Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Beam in three dimensions

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Lecture plan

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element
Basic steps of the finite-element method (FEM)
1. Establish strong formulation
 Partial differential equation
2. Establish weak formulation
 Multiply with arbitrary field and integrate over element
3. Discretize over space
 Mesh generation
4. Select shape and weight functions
 Galerkin method
5. Compute element stiffness matrix
 Local and global system
6. Assemble global system stiffness matrix
7. Apply nodal boundary conditions
 temperature/flux/forces/forced displacements
8. Solve global system of equations
 Solve for nodal values of the primary variables
(displacements/temperature)
9. Compute temperature/stresses/strains etc. within the element
 Using nodal values and shape functions
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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Structural elements, n degrees-of-freedom (ndof) in each

node

 degrees-of-freedom are displacement or rotation components in

cartesian coordinate system and these are the so-called primary
variables we solve for
 A 3D beam has 6dof in each node:
 2 nodes, one at each end (in this case)
 3 deformation components
 3 rotation components

node 1 node 2

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Beam assumptions, (Cook: section 2.3-2.5 p24-36),

(OP:chapter 17, p311-334)

 Small deformations
 axial deformation, bending and twist can be decoupled and looked at
seperately
 Bernoulli-Euler beam theory for bending
 Plane sections normal to the beam axis remain plane and normal to the
beam axis during the deformation.
 Twist is considered free
 Saint-Venant torsion

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Deformation figures: displacements

Node 1

Node 2

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Deformation figures: rotations

Node 1

Node 2

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element
step 1: Strong formulation for axial deformation, (Cook:
section 2.2 p20-21), (OP: p52-53)

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 equlibrium equation, see slide 20-21 lecture 1

 Sum of all forces are equal to zero
dN
¡N + bdx + N + dN = 0 ) +b =0
dx
 The force in terms of normal stress

N = A¾
 Material property or constitutive relation (Hooks law)

 Kinematic relation or geometric relation

 axial deformation equation

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 Second order differential equation needs two boundary conditions

 Possible boundary conditions: displacement (kinematic) or

displacement gradient (boundary force,static)

 This is the strong formulation axial deformation

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Step 2: Establish weak formulation

 Strong form

 Multiply with an arbitrary function v(x) (weight function) and integrate

over the pertinent region

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 Use integration by parts of the first term to obtain the same

derivative of the weight function and primary variable u

 Weak formulation of axial deformation

boundary conditions
distributed load

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element
Step 3: Discretize over space
 Discretized problem. Define: nodes, unknown (degree-of-freedom dof)
numbering, element numbering

dof

Nodes

Node number
coordinate Elements

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Step 4: Select shape and weight functions (Cook: section

3.2-3.3 p83-91), (OP: chapter 7, 98-106)

 Assuming nodal values to be known

 Linear variation of deformation allows a constant deformation
gradient (strain)
 Simplest one-dimensional element (p98-99)

 Matrix notation

nodal values (dof)

shape functions
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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Step 5: Compute element stiffness matrix

 If the weak formulation holds for the entire field, it also holds for part
of the field, i.e. integration is done over one element

 Insert the displacement field and arbitrary field (Galerkin approach,

equal to the approximation of the displacement field) into the weak
formulation
 a and c are constants, i.e. they can be taken outside the integrals

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 In compact form

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Exercise: Determine the stiffness matrix for the axial

deformation

 Solve the integral on slide 17

 Enter the stiffness matrix into the local stiffness matrix in
K_3d_beam.m
 The local element dof are u1 and u7, i.e. the stiffness should be added to
rows and columns 1 and 7. This is easily done by the following way
Kel([1 7],[1 7]) = [ - - ; - - ]

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Exercise: Enter the shape functions in shape_3d_beam.m

