bv1 dV;.....

T

Example

1000 lb

Realize that this is a plane stress problem and therefore we need to use

300 psi

Thickness (t) = 0.5 in

E= 30106 psi
=0.25

2 in
1

D=

1
0 3.2 0.8 0
E
1
0 = 0.8 3.2 0 10 7 psi
2
1
1
0 1.2
0
0 0
2

Write down the shape functions

x

3 in

1
(x x2 )( y y 4 ) = ( x 3)( y 2)
4 ab
6
1
N2 =
(x x1 )( y y3 ) = x ( y 2)
4 ab
6
1
(x x4 )( y y 2 ) = xy
N3 =
4 ab
6
1
(x x3 )( y y1 ) = ( x 3) y
N4 =
4 ab
6
N1 =

(a) Compute the unknown nodal displacements.

(b) Compute the stresses in the two elements.
This is exactly the same problem that we solved in last class, except
now we have to use a single 4-noded element

Compute only the relevant columns of the B matrix

We have 4 nodes with 2 dofs per node=8dofs. However, 5 of these are fixed.
The nonzero displacements are
u2

u3

v3

Hence we need to solve

u2

u3

v3

k11
k
21
k 31

k12
k 22
k 32

k13 u 2 0

k 23 u 3 = 0
k 33 v3 f 3 y

N 2 ( 2 y )
x 6

B u2 = 0 = 0
N 2 x
y
6

B u3

N 3 y
x 6

= 0 = 0
N 3 x
y 6

B v3

0 0

N 3 x
=
=
y 6

N
3 y
x 6

Need to compute only the relevant terms in the stiffness matrix

k11 = e Bu2 D Bu2 dV; k12 = e Bu2 D Bu3 dV; k13 = e Bu2 D Bv3 dV
T

k 21 = e Bu3 D Bu2 dV; k22 = e Bu3 D Bu3 dV; k13 = e Bu3 D Bv3 dV
T

k31 = e Bv3 D Bu2 dV; k 22 = e Bv3 D Bu3 dV; k13 = e Bv3 D Bv3 dV
T

How do we compute f3y

k11 = e Bu2 D Bu2 dV

T

= 0.5

x=0 y=0

2 y

8
7
5 2
(0.1067 10 0.533 10 )( 6 ) + 3.33 10 x dxdy

= 0.656 107

f 3 y = 1000 + f S 3 y

f S3 y = t

x =0

Similarly compute the other terms

N 3 edge = N 3
4 3

N3

along
edge 3 4

= ( 0 .5)( 300 )

( 300 ) dx

x =0

x
dx
3

y =2

x
xy
= =
6 y =2 3

3
= 150
2
= 225 lb
f 3 y = 1000 + f S 3 y = 1225 lb

How about a 9-noded rectangle?

Corner nodes
y 5
a
a

2
b
6
b
3

9
7

x(a + x) y(b + y)
x(a x) y(b + y)
N1 =
2
2

N 2 = 2a 2 2b 2
2a 2b

x(a x) y(b y )
x(a + x) y(b y)

N 3 =
N
4
2a 2
2a 2
2b 2
2b 2

1
8
4

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

2
2
N 6 = 2a 2 b 2
a
2b

2
2
a 2 x 2 y(b y)
x( a + x) b y

N7 =
=
N
8

2
2a 2 b 2
2b 2
a

Center node
a 2 x2 b2 y 2
N9 =

2
2
a
b

Question: Can you generate the shape functions of a 16-noded rectangle?

Note: These elements, whose shape functions are generated by multiplying the
shape functions of 1D elements, are said to belong to the Lagrange family