Method of Finite Elements I

Matrix Structural Analysis

Fx
E = 210.109 N/m2 Fx = 100 kN
E, A1 E, A2
y 3m
A1 = 2850.10 m2
-6 Fy Fy = 200 kN

A2 = 5380.10-6 m2 x
4m 4m

1 Basic MSA structure

1. Assign numbers to nodes, elements and degrees of freedom

2. For each element, generate stiffness matrix and assemble

(a) calculate length L

(b) obtain local stiffness matrix K loc
e
(c) evaluate rotation matrix R e
glob
(d) rotate local stiffness matrix K loc
e to K e = RTe K loc
e Re
glob
(e) assemble K e to the stiffness matrix of the system K sys

3. For each nodal load F l

(a) determine the corresponding degree of freedom and assemble it to the load vector F sys

4. Apply boundary conditions by deleting the rows and columns of the restrained degrees of
freedom from the stiffness matrix of the system as well as the corresponding rows from the force
and displacement vectors.
¢ -1
5. Solve for displacements u sys by inverting the stiffness matrix: K sys u sys = F sys ⇒ u sys = K sys F sys
¡

6. Calculate local forces for each element

glob
(a) find global displacements u e from u sys
glob glob
(b) rotate from u e to the local coordinate system u loc
e = Re ue
(c) calculate local forces as F loc loc loc
e = Ke ue

1
2 Performing MSA
1. Assign numbers to nodes, elements and degrees of freedom

3
N2
E1 E2
2 6

1 5
N1 N3

2. For each element, generate stiffness matrix and assemble

Element 1

(a) calculate length

q p
L1 = (x j − x i )2 + (y j − y i )2 = (4 − 0)2 + (3 − 0)2 = 5 m

(b) obtain local stiffness matrix

   
1 0 −1 0 1 0 −1 0
EA 1
 0 0 0 0
 0
 0 0 0
K loc
1 =  = 119.7 · 106 ·   [N/m]

L1 −1 0 1 0 −1 0 1 0


0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

(c) evaluate rotation matrix

x j − xi 4  cos θ sin θ

0 0
 
4/5 3/5 0 0

cos θ = = 

L1 5   − sin θ cos θ

0 0  −3/5 4/5
 0 0 
⇒ R1 =  =
 
 0 0 cos θ sin θ   0 0 4/5 3/5

y j − yi 3 
sin θ =

= 

0 0 − sin θ cos θ 0 0 −3/5 4/5
L1 5

(d) rotate local stiffness matrix K loc

1 to the global coordinate system
 
76.6 57.5 −76.6 −57.5
6  57.5 43.1 −57.5 −43.1

glob
K 1 = RT1 K loc R = 10 ·  [N/m]

1 1
−76.6 −57.5 76.6 57.4


−57.5 −43.1 57.5 43.1

glob
(e) assemble K 1 to the stiffness matrix of the system K sys

1 2 3 4 5 6
76.6 57.6 −76.6 −57.5 0 0
 
1
2 
 43.1 −57.5 −43.1 0 0 

3
 76.6 57.4 0 0 
K sys = 
 glob
 [N/m]

4 
 +K 1 43.1 0 0 

5  0 0 
6 0

2
Element 2

(a) calculate length

q p
L2 = (x j − x i )2 + (y j − y i )2 = (8 − 4)2 + (0 − 3)2 = 5m

(b) obtain local stiffness matrix

   
1 0 −1 0 1 0 −1 0
EA2  0
 0 0 0
 0
 0 0 0
K loc
2 =  = 226 · 106   [N/m]

L2 −1 0 1 0 −1 0 1 0


0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

(c) evaluate rotation matrix

x j − xi 4  
cos θ sin θ 0 0
 
4/5 −3/5 0 0

cos θ = = 

L2 5   − sin θ cos θ

0 0  3/5
 4/5 0 0 
⇒ R2 =  =
 
 0 0 cos θ sin θ   0 0 4/5 −3/5

y j − yi 3 
sin θ =

=− 
0 0 − sin θ cos θ 0 0 3/5 4/5
L2 5

(d) rotate local stiffness matrix K loc

2 to the global coordinate system
 
145 −108 −145 −108
glob 6 −108
 81.3 108 −81.3
K 2 = RT2 K loc R = 10 ·  [N/m]

2 2
−145 108 145 −108


108 −81.3 −108 81.3

glob
(e) assemble K 2 to the stiffness matrix of the system K sys

1 2 3 4 5 6
76.6 57.6 −76.6 −57.5 0 0
 
1
2 
 43.1 −57.5 −43.1 0 0 

3
 221 −51 −145 108 
K sys =   [N/m]
124 108 −81.3
 
4  
 
5  145 −108 
glob
6 +K 2 81.3

3. Determine the global load vector

 
F1 1
 F2  2
 
100 3
 
F sys = 103 · 
200

4 [N]
 
 F5  5
F6 6

4. Apply boundary conditions by deleting the rows and columns of the stiffness matrix that refer to the
restrained degrees of freedom, that is 1, 2, 5 and 6. Delete the corresponding rows from the force and
displacement vectors as well.

3
 1 2 3 4 5 6
F1 1 76.6 57.6 −76.6 −57.5 0 0 0
     
 F2  2  43.1 −57.5 −43.1 0 0   0 
     
sys 3  100 , K sys =
 3  221 −51 −145 108  sys  u3 
F = 10 ·   , u =  

 200 
 4 
 124 108 −81.3 


 u4 

 F5  5
 145 −108   0 
F6 6 81.3 0

The stiffness equation of the system can be written in terms of the unrestrained (i.e. free) degrees of freedom as
follows
· ¸ · ¸ · ¸
sys sys sys sys 100 sys 221 −51 sys u1
Ff = K ff u f where F f = 103 , K ff = , uf
200 −51 124 u2
5. Solve for displacements of the unrestrained degrees of freedom

0  1
 0  2
0.908 · 10−6 
 
· ¸ 3
sys sys sys sys ¡ sys ¢ -1 sys 0.908 sys 
F f = 10−6 ·
 
K ff u f = Ff ⇒ uf = K ff and u =  1.98 · 10−6  4 [m]
1.98 
 0  5
0 6

6. Calculate local forces for each element

Element 1
glob
(a) find global displacements u 1 as a subset of u sys
0
 
1
 0  2
glob 
u 1 = 0.908 · 10−6 

3 [m]
1.98 · 10−6 4

(b) rotate global displacements to the local coordinate system

0
 

glob  0 
u loc
1 = R1 u1 1.91 · 10
=  −3
[m]
1.04
(c) calculate local forces
−229
 
 0 
F loc loc loc 3
1 = K 1 u 1 =  229  · 10 [N]
 

Element 2
glob
(a) find global displacements u 2 as a subset of u sys
0.908 · 10−6 3
 
−3
 1.98 · 10  4
glob  
u 2 = 0  5 [m]
0 6

4
(b) rotate global displacements to the local coordinate system
−0.461
 

glob glob  2.13  −3

u2 = R2 u2 =   0  · 10 [m]


(c) calculate local forces

−102
 
 0 
F loc loc loc 3
2 = K 2 u 2 =  102  · 10 [N]
 