Bahir Dar University

Bahir Dar Institute of Technology

Faculty of Civil and Water Resource
Engineering
Structural Engineering

FINITE ELEMENT METHOD OF STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

Individual Assignment-2

Name: mesfin fikrea

ID.No: BDU1401774

Submitted to: Bedilu Habte

Submission Date: jun.18, 2022
GIVEN CONDITIONS
E = 195 Gpa = 195*10^3 Mpa
L = 1500mm
P = 75 KN = 75000 N
A(x) = (3 + 𝑥/𝐿 )*10^2 mm2
Q(x) = 1.5 N/mm

Given a tapered bar, it is required to compare different solutions.

1. Derive the governing differential equation (SF)?
2. Find the analytical (exact) solution of the DE, i.e., u(x) =?
3. Use the FEM to determine a numerical solution by dividing the bar into 5 equal
segments (finite elements) respectively as follows:
• 2N5 & 3N5 (2-nodded & 3-nodded – 5 elements, respectively)
4. Lisa solution with 5 elements, each having uniform area at the center.
5. Compute the TPE of each case.
6. Write a MATLAB/Octave code to plot all the above four solutions.
#1. Derive the governing differential equation (SF)?
Consider equilibrium of a segment of the bar along the x-axis which have a
thickness of dx in figure below.

Q(x + dx/2)
F F( x + dx)

Dx
By applying equilibrium equation and some re arrangement we get equation like
−F+F(x+dx)
+ Q(x + dx/2) = 0
dx

If we take the limit of the above equation as dx tends to 0, the first term is the
derivative dF/dx and the second term becomes Q(x). Therefore, the above term
becomes

𝑑𝐹(𝑥)
+ Q(x) = 0
𝑑𝑥

This is the equilibrium equation expressed in terms of the internal force F. The
stress is defined as the force divided by the cross-sectional area;
𝑑𝑢
F(x) = A(x)*δ(x) we also have ε(x) =
𝑑𝑥

The stress–strain law for a linear elastic material is Hooke’s law

δ(x) = 𝐸(𝑥) ∗ 𝜀(𝑥)
Therefore, the governing strong form differential equation becomes;
𝜕 𝑑𝑢
𝑅𝐸𝑆 = (𝐴 ∗ 𝐸 ∗ 𝑑𝑥 ) + 𝑄
𝜕𝑥

𝜕 𝑥2 𝑑𝑢
𝑅𝐸𝑆 = ((( + 6𝑥 + 9) ∗ 102 ) ∗ (195 ∗ 103 ) ∗ ) + 1.5
𝜕𝑥 2.25∗10^6 𝑑𝑥
#2. Find the analytical (exact) solution of the DE, i.e., u(x) =?
To solve the above differential equation, we need to prescribe boundary conditions
at the two ends of the bar. For the purpose of illustration, we will consider the
following specific boundary conditions: at x = 1500mm, the displacement,
u(x=1500), is prescribed; at x = 0, the force per unit area, or traction, denoted by -
75000N, is prescribed. These conditions are written as;
Assume a polynomial function 𝑈 = 𝑎1𝑥 + 𝑎2
U at x = 1500mm is zero since it is restrained.
`0 = 𝑎1 ∗ 1500 + 𝑎2 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑎2 = −1500 ∗ 𝑎1
𝑈 = 𝑎1𝑥 − 1500 ∗ 𝑎2
𝑑𝑈
= 𝑎1
𝑑𝑥
Therefore the ∏𝑝 = 𝑈 − 𝑊 becomes;
1 1500 𝑑𝑢 2 𝑥2
𝑈 = ∫0 (( ) ∗ ( + 6𝑥 + 9) ∗ 102 ∗ 195 ∗ 103 )𝑑𝑥
2 𝑑𝑥 2.25∗10^6

1 1500 𝑥2
𝑈 = ∫0 (𝑎12 ∗ ( + 6𝑥 + 9) ∗ 102 ∗ 195 ∗ 103 )𝑑𝑥
2 2.25∗10^6
1500
𝑊 = 75000 ∗ 𝑎1 + ∫ 1.5 ∗ 𝑎1 ∗ 𝑑𝑥
0

