CHAPTER 7

FRAME ANALYSIS BYFINITE

ELEMENT METHOD

1
 INTRODUCTION
• Deform axially and transversely.
• It is capable of carrying both axial and transverse
forces, as well as moments.
• Hence combination of truss and beam elements.
• Frame elements are applicable for the analysis of
skeletal type systems of both planar frames (2D
frames) and space frames (3D frames).
• Known generally as the beam element or general
beam element in most commercial software.

2
 FEM EQUATIONS FOR PLANAR FRAMES
• Consider a planar frame element
 d1   u1  
d   v  
 2  1   diplacement components at node 1
 d3   z1  

de      
 d 4   u2  
 d5   v2   diplacement components at nodey,2 v

     x, , u
d 6   z 2  
Y, V node 2
(u2, v2, z2)
z
node 1
(u1, v1, z1) l=2a

X, U
z 3
Equations in local coordinate system

• Combination of the element matrices of truss and

beam elements
From the truss element,
 u1  d1  u1 d 4  u2
v  Truss
 1  
 
d e   z1   AE
2a 0 0  AE
2a 0 0   d1  u1
 u2  
 v2  Beam
 0 0 0 0 0 
 
 z 2   0 0 0 0
k truss
e  

AE
2a 0 0   d 4  u2
 sy. 0 0
 
(Expand to 6x6)  0  4
Equations in local coordinate system

From the beam element,

d 2 (v1 ) d3 ( z1 ) d5 (v2 ) d 6 ( z 2 )
   
0 0 0 0 0 0 
 3 EI z 3 EI z
0  32EIa3z 3 EI z 
 2 a3 2 a2 2 a 2   d 2  v1
 2 EI z
0  32EIa2z EI z 
 d 3   z1
 
a a
k beam
e
 0 0 0 
 
 sy. 3 EI z
2 a3
 32EIa2z   d5  v2
 2 EI z 
 a   d 6   z 2

(Expand to 6x6)
5
Equations in local coordinate system

 AE 0 0  AE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

2a 2a
 3 EI z 
0
3 EI z 3 EI z 3 EI z
0 0 0 0  3 2 0  2 a3 2 a2 
 2a 2a

 0 0 0 0  2 EI z
0 
3 EI z EI z 

 
2a2
k truss
e   + k beam
e
a a


AE
2a 0 0  0 0 0 
 sy. 0 0  3 EI z 
 sy.  32EIa 2z 
  2 a3
 0  2 EI z 
 a 

 AE
2a 0 0  AE
2a 0 0 
 3 EI z 3 EI z
0  32EIa3z 3 EI z 
 2a 3
2a 2
2a2 
 2 EI z
0  32EIa 2z EI z

 ke   a a


AE
2a 0 0 
 sy. 3 EI z
 32EIa 2z 
 2 a3
2 EI z

 a  6
Equations in global coordinate system
• Coordinate transformation Y
v2 D3j - 1 x
y u2
x
z
D23j D3j -2
o  X
global node j

d e  TD e v1 D3i-1
local node 2

u1
global node i D2j
z1
local node 1
2a
where D3i 0 D3i -2
fs1

 D3i  2  l x mx 0 0 0 0
D  l my 0 0 0 0
 3i 1  y
 D3i  0 0 1 0 0 0
De  
D
 , T 
 3 j  2  0 0 0 lx mx 0
 D3 j 1 
  0 0 0 ly my 0
 D3 j   
 0 0 0 0 0 1
7
 Equations in global coordinate system
Y D3j - 1
v2 x
y u2
x
Direction cosines in T: z
D23j D3j -2
o  X
X j  Xi global node j
lx  cos( x, X )  cos   local node 2

le v1 D3i-1
u1
D2j
Y j  Yi global node i z1
mx  cos( x, Y )  sin  
local node 1
2a
D3i 0 D3i -2
le fs1

Y j  Yi
l y  cos( y, X )  cos(90   )   sin   


le
X j  Xi
my  cos( y, Y )  cos  
le

le  ( X j  X i ) 2  (Y j  Yi ) 2 (Length of element)
8
Equations in global coordinate system

