Lecture Notes: Introduction to Finite Element Method Chapter 2.

Bar and Beam Elements

III. Beam Element

Simple Plane Beam Element

y
vi, Fi vj, Fj

i j
E,I x
θi, Mi θj, Mj
L

L length
I moment of inertia of the cross-sectional area
E elastic modulus
v = v( x ) deflection (lateral displacement) of the
neutral axis
dv
θ= rotation about the z-axis
dx
F = F ( x) shear force
M = M ( x) moment about z-axis

Elementary Beam Theory:

d 2v
EI 2 = M ( x) (36)
dx
My
σ=− (37)
I

© 1998 Yijun Liu, University of Cincinnati 53

Lecture Notes: Introduction to Finite Element Method Chapter 2. Bar and Beam Elements

Direct Method
Using the results from elementary beam theory to compute
each column of the stiffness matrix.

(Fig. 2.3-1. on Page 21 of Cook’s Book)

Element stiffness equation (local node: i, j or 1, 2):

vi θi vj θj
 12 6 L − 12 6 L vi   Fi 

EI  6 L 4 L
2
− 6 L 2 L2 
θi 

M 
 i (38)
 =
   
L3 − 12 − 6 L 12 − 6 L v j   F j 
 6 L 2 L2 − 6 L 4 L2 θ   M 
  j   j 

© 1998 Yijun Liu, University of Cincinnati 54

Lecture Notes: Introduction to Finite Element Method Chapter 2. Bar and Beam Elements

Formal Approach
Apply the formula,
L

k=
∫
0
B T EIBdx (39)

To derive this, we introduce the shape functions,

N 1 ( x ) = 1 − 3x 2 / L2 + 2 x 3 / L3
N 2 ( x) = x − 2 x 2 / L + x 3 / L2
(40)
N 3 ( x ) = 3x / L − 2 x / L
2 2 3 3

N 4 ( x) = − x 2 / L + x 3 / L2
Then, we can represent the deflection as,
v( x ) = Nu
vi 
θ 
 i (41)
= [N 1 ( x ) N 2 ( x) N 3 ( x) N 4 ( x )] 
v j 

θ j 

which is a cubic function. Notice that,
N1 + N 3 = 1
N2 + N3 L + N4 = x
which implies that the rigid body motion is represented by the
assumed deformed shape of the beam.

© 1998 Yijun Liu, University of Cincinnati 55

Lecture Notes: Introduction to Finite Element Method Chapter 2. Bar and Beam Elements

Curvature of the beam is,

d 2v d 2
2
= 2 Nu = Bu (42)
dx dx
where the strain-displacement matrix B is given by,
d2
[
B = 2 N = N 1" ( x ) N 2" ( x) N 3" ( x) N 4" ( x )
dx
]
(43)
=
6 12 x 4 6 x 6 12 x 2 6x 
− + − + − − + 2
 L 
2 3 2 2 3
L L L L L L L
Strain energy stored in the beam element is
L T
 My  1  My 
∫ ∫∫
1 1
U= σ T εdV = −  − dAdx
2 2  I  E I 
V 0 A
L L T
1 d 2 v  d 2 v 
∫ ∫
1 T 1
= M Mdx =   EI  2 dx
2 EI 2 dx 2  dx 
0 0
L

∫
1
= (Bu)T EI (Bu)dx
2
0

1 T 
L

2 
 T
∫
= u  B EIBdx


u
0

We conclude that the stiffness matrix for the simple beam

element is
L

k=
∫
0
B T EIBdx

© 1998 Yijun Liu, University of Cincinnati 56

Lecture Notes: Introduction to Finite Element Method Chapter 2. Bar and Beam Elements

Applying the result in (43) and carrying out the integration, we

arrive at the same stiffness matrix as given in (38).