Integrating using octave we found ∏𝑝 = 𝑈 − 𝑊

∏𝑝 = 6.5949 ∗ 1013 ∗ 𝑎12 − 77250 ∗ 𝑎1
𝜕∏𝑝
= (𝑠𝑦𝑚) 13189800000000000 ∗ 𝑎1 − 77250
𝜕𝑎1
𝑎1 = 1.1714 ∗ 10−9
𝑈 = 𝑎1𝑥 + 𝑎2 𝑎2 = −1500 ∗ 𝑎1 = −1.757 ∗ 10−6
𝑼 = 𝟏. 𝟏𝟕𝟏𝟒 ∗ 𝟏𝟎−𝟗 𝒙 − 𝟏. 𝟕𝟓𝟕 ∗ 𝟏𝟎−𝟔
N.B. We can also use Galrekin-method Multiplying by Φ (weighting function) and
integrating gives (by parts) the same value as above.
#3. Use the FEM to determine a numerical solution by dividing the bar into 5 equal
segments (finite elements) respectively as follows:
• 2N5 & 3N5 (2-nodded & 3-nodded – 5 elements, respectively)

4 5
1 2 3

2 NODED 5-ELEMENT EQUAL (i.e., 300mm) SEGMENTED SECTION

Shape function for 2-NODED linear system can be calculated as

Shape function for Element-1 coordinate (0,300)

𝑥2 − 𝑥 300 − 𝑥 𝑥
𝑁1(𝑥) = = =1−
𝑥2 − 𝑥1 300 − 0 300
𝑥 − 𝑥1 𝑥−0 𝑥
𝑁2(𝑥) = = =
𝑥2 − 𝑥1 300 − 0 300
COMPUTED IN OCTAVE
Therefore, displacement function will be as a function of N and d

𝑑1 𝑥 𝑥 𝑑1
𝑢 = [𝑁1 𝑁2] ( ) = [1 − ]( )
𝑑2 300 300 𝑑2
𝑑𝑁 1 1
𝐵= 𝐵1 = − 𝐵2 =
𝑑𝑥 300 300
1 1 𝑑1
𝜀 = 𝐵 ∗ 𝑑 = [− ]∗( )
300 300 𝑑2

3 NODED 5-ELEMENT EQUAL (i.e., 300mm) SEGMENTED SECTION

It will have a quadratic displacement function

𝑈 = 𝑎1 + 𝑎2 ∗ 𝑥 + 𝑎3 ∗ 𝑥 2
The general shape function formula will become
(𝑥2 − 𝑥) ∗ (𝑥3 − 𝑥)
𝑁1 =
(𝑥2 − 𝑥1) ∗ (𝑥3 − 𝑥1)
(𝑥3 − 𝑥) ∗ (𝑥1 − 𝑥)
𝑁2 =
(𝑥1 − 𝑥2) ∗ (𝑥3 − 𝑥2)
(𝑥1 − 𝑥) ∗ (𝑥2 − 𝑥)
𝑁3 =
(𝑥1 − 𝑥3) ∗ (𝑥2 − 𝑥3)

Using the above formula, the whole stiffnesses are computed using octave
4. Lisa solution with 5 elements, each having uniform area at the center.
LISA OUT PUT
DESPLACEMENT OUT PUTS IN Y-DIRECTION

DESPLACEMENT OUTPUT IN X-DIRECTION

#5. Compute the TPE of each case.

∏𝑝 = 𝑈 − 𝑊
FOR ELEMENT-1
300 𝑑𝑢 2
𝑈 = ∫0 (𝑑𝑥 ) ∗ 𝐸 ∗ 𝐴 𝑑𝑥 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑣𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝐴

𝑊 = 𝑃 ∗ 𝑈𝑜 + ∫ 𝑄(𝑥) ∗ 𝑁 ∗ 𝑑 𝑑𝑥 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑣𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑁 𝐹𝑜𝑟 2𝑁5