Truss

Truss
• Every node of truss will have 2 dofs
• Every joint is free to move in x- and
y-axes
• The idealized given truss has 12
nodes, so it can have 24 degree of
freedom.
• Support condition impose 3
restrictions. So, given truss has 24-
3=21 dofs.
u6 u8

u5 u7

u2 u4 4 joints, so it can have 8 dofs. However,

support condition restrict 3 dofs. So, it is
u1 u3 having 8-3=5 dofs.
Idealization of Truss
Plane Truss P
x
• Truss element in general case
Y
u1'  u1 cos  u2 sin 
X y
u  u3 cos  u4 sin 
'
2

 u1 
T   x

 u1
'
 cos sin  0 0  u2 
u  ' 
'
  u4 sin 
u2   0 0 cos  sin   u3  u2'
u4  2’
u3 cos
 u1  2  u3 u4
 
 c s 0 0  u2   
u      T  u
'

 0 0 c s   u3  ' u2 sin 
u
u4  1

u1 cos 1’
u '  T  u 1  u2
u1
Truss element
 u1 
 
u2 
u     u1 u2 u3 u4 
T

u3 
u4 
• Transfer u’ into global axis (X, Y)
• Strain energy of the element
1 'T ' '
U e strain  u Ku
2
1
 u T   K '  T  u
T T
U e strain
2
1
 u K u where K   T   K '  T 
T
 
T
U e strain
2

• [K] is the element stiffness matrix in global coordinates.

Truss element
• Global stiffness matrix for an element
c 0  c c 
   
 s 0  AE  1 1  c s 0 0  AE  s  s   c s 0 0 
K T kT 
T '
    
0 c   1 1  0 0 c s    c c   0 0 c s 
   
0 s    s s 
 c2 cs c 2 cs 
 2
AE  cs s 2
cs  s 
K
 c 2 cs c 2 cs 
 
 cs  s s 
2 2
cs
• Stress calculations
u2'  u1' E  u1'  E
  E  E  1 1 '   1 1 T  u
e e u2  e

E
 c  s c s u
e
Truss Element Generalization of Bar Element With Arbitrary Orientation

k=AE/L

s  sin  , c  cos 
Example
• The member and node numbers, modulus of elasticity,
cross sectional areas are the necessary input data.
• How to number the nodes and elements?
• The angle θ has been calculated considering anticlockwise
direction. The signs of the direction cosines depend on the
choice of numbering the nodal connectivity.

Nodal data
Example
• Member stiffness matrices

 c2 cs c 2 cs 
 
AE  cs s2 cs s 2 
K
 c 2 cs c2 cs 
 
 cs s 2 s 
2
cs
Example
• Global stiffness matrix • Global load vector • Global displacement
vector
 u1   0 
   
u2   0 
u3  u3 
u  u   u 
 4  4
 u5   0 
   
u6   0 
Example

• Equilibrium equations
0
 
0
u3 
 
u4 
0
 
 0 

 u3   u3 
   
u4  u4 
Example • The member forces
• Element nodal forces

• The reactions at the supports

Fmy1

Fmx1
Example
Applied Loads Global stiffness matrix, deformations and forces
KU  F
Example
Example
• A 4000 lb force is acting at node 2, horizontally.
E=30x106psi, A=1.5 in2 for each member. Find reactions
and member forces and stresses.
Example
• Element 3

Using elimination approach, eliminating

rows and columns corresponding to degree
of freedom 1, 2, 4, 7, 8
Example
Example
• Reaction force at Node in Y-direction

• Element forces
 N1(x)
Quadratic Approximation Scheme u(x)
u1 u2 u3
x 1
(1) (2) (3)
L x
x
(1) (2) (3) (1) (2) (3)
Approximate Elastic Displacement
u1  a1 x  0  u ( x)  u1  a1; x   u ( x )  u 2 ; x   u ( x )  u3
2
2 N2(x)
L L
u  a1  a2 x  a3 x  u2  a1  a2  a3
2