Therefore,

K e  T k eTT

Fe  T f e T

9
Element stiffnes matrix of 2D frame in global
coordinate system

10
 FEM EQUATIONS FOR SPATIAL FRAMES

• Consider a spatial frame element v2

 d1   u1   u2
y2
d   v   v1
 2  1   2 x2
 d3   w1   Displacement
     components at y1 w2
 d 4   x1   node 1
 d5   y1   z2
    
 d 6   z1   1
de      
 d 7   u2   w1 y
 u1
 d8   v2 
     z1 x
 d9   w2   Displacement x1
d     components at
 10   x 2   node 2 z
 d11   y 2  
d    
 12   z 2  
11
Finite Element Method by G. R. Liu and S. S. Quek
 Equations in local coordinate system
• Combination of the element matrices of truss and
beam elements
u1 v1 w1  x1  y1  z 1 u2 v2 w2  x2  y2 z2
           
 AE
2a 0 0 0 0 0  AE
2a 0 0 0 0 0 
 3 EI z
0 0 0 3 EI z
0 3 EI z
0 0 0 3 EI z 
 2 a3 2a2 2 a3 2a2 
 3 EI y 3 EI y 3 EI y 3 EI y 
 2a 3 0 2a 2 0 0 0 2a 3 0 2a2
0  v2
 GJ
0 0 0 0 0  GJ
0 0  y2
u2
 2a 2a
 v1
 2 EI y
0 0 0
3 EI y
0
EI y
0  2 x2
2 a2
 a
2 EI z 3 EI z
a
EI z
 y1 w2
 a
0 2a2
0 0 0 a
 z2
ke   

AE
2a 0 0 0 0 0  1
 3 EI z
0 0 0 3 EI z 
u1
w1 y
 2 a3 2a2
 z1 x
 sy.
3 EI y
0
3 EI y
0  x1
 2 a3 2 a2 
z
 GJ
2a 0 0 
 2 EI y 
 a
0 
 2 EI z 
 a  12
Equations in local coordinate system

70 0 0 0 0 0 35 0 0 0 0 0 
 78 0 0 0 22a 0 27 0 0 0  13a 
 78 0  22a 0 0 0 27 0 13a 0 
 
 70rx2 0 0 0 0 0  35rx2 0 0 
 8a 2 0 0 0  13a 0  6a 2 0 
Aa  8a 2 0 13a 0 0 0  6a 2 
me   
105  70 0 0 0 0 0 
 78 0 0 0  22a 
 78 0 22a 0 
 
 sy. 70rx2 0 0 
 8a 2 0 
 8a 2 

Ix
where r x
2

A
13
Finite Element Method by G. R. Liu and S. S. Quek
Equations in global coordinate system
D6j-4
D6j-1
d8
d11 d7
d10 D6j-5
3 2
y
d9 D6j-2
x d12
D6i-4 D6j
D6i-1
z
d2 D6j-3
d5 d1
d4
D6i-5 Y
1 y
d6
d3 D6i-2 x
D6i
X
D6i-3 z

Z
14
Finite Element Method by G. R. Liu and S. S. Quek
Equations in global coordinate system
• Coordinate transformation
d e  TD e
where
 D6i 5 
D 
 6i  4 
 D6 i  3 
 
 D  
T3 0
6 i 2
0 0
 D6i 1 
0 l x mx nx 
 
0 
T3  l y n y 
D
 6i   T3 0
De  
 D 6 j  5


, T0 0 T3 0
my
 D6 j  4    l z mz n z 

D
 6 j 3 
 0 0 0 T3 
 D6 j  2 
 
D
 6 j 1 
D  15
 6j 
Finite Element Method by G. R. Liu and S. S. Quek
Equations in global coordinate system
Direction cosines in T3
lx  cos( x, X ), mx  cos( x, Y ), nx  cos( x, Z )
l y  cos( y, X ), my  cos( y, Y ), n y  cos( y, Z )
lz  cos( z, X ), mz  cos( z, Y ), nz  cos( z, Z )