Combining the axial stiffness (bar element), we obtain the

stiffness matrix of a general 2-D beam element,
ui vi θi uj vj θj
 EA 0 0 −
EA
0 0 
 L L 
 12 EI 6 EI 12 EI 6 EI 
 0 0 − 
 L3 L2 L3 L2 
 0 6 EI 4 EI 6 EI 2 EI 
0 − 2
k=  L 2
L L L 
 EA EA 
− L 0 0
L
0 0 
 12 EI 6 EI 12 EI 6 EI 
 0 − − 0 − 2 
 L3 L2 L3 L 
 0 6 EI 2 EI 6 EI 4 EI 
0 − 2

 L2 L L L  

3-D Beam Element

The element stiffness matrix is formed in the local (2-D)
coordinate system first and then transformed into the global (3-
D) coordinate system to be assembled.

(Fig. 2.3-2. On Page 24)

© 1998 Yijun Liu, University of Cincinnati 57

Lecture Notes: Introduction to Finite Element Method Chapter 2. Bar and Beam Elements

Example 2.5
Y
P
M
1 2

1 E,I 2 3 X
L L

Given: The beam shown above is clamped at the two ends and
acted upon by the force P and moment M in the mid-
span.
Find: The deflection and rotation at the center node and the
reaction forces and moments at the two ends.
Solution: Element stiffness matrices are,
v1 θ1 v2 θ2
 12 6 L − 12 6 L 
 2 
EI  6 L 4 L − 6 L 2 L 
2

k1 = 3
L − 12 − 6 L 12 − 6 L 
 6 L 2 L2 − 6 L 4 L2 
 
v2 θ2 v3 θ3
 12 6 L − 12 6 L 
 2 
EI  6 L 4 L − 6 L 2 L 
2

k2 = 3
L − 12 − 6 L 12 − 6 L 
 6 L 2 L2 − 6 L 4 L2 
 

© 1998 Yijun Liu, University of Cincinnati 58

Lecture Notes: Introduction to Finite Element Method Chapter 2. Bar and Beam Elements

Global FE equation is,

v1 θ1 v2 θ2 v3 θ3
 12 6 L − 12 6 L 0 0 v1   F1Y 
 6 L 4 L2 − 6 L 2 L2 0 0 θ1   M 1 
    
EI − 12 − 6 L 24 0 − 12 6 L v2   F2Y 
2  =  
L3 
 6 L 2 L 2
0 8 L 2
− 6 L 2 L θ
 2   M 2 
 0 0 − 12 − 6 L 12 − 6 L v3   F3Y 
 2    
 0 0 6 L 2 L 2
− 6 L 4 L θ
 3   M 3 
Loads and constraints (BC’s) are,
F2Y = − P , M2 = M ,
v1 = v3 = θ1 = θ3 = 0
Reduced FE equation,
EI 24 0 v2  − P 
L3  0 8 L2 θ  =  M 
  2   
Solving this we obtain,

v2  L − PL 
2

 =  
θ
 2 24 EI  3 M 
From global FE equation, we obtain the reaction forces and
moments,

© 1998 Yijun Liu, University of Cincinnati 59

Lecture Notes: Introduction to Finite Element Method Chapter 2. Bar and Beam Elements

 F1Y  − 12 6 L  2 P + 3 M / L 
M   2   
 1  EI − 6 L 2 L v2  1  PL + M 
 = 3  =  
F
 3Y  L − 12 − 6 L θ2  4 2 P − 3 M / L 
  6L 2 L2 
M3     
 − PL + M  
Stresses in the beam at the two ends can be calculated using the
formula,
My
σ = σx = −
I
Note that the FE solution is exact according to the simple beam
theory, since no distributed load is present between the nodes.
Recall that,
d 2v
EI 2 = M ( x)
dx
and
dM
= V (V - shear force in the beam)
dx
dV
= q (q - distributed load on the beam)
dx
Thus,
d 4v
EI 4 = q( x )
dx
If q(x)=0, then exact solution for the deflection v is a cubic
function of x, which is what described by our shape functions.

© 1998 Yijun Liu, University of Cincinnati 60