ME664-Review (I) - Direct Stiffness Method

ME 664
Finite Element Method
Review (I)
Instructor : Associate Prof. Dr. Samet AKAR
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Çankaya University
General Steps in the FEA-Structural Problems
o Step 1: Discretize and Select the Element Types
o Step 2: Select a Displacement Function
o Step 3: Define the Strain/Displacement and Stress/Strain
Relationships
o Step 4: Derive the Element Stiffness Matrix and Equations
o Step 5: Assemble the Element Equations to Obtain the Global or
Total Equations and Introduce Boundary Conditions
o Step 6 Solve for the Unknown Degrees of Freedom (or
Generalized Displacements)
o Step 7: Solve for the Element Strains and Stresses
o Step 8: Interpret the Results
2
March 25, 2024 Department of Mechanical Engineering
Linear Spring Element
o One-dimensional linear spring: a spring that obeys Hooke’s
law and resists forces only in the direction of the spring.
o 1 and 2: Nodes
o x: Local axis
o u1 and u2: Local nodal displacements
These nodal displacements are called the degrees of freedom at
each node
How many degrees of freedom do we have at each node? 1
o f1x, f2x: Local nodal forces
o k: Spring Constant or Stiffness
March 25, 2024 Department of Mechanical Engineering 3
Stiffness Matrix
o Stiffness matrix relates the nodal force vector to the nodal
displacement vector
o kij represent the force Fi in the ith degree of freedom due to a

unit displacement uj in the jth degree of freedom while all other
displacements are zero.
o Now assume a structure to be forced into a displaced
configuration defined by u1=1 and u2=0 : → f1=k11 & f2=k21

Selection of a Displacement Function
o We need to define a mathematical function to represent the

deformed shape of the spring element under loading.
o The most common functions used are polynomials.
o Let’s assume a linear displacement variation along the x axis
of the spring.
o In general, the total number of coefficients ‘a’ is equal to the

total number of degrees of freedom associated with the
element.

o In a matrix form:
o We now want to express ‘u’ as a function of the nodal

displacements u1 and u2, (to apply the physical boundary
conditions on nodal displacements directly)
o We achieve this by evaluating ‘u’ at each node and solving for
a1 and a2

o By substituting a1 and a2 in ‘u’ we will obtain:
o In a matrix form:
are called shape functions

or
interpolation functions

Shape Functions
o Ni’s express the shape of the assumed

displacement function over the domain
(x coordinate) of the element when the
ith element degree of freedom has unit
value and all other degrees of freedom
are zero.
8
Defining derived field variable
o The tensile forces ‘T’ produce a total elongation (deformation)

δ of the spring.
o Positive Displacement u2
o Negative Displacement u1
o The deformation of the spring:
o The stress/strain relationship
9
Element Stiffness Matrix and Equations
o By the sign convention for nodal forces and equilibrium
[k] is called the local stiffness matrix for the element.
10
Other Steps
o Assembling of total stiffness matrix by superposition
Global stiffness matrix Global force vector
o Boundary Conditions
o Homogeneous BCs
o Non-homogeneous BCs
11
Example
o Two-spring assemblage
o Discretize the domain:
12
Example-Solution
o The x axis is the global axis of the assemblage. The local x

axis of each element coincides with the global axis of the
assemblage.
o Node 1 is fixed and axial force F3x is applied to node 3 and F2x
is applied to node 2.
o The nodes of the assemblage have been numbered 1, 3, and 2
for further generalization because sequential numbering
between elements generally does not occur in large problems.
13
Element Stiffness Matrices-Direct Equilibrium Method
Recall
o For Element #1 we have
o For Element #2 We have
14
Continuity (Compatibility)
o Elements 1 and 2 must remain connected at common node 3

throughout the displacement. This is called the continuity or
compatibility requirement. The compatibility requirement yields:
superscripts in parentheses above u refers to the element number to which they are related.
(FBD)
15
Defining derived field variable
o Rearranging in numerically increasing order of the nodal

degrees of freedom, we have
𝐹 = 𝑘 𝑢
global nodal global nodal
force vector total or global or displacement vector
system stiffness matrix
16
Direct Stiffness Method
o Assembling the Total Stiffness Matrix by Superposition (Direct Stiffness Method)
o We will now consider a more convenient method to obtain global stiffness matrix
considering force equilibrium at each node
17
March 25, 2024 Department of Mechanical Engineering-ATILIM University
Boundary Conditions
o We must specify boundary (or support) conditions for structure