 Enter N1 and N2 from slide 17 into the function

 Test the shape function in the program beam_shape_test.m
 Try to run the program with different displacements

u1=1 u7=1

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Beam bending problem in the xz-plane, (Cook: section 2.3

p24-27), (OP: chapter 17, p 311-334)

u3=1 u5=1 u9=1 u11=1

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

step 1: strong formulation, (OP: p.311-318)

 Infinitely small part of the beam

 Vertical equilibrium

 Moment equilibrium around left end, counter clockwise

 second order terms are disregarded

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 Combining the equilibrium equations

 Kinematic relations (rotation and curvature)

 Constitutive relation, uniaxial state of stress

 Moment-displacement relation (homogeneous material)

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 Strong formulation in terms of displacements

 4th order differential equation, 4 boundary conditions (two at each

end)
 Free end

 Simple support

 Fixed support

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Assumptions in the formulation, (Cook: p28-29),

(OP: p315-317)

 rotation is taken as first derivative of displacement. This is only

approximately true if the displacements are small
 The shear strain is assumed equal to zeros which gives zeros shear
stress. This is not true but comes out of simplifying a 3D problem to
2D. We will not be concerned about this inconsistency
 The beam axis is located at the so-called neutral axis where an
evenly distribution of normal stresses don't introduce a moment.
This gives that the axial and bending problem decouples and can be
considered separately.

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

step 2: weak formulation, (OP: p.318-319)

 Multiply with arbitrary field and integrate over element

 Integrate by parts

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 Integrate by parts again

boundary conditions
distributed load

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element
Step 3: Discretize over space
 Discretized problem. Define: nodes, unknown (degree-of-freedom dof)
numbering, element numbering

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Step 4: Select shape and weight functions,

(Cook: sektion 3.2-3.3 p83-91), (OP: p.323-328)

 Assuming nodal values to be known

 The approximation for the deflection must be able to produce a
constant deflection and curvature, i.e. it should at least be twice
differentiable.
 The second derivative of the displacements enters the formulation
hence the first derivative should be continuous over element
boundaries (C1-continuity) , or the second derivative will be infinite.

C0 continuity C1 continuity
 We have four node values available, i.e. four shape functions giving
the deformation shape

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 Shape functions

 test u3=1, u5=u9=u11=0

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Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 Including all dof

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Exercise: Enter the shape functions in shape_3d_beam.m

 Enter N3 - N6 from slide 28-29 into the function

 Test the shape function in the program beam3D_example.m, make
sure the signs are correct!
 Try to run the program with different displacements
u3=1 u11=1

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

step 5: compute the element stiffness matrix

 Weak form

 FE approximation

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 In compact form

natural boundary consistent load

conditions, cancels
between elements.
Only at supports they
have a value
(reactions).

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Exercise: solve the bending in the xz-plane part of the

stiffness matrix and enter into K_3d_beam.m

 The local element dof are u3, u5, u9 and u11, i.e. the stiffness should be added
to rows and columns 3, 5, 9 and 11. This is easily done by
Kel([3 5 9 11],[3 5 9 11]) =

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

xy-plane, what changes? (Cook: p27-28)

 index for dof

 Signs on shape functions for rotation

u6=1 u5=1 u12=1 u11=1

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 xy-plane

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 displacement field

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Free Torsion, Saint-Venant, (Cook: p27-28), (OP: chapter 14,

p261-281)

u4=1 u10=1

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Torsional stiffness

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element
Torsional moment of inertia
 Thin walled sections (statik 4, 5th semester, 4th lecture)
Open sections Closed sections (Bredts equation)

 "Teknisk STÅBI", steel sections

 From bending moment of inertia

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

FE formulation is identical with the axial deformation

 See slide 9

 Torsion

 mx is a distributed twisting load

 A linear approximation (shape function) for the torsion between the

nodes, see slide 14

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 FE-formulation for torsion in compact form

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 The full displacement field for a 3D beam

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 Stiffness matrix for torsion is identical with the one for axial
deformation with AE replaced with GIx , se exercise slide 8

 The dofs are u4 and u10 , i.e. the stiffness matrix should enter the
corresponding rows and columns

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element
 Exercise: Type in the stiffness matrix and shape functions and test
your beam element (Teknisk STÅBI)

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Transformation, (Cook: section 2.4 p29-32)

 Why do we need to do a transformation?

