Structural FEA (Cheat Sheet)

Physical Nodal degrees of freedom Finite element equations

phenomena • Load vs displacement 𝑘 𝑢 = {𝑃}
Uy • Strain vs displacement 𝜀 = []{𝑢}
WeakForm • Stress vs strain σ = 𝐸 {𝜀}
StrongForm Roty
Variational formulation • Boundary conditions 𝑢 = 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑛
Interpolation function Partial differential
(Potential energy) Rotz
𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠
equations Rotx
Uz Ux Interpolation function 𝑢 = N 1 u1 + N 2 u2
Approximation of field
variable (Assumed solution) u2 − u
N1 =
Translation Ux, Uy, Uz 𝑢2 − 𝑢1
Minimization of Minimization of error Linear
Rotational Rotx, Roty, Rotz
functional (Weighted residuals) u2 − u
N1 =
Rayleigh Ritz Galerkin method 𝑢2 − 𝑢1
𝑢2
𝑢1
𝑘 𝑢 = {𝑃} Bar element FE equation
Finite Element Form
Nonlinearity
Geometric nonlinearity (types)
• Nonlinear strain-
Types of elements
displacement
Strain-Displacement (Linear, nonlinear measures)
• Loads varying with Linear Quadratic
𝑑𝑥
displacement 1-D 𝐿 − 𝐿0
• Stress stiffening or P Engineering strain 𝜀𝑒𝑛𝑔 =
𝐿0
softening L0
𝐿
• Spin softening Logarithmic strain 𝜀 = ln
P 𝐿0
𝐿2 − 𝐿20
Contact nonlinearity 𝑑𝑥 + 𝑑𝑢 Cauchy-Green strain 𝜀𝑥𝑥 =
2-D L 2𝐿20
(formulations)
• Normal Lagrange
Beam element stiffness matrix Plane stress-strain equation
• Pure Penalty
• Augmented Penalty

Material nonlinearity (types)

• Elastic-plastic
• Hyper-elasticity
Theories of failure
• Visco-elasticity (Creep)
3-D Static loading  Brittle material  Modified Mohr’s method
Static loading  Ductile material  Distortion Energy method
Solution methods Static loading  Ductile material  Maximum Shear Stress
• Gauss elimination Cyclic loading Zero mean  Combined
• Jacobi Conjugate Gradient • Constant amplitude  Brittle material  Not recommended reversed stress
• Direct Iteration • Constant amplitude  Ductile material  Fluctuating stress
Non zero mean  Modified
• Newton Raphson Goodman method
• Varying amplitude  Brittle material  Not recommended
• Modified Newton Raphson • Varying amplitude  Ductile material  Miner’s rule (Damage accumulation)