2 4
u3  a1  a2 L  a3 L2
1
u  N1 ( x)u1  N 2 ( x)u2  N 3 ( x)u3
x
 u1 
  (1) (2) (3)
u   N1 N 2 N 3 u2   [N]{u}
u  N3(x)
 3

x
(1) (2) (3)
 A slightly fancier assumption:
displacement varying quadratically inside each bar

N1 (x) N 2 (x) N 3 (x)

x1 x2 x
x3
El #1

N1 (x) 
x 2 - x x 3 - x 
x 2 - x1 x 3 - x1  w(x)  N1 (x)d 1x  N 2 (x)d 2x  N3 (x)d 3x
N 2 (x) 
 x1 - x x 3 - x 
x1 - x 2 x 3 - x 2  This is a quadratic finite element in 1D and it has

N 3 (x) 
x1 - x x 2 - x  three nodes and three associated shape functions
per element.
x1 - x 3 x 2 - x 3 
Quadratic Elements
• The element stiffness matrix
T

 B DBdV   B E B Adx

T
K  
0
V

d  N  x    3 4x 4 8x 1 4x 
where, B      2    2
 
2
dx

 3 4x 
  2 
 
AE  4 8 x   3 4 x 4x 

4 8x 1
K     2     2    2 dx
  
2
0

 1 4x 
  2 
 
Quadratic Elements

K 

• Element stiffness matrix

 7 8 1 
AE  
K     8 16 8 
 1 8 7 
• Element equilibrium equation
 7 8 1   u1   F1 
AE     
    
K u  F    8 16 8  u2    F2 
 1 8 7  u3   F3 
Lagrange Interpolation Functions
Using Natural or Normalized Coordinates
1 , i  j
N i ( j )   1
0 , i  j N1  (1   )
2
 1
N 2  (1   )
2
(1) 1    1 (2)
1
N1    (1   )
2
N 2  (1   )(1   )

1
(2) (3)
N3   (1   )
(1) 2

9 1 1
N1   (1   )(   )(   )
16 3 3
27 1
N2  (1   )(1   )(   )
 16 3
27 1
(1) (2) (3) (4) N3  (1   )(1   )(   )
16 3
9 1 1
N 4   (   )(   )(1   )
16 3 3
MATLAB Program TRUSS2D.M
Example
Multi-point constraints
• If the support is inclined of skewed at an
angle α to global x axis, the resulting
boundary conditions on the displacements are
not in the global x-y directions, but are
inclined in the local x’-y’ directions.
• Transform the global displacements at node 3
only into the local nodal coordinate system x’-
y’, keeping all other coordinate in the global
x-y system.
• Enforce zero displacement boundary
condition d’3y in the force-displacement Figure: Plane truss with inclined boundary
relation and solve the equation. conditions at node 3

u3' x   c s  u3 x 
 '[        
 u3 
'
t3 u3
u3 y    s c  u3 y 
• Transformation for the entire nodal • To obtain the desired displacement
displacement vector as vector with global displacement
u   T  u
'
1
components at nodes 1 and 2 and
local displacement components at
u  T  u 
T
1
' node 3,

 u1x   u1' x 
• Transformation matrix for entire truss is the  ' 
 
6x6 matrix.  u1 y  I   u 1 y 
0 0  ' 
u2 x     u 
I  0 0    0 I  0   2' x 
  u2 y   T   u2 y 
T1   0 I  0  u3 x  0 0 t3    ' 
  u
0 0 t3     3' x 
  u3 y   u3 y 
• Only at node 3 global components
are transformed as shown by [t3]T.
• The global force vector can also be • The forces will transform to
transformed by using the same f 3'  t3  f 3
transformation as for {u’}.
 f   T   f 
'
1
• Again, we can write
 
