Beam Elements

Jake Blanchard
Spring 2008
Beam Elements
 These are “Line Elements,” with
◦ 2 nodes
◦ 6 DOF per node (3 translations and 3
rotations)
◦ Bending modes are included (along with
torsion, tension, and compression)
◦ (there also are 2-D beam elements with 3
DOF/node – 2 translations and 1 rotation)
◦ More than 1 stress at each point on the
element
 Shape functions
 Axial displacement is linear in x
 Transverse displacement is cubic in x
 Coarse mesh is often OK
 For example, transverse displacement in
problem pictured below is a cubic function of
x, so 1 element can give exact solution
F
Beam Elements in ANSYS
 BEAM 3 = 2-D elastic beam
 BEAM 4 = 3-D elastic beam
 BEAM 23 = 2-D plastic beam
 BEAM 24 = 3-D thin-walled beam
 BEAM 44 = 3-D elastic, tapered, unsymmetric
beam
 BEAM 54 = 2-D elastic, tapered, unsymmetric
beam
 BEAM 161 = Explicit 3-D beam
 BEAM 188 = Linear finite strain beam
 BEAM 189 = 3-D Quadratic finite strain beam
 Real Constants

 Area
 IZZ, IYY, IXX
 TKZ, TKY (thickness)
 Theta (orientation about
X)
 ShearZ, ShearY
(accounts for shear
deflection – important
for “stubby” beams)
 Shear Deflection Constants

 shearZ=actual area/effective area resisting shear

Geometry

ShearZ 6/5 10/9 2 12/5

 Shear Stresses in Beams

 For long, thin beams, we can generally ignore

shear effects.
 To see this for a particular beam, consider a
beam of length L which is pinned at both ends
and loaded by a force P at the center.
P

L/2 L/2
 Accounting for Shear Effects
M2
Ub   dx
L
2 EI
Px L
M 0 x
2 2

U s  
 2
xy   xz2 dV bh3
I
V
2G 12
 xz  0 P 2 L3  6 Eh 2 
U  Ub  U s  1  2 

V  h  2  96 EI  5GL 
 xy     y 
2

2I  2  
P 2 L3  bh 5 E  Key parameter is height
U  Ub U s  1  
2 
96 EI  10 IGL  to length ratio
 Distributed Loads

 We can only apply loads to nodes in FE analyses

 Hence, distributed loads must be converted to
equivalent nodal loads
 With beams, this can be either force or moment loads

q=force/unit length

F F

M M
 Determining Equivalent Loads

 Goal is to ensure equivalent loads produce same

strain energy
v( x)  N1 ( x)v1  N 2 ( x)1  N 3 ( x)v2  N 4 ( x) 2
L L
2 3
N1 ( x)  3 x 3  2 x 2  1 W   v ( x )qdx  q  v ( x ) dx
L L 0 0
L
1 2
N 2 ( x)  2 x 3  x 2  x W  q  N 1 ( x )v1  N 2 ( x )1  N 3 ( x )v2  N 4 ( x ) 2  dx
L L 0
L L L L
2 3
N 3 ( x)   3 x 3  2 x 2 W  q  N 1 ( x ) v1dx  q  N 2 ( x )1 dx  q  N 3 ( x )v2 dx  q  N 4 ( x ) 2 dx
L L 0 0 0 0

1 1  L L L L

N 4 ( x)  2 x 3  x 2 W  q v1  N 1 ( x ) dx  1  N 2 ( x ) dx  v2  N 3 ( x ) dx   2  N 4 ( x ) dx 
L L  0 0 0 0 
1 L 1 L 
W  qL v1  1  v2   2 
2 12 2 12 
 Equivalent Loads (continued)

W  F v1  v2   M 1  2 
1 L 
W  F v1  v 2   M 1   2   qL v1  1  v 2   2 
L 1
2 12 2 12 

qL
F F F
2
M M
qL2
M 
12
 Putting Two Elements Together

F F F F

M M M M

F F
2F F

M M
 An Example

 Consider a beam of length D divided into 4

elements
 Distributed load is constant
 For each element, L=D/4
qL qD
F 
2 8 qD/4 qD/4 qD/4

qL2 qD 2
M   qD/8 qD/8
12 192
qD2/192 qD2/192
 In-Class Problems

 Consider a cantilever beam

 Cross-Section is 1 cm wide and 10 cm tall
 E=100 GPa
 Q=1000 N/m
1. D=3 m, model using surface load and 4 elements
2. D=3 m, directly apply nodal forces evenly
distributed – use 4 elements
3. D=3 m, directly apply equivalent forces (loads
and moments) – use 4 elements
4. D=20 cm (with and without ShearZ) 4
qL
vmax 
8EI
Notes
 For adding distributed load, use
“Pressure/On Beams”
 To view stresses, go to “List
Results/Element Results/Line elements”
 ShearZ for rectangle is still 6/5
 Be sure to fix all DOF at fixed end
 Now Try a Frame

F (out of plane)=1 N

3m 2m
Cross-sections

 5 cm
I
4
R4
o  Ri4  6 cm

I xx  J  2 I
vmax  2.59 10 5 m