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Local beam axis

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 Combined structure including the global dofs is defined in global

coordinate system (xg,yg,zg)
 Stiffness are evaluated in local coordinate system
 E, G, A, Ix, Iy, Iz, L (all values are independent of how the beam is
located in space)

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 Assume at first that there exists a relation between a vector in the

global coordinate system and local coordinate system (at first we
only consider the xz-plane)

transformation matrix

 This relation is valid for any vector, e.g. displacement, rotation, force
or moment vector.

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 Until now everything has been described in a local coordinate

system where the beam axis is located at the local x-axis. I.e. the
element stiffness matrix Ke is described in a local system and the
compact form (slide 16, 33 and 42) is only valid in a local system

 a includes both displacements and rotations and f includes both

forces and moments

 Property of a transformation matrix T

Global element stiffness matrix,
this is used to assemble the
 The global form of the system global system of equations

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 We have already identified the local element stiffness matrix Ke, all
we need is to determine the transformation matrix T

 If we want to describe the components of a vector given in one

coordinate system (xg,yg) in another coordinate system (x,y), we can
multiply the vector with the unit vectors spanning the (x,y) system
 This corresponds to rotating the vector - equal the angle between
the two systems

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 Vectors defined in global system

 V defined in local system

 The transformation matrix is an orthogonal set of unit vectors placed

in the columns. This also holds in 3D

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 In the beam case we need the y- and z-coordinates equal zero (the
beam axis is equal the x-axis). The y- and z-axis are the axis around
which the moments of inertia, Iy and Iz, are defined.
 the plane spanned by node 1, node 2 and node 3 defines the xy-
plane
 the xz-plane is orthogonal to the xy-plane
 I.e. the beam has two nodes but we need three nodes to define the
location in space (this is the only thing the 3rd node is used for)

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Structural elements
3D beam element

How do we find the unit vectors describing the xyz-system?

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Exercise: Include the transformation in the program

 Update transformation.m according to the previous slide.

 Make the full transformation matrix (12x12) from T (3x3) in

K_3d_beam.m and multiply the local element stiffness matrix with
the transformation to obtain the global element stiffness matrix

 hint introduce a matrix null = zeros(3,3)

 The cross product V3xV1 in matlab: cross(V3,V1);
 The transposed: Tg'

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Structural elements
3D beam element

Test the transformation function

 The local y- and z-components should all be zero

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Structural elements
3D beam element

Exersice: Solve the test case from "Teknisk STÅBI"

 supports are type 1 boundary conditions

 loads are type 2 boundary conditions
 where a type 1 BC has been defined a reaction is determined
 where a type 2 BC has been defined a displacement is determined
 A BC should be defined in all nodes in all dofs. Where nothing is
defined a load equal 0 is assumed
 Below infinite axial stiffness is assumed. How do we get that?

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Field values: displacement, strain, stress, section forces

 All field values are evaluated in local coordinate system, i.e. nodal
dofs needs to be rotated via the transformation matrix [12x12]

 We need to identify the numbers of the12 dofs for the beam of interest
 done in the matrix ElemDof defined in calc_globdof.m
 Normal force, slide 9
@ux
N = EA
@x
 Bending moments, slide 22 (index just change when considering Mz
and Vz)

 Torsional moment, slide 39

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

 Derivative of the field values are taken as derivative of the shape

functions multiplied by the nodal values, se slide 43 (used in the
visualization part)

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Exercise: 3Dframe

 Create the indicated geometry

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Exercise: Varying section height

 Divide the beam into 5 elements with varying height

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 Finite Element Method II
Structural elements
3D beam element

Thank you for your attention

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