T1   f   T1  K T1  u '
T

• In global coordinates, we can write      

• The above equation becomes
 f   K u  T1   f   T1  K u  u1x 
 F1x 
• Thus, we can write:    
 F1 y   u1 y 
 f1x   f1x   F2 x   
T  u2 x 
  f     T1  K  T1  u 
 f1 y   1 y  Only the node 3
I  0 0  F2 y   2' y 
  f 2 x   f 2 x 
components have
  F3 x  u 3 x 
0 I  0      been transformed
   ' 
 f2 y   f2 y  to the local axes
0 0 t3   F3 y  u 3 y 
   f 3 x   f 3' x  components.
   ' 
 f 3 y   f 3 y 
 Problem 3: For the plane truss
y P=1000 kN,
L=length of elements 1 and 2 = 1m
P El#2 3
E=210 GPa
A = 6×10-4m2 for elements 1 and 2
2
= 6 2 ×10-4 m2 for element 3
El#1
El#3
45o Determine the unknown displacements
x and reaction forces.
1
Solution
Step 1: Node element connectivity table
ELEMENT Node 1 Node 2
1 1 2
2 2 3
3 1 3
Table of nodal coordinates
Node x y
1 0 0
2 0 L

3 L L

Table of direction cosines

ELEMENT Length x2  x1 y y
l m 2 1
length length
1 L 0 1
2 L 1 0

3 L 2 1/ 2 1/ 2
Step 2: Stiffness matrix of each element in global coordinates
with global numbering
Stiffness matrix of element 1
 c2 cs c 2 cs 
 
EA  cs s 2 cs  s 2 

(1)
k
L  c 2 cs s 2 cs 
 
  cs  s 2
cs s 2


d1x d1y d2x d2y

0 0 0 0  d1x
-4 
(210 10 )(6 10 ) 0 1
9
0 1  d1y

1 0 0 0 0  d2x
 
0 1 0 1  d2y
Stiffness matrix of element 2 d2x d2y d3x d3y
1 0 1 0  d2x
-4 
(210 10 )(6 10 )  0
9
0 0 0 
 d2y
(2)
k
1  1 0 1 0  d3x
 
0 0 0 0  d3y
Stiffness matrix of element 3
d1x d1y d3x d3y
 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5  d1x
 
(210 109 )(6 2 10-4 )  0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5  d1y

(3)
k
2  0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5  d3x
 
 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5  d3y
Step 3: Assemble the global stiffness matrix

 0.5 0.5 0 0 0.5 0.5

 0.5 1.5 0 1 0.5 0.5
 
 0 0 1 0 1 0 
K  1260 10 
5
 N/m
 0 1 0 1 0 0 
 0.5 0.5 1 0 1.5 0.5 
 
 0.5 0.5 0 0 0.5 0.5 

The final set of equations is Kd  F Eq(1)

Step 4: Incorporate boundary conditions
y
 0  x
y
 0 
  P El#2 3

d 2 x 

d   2
 0 
 d3 x  El#1
El#3
 

d3 y  45o
1 x

Also, d 3y  0 in the local coordinate system of element 3

How do I convert this to a boundary condition in the global (x,y)

coordinates?
 y
x
 F1 x  y
F  3
 1y  P El#2

 P  
F   2
F
 2y  El#1
 F3 x  El#3
 

 F3 y 
 45o
x
1

Also, F 3x  0 in the local coordinate system of element 3

How do I convert this to a boundary condition in the global (x,y)

coordinates?
 Using coordinate transformations

d 3x   c s   d3 x  1
  s    cs

d 3 y 
  c  d3 y  2

 1 1   1 

d 3x   2 2   d  
 2
 d 3x  d 3 y 

     3x    
   1
d 3 y  1  d3 y   1
 d  d  

 2 2  2

3 y 3 x



d 3y  0 (Multi-point constraint)

 d 3y 
1
2
 d3 y  d3 x   0

 d3 y  d3 x  0 Eq (2)
 Similarly for the forces at node 3

 F 3x 
  c s   F3 x  1
  s    cs

F 3y   c   F3 y  2

 1 1   1 
  
 F 3x  2 2   F  
 2
 F3x  F3 y 

     3x    
 
1   F3 y 

F 3 y 

1

 1
 2
 F3 y  F3 x  

 2 2  

F 3x  0
 F 3x 
1
2
 F3 y  F3 x   0

 F3 y  F3 x  0 Eq (3)
Therefore we need to solve the following equations simultaneously

Kd  F Eq(1)
d3 y  d3 x  0 Eq(2)

F3 y  F3 x  0 Eq(3)

