2.092/2.

093 Finite Element Analysis of Solids & Fluids I

Fall 09

Lecture 4 - The Principle of Virtual Work

Prof. K. J. Bathe

MIT OpenCourseWare

Su = Surface on which displacements are prescribed

Sf = Surface on which loads are applied
Su Sf = S ; Sf Su =
Given the system geometry (V, Su , Sf ), loads (f B , f Sf ), and material laws, we calculate:
Displacements u, v, w (or u1 , u2 , u3 )
Strains, stresses
We will perform a linear elastic analysis for solids. We want to obtain the equation KU = R. Recall our
truss example. There, we had element stiness AE
Li . To calculate the stinesses, we could proceed this way:

Lecture 4

The Principle of Virtual Work

Every dierential element should satisfy

EA

2.092/2.093, Fall 09

2
EA ddxu2

d2 u
=0
dx2

= 0. To obtain F, we solve:

; u
= 1.0 ; u
=0
x=0

x=Li

Consider a 2D analysis:

In this case, the method used for the truss problem to get the stiness matrix K would not work. In general
3D analysis, we must satisfy (for the exact solution)
Equilibrium:
I. ij,j + fiB = 0 in V(i, j = 1, 2, 3), where ij are the Cauchy stresses (forces per unit area in the
deformed geometry).
Sf

II. ij nj = fi

on Sf

Compatibility: ui = uSiu on Su and all displacements must be continuous.

Stress-strain laws
This is known as the dierential formulation.

Example
Reading assignment: Section 3.3.4

Equilibrium
d2 u
+ f B = 0
dx2

du
EA
=R
dx

EA

x=L

(a)
(b)

Lecture 4

The Principle of Virtual Work

2.092/2.093, Fall 09

Compatibility

=0

(c)

du
dx

(d)

x=0

Stress-strain law
xx = E

In a 1D problem, nodes are surfaces.

In a 2D problem, we dene line thickness = surface, but one point can belong to both Sf and Su .

Principle of Virtual Work (Virtual Displacements)

Clearly, the exact solution u(x) must satisfy:

d2 u
EA 2 + f B u(x) = 0
dx

(1)

where u(x) is continuous and zero at x = 0. Otherwise, it is an arbitrary function. Hence, also,

d2 u
B
u(x)dx = 0
EA 2 + f
dx
3

(2)

Lecture 4

The Principle of Virtual Work

2.092/2.093, Fall 09

From Eq. (2):

EA

L Z L
Z L
du 
du
du
u 
EA dx +
f B udx = 0
dx
dx
dx
0
0
0

(A)

The equation above becomes:

Internal virtual work External virtual work
}|
{
}|
{
z
z
Z L
Z L
du
du
EA dx =
f B udx
+
dx
dx
0
0
du
dx

Virtual work due to

boundary forces
z }|  {

Ru 
L

du
dx

are the virtual strains,

are the real strains, and u are the virtual displacements. We set u = 0
where
2
on Su , since we do not know the external forces on Su . To solve EA ddxu2 + f B = 0, we look for a function u
2
where ddxu2 exists ( du
dx should be continuous). In order to calculate the virtual work, we look for the solutions
where only u is continuous.

(A) can be written as:

Z

Z
xx EAxx dx =

uf B dx + RuL

(A)

(the bar denotes virtual quantities)

In 3D vector form, the principle of virtual work now becomes
R T
R
R
CdV = V uT f B dV + Sf uSf T f Sf dSf
V

xx
yy
zz
xy
yz
zx

xx
yy
zz
xy
yz
zx

; xx =

u
x

; zz =

u
z

(B)

We see that (B) is the generalized form of (A). The principle of virtual work states that for any compatible
virtual displacement field imposed on the body in its state of equilibrium, the total internal virtual work is
4

Lecture 4

The Principle of Virtual Work

2.092/2.093, Fall 09

equal to the total external virtual work. Note that this variational formulation is equivalent to the dierential
formulation, given earlier.

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2.092 / 2.093 Finite Element Analysis of Solids and Fluids I

Fall 2009

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