Lecture CEE 570: Finite Element Method

Arif Masud
Professor of Civil Engineering

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

A Model Problem in One – Dimension

• Governing Equation:

d  d 
 EA ( x ) u ( x ) + f ( x ) = 0 x ∈ ( 0, L )
dx  dx 
• The B.C’s for this problem are:
 du 
– A traction B.C. at the left end. −  EA  = h
 dx  0
– A displacement B.C. at the right end. u ( L) = g
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 Strong Form (S)

• Given: EA ( x ) , g , h and f ( x )
• Find: u ( x ) : ( 0, L ) →  such that

d  d 
EA ( x ) u ( x )  + f ( x) = 0 ∀x ∈ ( 0, L ) (1)
dx  dx 
 du 
−  EA  = h (2)
 dx  0
u ( L) = g (3)

• Note: (S) is a statement of differential equation describing the

equilibrium of bar and an approximate set of boundary conditions.

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Weak Form (W)

• Follow the steps carefully (same always).

• Define two SPACES (or “collections”) of functions.
– The space of trial functions.
(4)
– The space of weighting functions.
(5)

• Remarks:
– All trial functions u ( x ) in the space  satisfy the displacement
B.C’s (3).
– All weighting functions w ( x ) in the space  satisfy the
homogeneous form of the displacement B.C’s (3).
=> this space contains functions that vanish where the
displacement is u ( x ) prescribed.
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Note: A key ingredient in (W) is the Variational Equation.
We obtain it in 3 steps as follows.
Step 1. Rearrange the differential equation of equilibrium (1) into
the following form.

Multiply both sides by and integrate over the lengths of the bar.

(6)

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Step 2. Integrate by parts.

(7)
• Consider the Boundary Terms.

 du ( x )   du ( x ) 
=  w ( x ) EA ( x )  −  w ( x ) EA ( x ) 
 dx  x = L  dx  x =0

term 1 term 2

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• term 2

• term 1

• Substitute in equation (7)

we can rearrange this equation,

 dw ( x ) du ( x ) 
EA ( x )  dx = 0 w ( x ) f ( x ) dx + w ( 0 ) h
L L
 0

 dx dx 
(8)

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Remarks:
• Observe that the derivation of the variational equation has used
– The differential equation of equilibrium, and the traction B.C.

– The fact that w ( x ) ∈ , i.e. w = 0 at u = L ,where the

displacement u is prescribed.

• The displacement B.C. (3) has not been used.

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 Weak Form (W) of Boundary Value Problem

• Given: EA ( x ) , g , h, and f ( x )
• Find: u ( x ) ∈  , such that ∀w ( x ) ∈

 dw ( x ) du ( x ) 
EA ( x )  dx = 0 w ( x ) f ( x ) dx + w ( 0 ) h
L L
0

 dx dx 
(9)

1. Note (W) is derived by using

– The differential equation of equilibrium
– The traction B.C.
– The condition on w(x) where u(x) is prescribed.

2. The steps (S)(W) are representative of the process for

finding W from S, for all boundary value problems.
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3. (W) demands that equation (9) must hold arbitrary w(x).

∀
4. The solution u(x) of (W) that satisfies equation (9) is called
the Weak Solution.
Similarly, solution of (S)  Strong Solution.
 For sufficiently smooth data, i.e. (material and geometric
properties, loading functions etc.) these solutions will be identical.

5. (W) is nothing more than the Principle of virtual displacements.

Recall the principal of virtual displacement: Equilibrium of bar

is satisfied whenδ u
for all kinematically admissible virtual
displacements (i.e. virtual displacements that vanish
where the actual displacements u(x) are prescribed), the
internal Virtual Work is equal to the external Virtual Work.

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6. Solutions from (S) and (W) are equivalent.
7. The Variational equ. (9) may be interpreted as requiring the
Residual or Error in the solution to the differential equation to
vanish when weighted by w(x) and integrated over the domain.

8. Displacement B.C. (3) does not appear in equation (9) but it is

enforced by requiring u ( x ) ∈  .
• It is “essential” that the trial function satisfies this boundary
condition. Such boundary conditions are called Essential
Boundary Conditions.
• On the other hand, the “higher order” traction B.C. (2) is
satisfied “naturally” through the variational equation: 
Natural Boundary Condition.

9. The Variational Equation

 dw ( x ) du ( x ) 
EA ( x )  dx = 0 w ( x ) f ( x ) dx + w ( 0 ) h
L L
 0

 dx dx 
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Galerkin Form of the Problem

Replace u ( x ) by an approximate solution u ( x ) ;

h

Replace w ( x ) by an approximate solution w ( x.) ;

h

• Note:

Furthermore, define approximate space of functions.