Incorporate boundary conditions and reduce Eq(1) to

1 1 0  d 2 x   P 
   
1260 105 
 1 1.5 0.5
  3x  
d  3x 
F
 0.5 d  F 
0 0.5   3y   3y 
 Write these equations out explicitly

1260 105 ( d 2 x  d 3 x )  P Eq(4)

1260 105 ( d 2 x  1.5d3 x  0.5d 3 y )  F3 x Eq(5)
1260 105 (0.5d3 x  0.5d3 y )  F3 y Eq(6)

Add Eq (5) and (6)

1260 105 (d2 x  2d3 x  d3 y )  F3 x  F3 y  0 using Eq(3)

 1260 105 (d2 x  3d3 x )  0 using Eq(2)

 d 2 x  3d3 x Eq(7)
 1260 105 (3d3 x  d3 x )  P
Plug this into Eq(4)
 2520 105 d3 x  106
  d3 x  0.003968m
d 2 x  3d3 x  0.0119m

Compute the reaction forces

 F1x  0 0.5 0.5
F  0
 1y 
 0.5 0.5 d 
  2x 
 
 F2 y   1260  10  0 0   d3 x 
5
0
F   
 1 1.5 0.5   d
 3y 

 3x


 F3 y 
 
0 0.5 0.5 

 500 
 500 

 

  0  kN
 500 
 

 500 
Physical significance of the stiffness matrix

In general, we will have a stiffness matrix of the form

 k11 k12 k13 

K  k 21 k 22 k 23 
k 31 k 32 k 33 

And the finite element force-displacement relation

 k11 k12 k13   d1   F1 
k  d   F 
 21 k 22 k 23   2   2
k 31 k 32 k 33  d 3  F3 
 Physical significance of the stiffness matrix

The first equation is

Force equilibrium
k11d1  k12d 2  k13d3  F1 equation at node 1

Columns of the global stiffness matrix

What if d1=1, d2=0, d3=0 ?

While d.o.f 2 and 3 are held fixed
F1  k11 Force along d.o.f 1 due to unit displacement at d.o.f 1
F2  k 21 Force along d.o.f 2 due to unit displacement at d.o.f 1
F3  k 31 Force along d.o.f 3 due to unit displacement at d.o.f 1

Similarly we obtain the physical significance of the other

entries of the global stiffness matrix
In general

k ij = keeping
Force at d.o.f ‘i’ due to unit displacement at d.o.f ‘j’
all the other d.o.fs fixed
3D Truss (space truss)
In local coordinate system f̂  k̂ d̂
f̂ 1x  d̂ 1x 
  k 0 0 k 0 0  
f̂ 1y   0 0 0 0 0 0 d̂ 1y 
    
f̂ 1z   0 0 0 0 0 0 d̂ 1z 
   
f̂ 2x   k 0 0 k 0 0 d̂ 2x 
f̂   0 0 0 0 0 0 d̂ 
 2y     2y 
f̂   0 0 0 0 0 0  
 2z  d̂ 2z 
The transformation matrix for a single vector in 3D
d̂  T d
*

 l1 m1 n1  l1, m1 and n1 are the direction cosines of x^

T  l 2 n2 
*
m2
l1  cos  x
l3 m3 n3  m1  cos  y
n1  cos  z
Transformation matrix T relating the local and global
displacement and load vectors of the truss element

d̂  Td
T * 0
T  *
f̂  Tf
66
0 T 

Element stiffness matrix in global coordinates

k  T k̂ T
T

66 66 66 66

  l1 2 l1 m1 l1 n1  l1
2
 l1 m1  l1 n1 
 
m1 n1  l1 m1  m1  m1 n1 
2 2
 l1 m1 m1

EA l1 n1 m1 n1 n1
2
l1 n1 m1 n1  n1
2 
k  T k̂ T   2 
T

L   l1  l1m1  l1 n1 l1
2
l1 m1 l1 n1 
 l m  m 2  m n l m m
2
m n 
 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

  l1 n1  m1 n1  n1 n1 
2 2
l1 n1 m1 n1

Notice that the direction cosines of only the local ^x axis enter the
k matrix