o Suitable boundary conditions should be assigned, If the structural
system is unstable: K will be singular; that is, the determinant of
the K will be zero, and its inverse will not exist.
o Without specifying adequate kinematic constraints or support
conditions, the structure will be free to move as a rigid body and
not resist any applied loads. (Restraint Sufficiency)
o Homogeneous boundary conditions—the more common—occur
at locations that are completely prevented from movement;
o Nonhomogeneous boundary conditions occur where finite
nonzero values of displacement are specified, such as the
settlement of a support.
18
Homogeneous boundary conditions
o All boundary conditions are such that the displacements are
zero at certain nodes.
Here we have u1=0 because node 1 is fixed.
19
Nonhomogeneous Boundary Conditions
o We now consider the case of nonhomogeneous boundary

conditions. Hence one or more of the specified displacements
are nonzero.
𝑢1 = 𝛿 𝛿: 𝐾𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡
20
where F1x is now a reaction from the support that
has moved an amount δ.
Considering the second and third equations:
Transforming the known δ terms to the right side
Therefore, when dealing with nonhomogeneous boundary conditions, we cannot initially

delete row and column corresponding to the nonhomogeneous boundary condition.
Had we done so, the k1 δ term would have been neglected, resulting in an error in the solution for the
displacements.
21
o For nonhomogeneous boundary conditions, we must, in general,
transform the terms associated with the known displacements to
the right-side force matrix before solving for the unknown nodal
displacements.
o The reaction force becomes:
22
Some properties of the stiffness matrix
1. [K] is square, as it relates the same number of forces and

displacements.
2. [K] is symmetric.
3. [K] is singular (its determinant is equal to zero), and thus, no
inverse exists until sufficient boundary conditions are imposed to
remove the singularity and prevent rigid body motion.
4. The main diagonal terms of [K] are always positive. Otherwise,
a positive nodal force Fi could produce a negative displacement a
behavior contrary to the physical behavior of any actual structure.
5. [K] is positive semidefinite
for all non-zero vector {x} with real numbers
23
Example
For the given spring assemblage with arbitrarily numbered nodes

obtain:
(a) the global stiffness matrix,
(b) the displacements of nodes 3 and 4,
(c) the reaction forces at nodes 1 and 2,
(d) the forces in each spring.
A force of 5000 lb is applied at node 4 in the x direction. The
spring constants are given in the figure. Nodes 1 and 2 are fixed.
24
Solution
Global Stiffness Matrix
Applying the homogeneous boundary conditions u1

=0 and u2=0
25
Solution
Next we use local element equations to obtain the forces in each element.
Element 1
26
Solution
Element 2
Element 3
27
Example
For the given spring assemblage, obtain
(a) the global stiffness matrix,
(b) the displacements of nodes 2–4
(c) the global nodal forces
and (d) the local element forces.
Assume δ=20.0 mm.
The spring constants are all equal to k=200 kN/m.
28
Solution
o Discretize the domain
29
Solution
Obtain Element Stiffness matrices
30
Solution
Assembly
Global stiffness matrix
31
Solution
32
Solution
33
Solution
34
Solution
35

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ME 664

Finite Element Method

Instructor : Associate Prof. Dr. Samet AKAR

Department of Mechanical Engineering

o kij represent the force Fi in the ith degree of freedom due to a

March 25, 2024 Department of Mechanical Engineering 4

o We need to define a mathematical function to represent the

o In general, the total number of coefficients ‘a’ is equal to the

March 25, 2024 Department of Mechanical Engineering 5

o We now want to express ‘u’ as a function of the nodal

March 25, 2024 Department of Mechanical Engineering 6

o By substituting a1 and a2 in ‘u’ we will obtain:

are called shape functions

March 25, 2024 Department of Mechanical Engineering 7

o Ni’s express the shape of the assumed

o The tensile forces ‘T’ produce a total elongation (deformation)

o The stress/strain relationship

o By the sign convention for nodal forces and equilibrium

[k] is called the local stiffness matrix for the element.

o Assembling of total stiffness matrix by superposition

Global stiffness matrix Global force vector

o Discretize the domain:

o The x axis is the global axis of the assemblage. The local x

o For Element #1 we have

o For Element #2 We have

o Elements 1 and 2 must remain connected at common node 3

o Rearranging in numerically increasing order of the nodal

considering force equilibrium at each node

o We must specify boundary (or support) conditions for structure

Here we have u1=0 because node 1 is fixed.

o We now consider the case of nonhomogeneous boundary

Considering the second and third equations:

Transforming the known δ terms to the right side

Therefore, when dealing with nonhomogeneous boundary conditions, we cannot initially

o The reaction force becomes:

1. [K] is square, as it relates the same number of forces and

for all non-zero vector {x} with real numbers

For the given spring assemblage with arbitrarily numbered nodes

Global Stiffness Matrix

Applying the homogeneous boundary conditions u1

Global stiffness matrix

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