(10)

(11)

We can say
 h ⊂ (12)

 h ⊂ (13)

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 Formal Statement

• Given: EA ( x ) , g , h, and f ( x )

• Find: u ( x ) ∈  ⊂  , such that ∀wh ( x ) ∈ h ⊂  .

h h

 dwh ( x ) du h ( x ) 
EA ( x )  dx = 0 w ( x ) f ( x ) dx + w ( 0 ) h
L L
 
h h
(14)
 dx dx 
0

Note: Equation (14) is called the Galerkin Equation.

• Schematics of Discretization

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The Galerkin FEM

nel
• Key Idea  (  ) dx =   (  ) dx
Ω e =1 Ωe

• Discretized Galerkin Equation

nel
 dwh ( x ) d h  nel

  
e =1 Ωe  dx
EA ( x ) u ( x )  dx =   wh ( x ) f ( x ) dx + wh ( 0 ) h
dx  e =1 Ωe
(15)
• Element Shape Functions

N1e ( x ) = (16)

N 2e ( x ) = (17)

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• Interpolation of the nodal D.O.F.

u h ( x ) = N1e ( x ) d1e + N 2e ( x ) d 2e (18)

= (19)

• d1 and d 2 are the numeric values of u h ( x ) .

e e

Similarly, wh ( x ) = N1e ( x ) δ d1e + N 2eδ d 2e

δ d1e 
= N e
1 ( x) N e
2 ( x)  e
δ d 2 

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• Strain Displacement Matrix

du h ( x )
dx
=
d
dx
(
N e ( x) d e )
d1e 
=  e
d 2 

= Be ( x ) d e (20)

dwh ( x )
Similarly,
dx
=
d
dx
(
N e ( x)δ d e )
δ d1 
e
d e d e
= N1 ( x ) N2 ( x )  e
dx dx δ d 2 
= Be ( x ) δ d e (21)
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 • Element Stiffness Matrix and Load Vector
Consider equation (15)
nel
 dwh ( x ) d h  nel

  
e =1 Ωe  dx
EA ( x ) u ( x )  dx =   wh ( x ) f ( x ) dx + wh ( 0 ) h
dx  e =1 Ωe

( )
nel nel
eT eT
( x ) EA ( x ) B ( x ) d dx =   δ d e N e f ( x ) dx + wh ( 0 ) h
T T
e e
d B
e =1 Ωe e =1 Ωe (22)

taking the vectors of constant coefficients out of the integration.

( ( x ) EA ( x ) B ( x ) ) dx d
nel nel

δ d eT eT
= δ d e  N e f ( x ) dx + wh ( 0 ) h
T T
e e
B
e =1 Ωe e =1 Ωe (23)

ke = (24)

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• Element load vector f e :

f fe = (25)

The Galerkin equation (22) can now be written as:

nel nel

δ d eT
k d =  δ d e f fe + wh ( 0 ) h
T
e e (26)
e =1 e =1

• Observation: We must still enforce the conditions:

uh ( L) = N n ( L) d n = g
wh ( L ) = N n ( L ) δ d n = 0

in order that u h ( x ) ∈  and w ( x ) ∈ .

h

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• Evaluate Element Stiffness Matrix
From equation (24)

ke =

d e 
 dx N1 ( x )  d e d e
=   EA ( x ) N1 ( x ) N 2 ( x ) dx (27)
Ω 
d dx dx
N 2e ( x ) 
e

 dx 

x2e − x x − x1e
N ( x) =
e N ( x) =
e
2
1
he he
d e d e
N1 ( x ) = (28) N2 ( x ) = (29)
dx dx

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• substitute equations (28) and (29) into (27).

 1
− he  1 1
k =   EA ( x ) − e e dx
e

Ωe 
1  h h
 he 
2x1 1x2

EA ( x )  1 −1
=   −1 1  dx
( )
2
Ωe h e
 

= (30)

• For EA ( x ) = constant,
EA  1 −1
ke =  −1 1  (31)
he  
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Element Load Vector

From equation (25) f fe =

Substitute N1 ( x ) and N 2 ( x ) from eq. (16) and (17),

e e

 N1 ( x ) 
e

f =  e  f ( x ) dx
e
(32)
e  N 2 ( x )
f
Ω  
Note: Ωe = x2e − x1e .
 x2e − x 
x2e 
 he 
ff =  e 
e
e 
f ( x ) dx (33)
x1
 x − x1 
 h e

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• For example: suppose f ( x ) = constant = f .

f0 (
x2e
 x2e − x
 )
 ff = e 
e
  dx
h (
x1e
 x − x1
e
)
 x2  e

x
 x2 x −  
e
2

 2  xe 
f 0  1 
= e  
h  2 x2e
x e 

 − x1 x  
 2  x1e 
1 e 2 1 e
( ) ( ) 
2
0  x − x e
 0  h
f 2 2 1
 f 2 f 0 he 1
= e   = e  =  (34)
h 1 e
(
x2 − x1  ) h 1 e
( )  2 1
2 2
e
h
 2   2 
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