16
Equations in global coordinate system
• Vectors for defining location and orientation of
frame element in space 2
 3
    y

V1  X 1 X  Y1Y  Z1Z  
V3  V1 y 
    x

V2  X 2 X  Y2Y  Z 2 Z x
    
z
V3  X 3 X  Y3Y  Z 3 Z   y

V3
V2  V1 
X kl  X k  X l  1
 V2
 YV1
Ykl  Yk  Yl  k, l = 1, 2, 3 1

V1
1

V1
Z kl  Z k  Z l 
         X
V2  V1  X 21 X  Y21Y  Z 21 Z (V2  V1 )  (V3  V1 )
    
V3  V1  X 31 X  Y31Y  Z 31 Z
 
l  2a  V2  V1  X 212  Y212  Z 212
Z 17
Equations in global coordinate system
• Vectors for defining location and orientation of
2
frame element in space (cont’d) 
y 3
    
 (V V ) X  Y  Z  V3  V1 y 
x  2 1  21 X  21 Y  21 Z x
V2  V1 2a 2a 2a 
x
  X 21 
z
l x  cos( x, X )  x  X  
2a   y V3
V2  V1 
  Y 1 V2
mx  cos( x, Y )  x  Y  21 
YV1
2a 1
 1

V1 V1
  Z
nx  cos( x, Z )  x  Z  21
2a
    X
    (V2  V1 )  (V3  V1 )
 (V  V )  (V3  V1 )
z  2 1  
(V2  V1 )  (V3  V1 )
 1   
z {(Y21 Z 31  Y31 Z 21 ) X  ( Z 21 X 31  Z 31 X 21 )Y  ( X 21Y31  X 31Y21 ) Z }
2 A123 Z

A123  (Y21 Z 31  Y31 Z 21 ) 2  ( Z 21 X 31  Z 31 X 21 ) 2  ( X 21Y31  X 31Y21 ) 2

18
Equations in global coordinate system
• Vectors for defining location and orientation of
2
frame element in space (cont’d) 
y 3
  
  1 V3  V1 y
lz  z  X  (Y21 Z 31  Y31 Z 21 ) 
x
2 A123 
x
  1 
z
mz  z  Y  ( Z 21 X 31  Z 31 X 21 ) 
2 A123   y V3
V2  V1 
  1 1
 V2
nz  z  Z   ( X 21Y31  X 31Y21 )  YV1 1
2 A123 1 V1 
V1
  
y  zx     X
(V2  V1 )  (V3  V1 )

l y  mz nx  nz mx
my  nz lx  l z nx
Z
n y  l z mx  mz l x
19
Equations in global coordinate system

Therefore,

K e  T k eTT

M e  T meT T

Fe  T f e T

20
 REMARKS
• In practical structures, it is very rare to have beam
structure subjected only to transversal loading.
• Most skeletal structures are either trusses or frames
that carry both axial and transversal loads.
• A beam element is actually a very special case of a
frame element.
• The frame element is often conveniently called the
beam element.

21
 CASE STUDY

• Finite element analysis of bicycle frame

22
 CASE STUDY
Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio,
E GPa 

69.0 0.33

74 elements (71 nodes)

Ensure connectivity
23
 CASE STUDY

Horizontal load
Constraints in all directions

24
Finite Element Method by G. R. Liu and S. S. Quek
CASE STUDY

M = 20X

25
M = 20X

26
M = 20X

27
Stiffnes Matrix in Local Coordinates

M = 20X

28
M = 20X

29
Element Matrix for Element 1

M = 20X

30
Element Matrix for Element 2 & 3

M = 20X

31
Coordinate Transformation Matrix

M = 20X

32
M = 20X

33
Coordinate Transformation Matrix

M = 20X

34
Stiffness matrix in Global Coordinate

M = 20X

35
Stiffness matrix in Global Coordinate

M = 20X

36
Stiffness matrix in Global Coordinate

M = 20X

37
Solution

M = 20X

38