FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING

Dr. Lokmane Abdeldjouad

 Direct Rigidity Method

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 Types of Finite Elements

Element 1D (line): Spring, truss, beam, pipe, etc.

Element 2D (plane): Membrane, plate, shell, etc.

Element 3D (solid): 3D fields - temperature, displacement, stress, flow velocity

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 One Spring Element

Two nodes: i, j

Nodal displacements: 𝑢𝑖 , 𝑢𝑗 (m , mm)

Nodal forces: 𝑓𝑖 ,𝑓𝑗 (Newton)

Spring constant (stiffness): 𝑘 (N/m , N/mm)

Spring force-displacement relationship :

𝐹 = 𝑘∆ with ∆ = 𝑢𝑗 − 𝑢𝑖

𝑘 = 𝐹/∆ (> 0) is the force needed to produce a unit stretch.

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 One Spring Element

Consider the equilibrium of forces for the spring.At node i, we have :

𝑓𝑖 = −𝐹 = −𝑘 𝑢𝑗 − 𝑢𝑖 = 𝑘𝑢𝑖 − 𝑘𝑢𝑗

and at node j :

𝑓𝑗 = 𝐹 = 𝑘 𝑢𝑗 − 𝑢𝑖 = −𝑘𝑢𝑖 + 𝑘𝑢𝑗

𝑘 −𝑘 𝑢𝑖 𝑓𝑖
In matrix form : = or ku = f
−𝑘 𝑘 𝑢𝑗 𝑓𝑗

Where : k: (element) stiffness matrix

u: (element nodal) displacement vector

f: (element nodal) force vector

Note that k is symmetric. Is k singular or nonsingular? That is, can we solve the equation? If not,
why?
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 Spring System

𝑘 −𝑘1 𝑢1 𝑓11
For element 1: 1 𝑢2 = 𝑓 1
−𝑘1 𝑘1 2

𝑘 −𝑘2 𝑢2 𝑓12
For element 2: 2 𝑢3 = 𝑓 2
−𝑘2 𝑘2 2

where 𝑓𝑖𝑚 is the (internal) force acting on local node i of element m (i = 1, 2).

Assemble the stiffness matrix for the whole system:

Consider the equilibrium of forces at node 1: 𝐹1 = 𝑓11

at node 2: 𝐹2 = 𝑓21 + 𝑓12

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 Spring System

and node 3: 𝐹3 = 𝑓22

That is :

𝐹1 = 𝑘1 𝑢1 − 𝑘1 𝑢2

𝐹2 = −𝑘1 𝑢1 + (𝑘1 + 𝑘2 )𝑢2 −𝑘2 𝑢3

𝐹3 = −𝑘2 𝑢2 + 𝑘2 𝑢3

𝑘1 −𝑘1 0 𝑢1 𝐹1
In matrix form: −𝑘1 𝑘1 + 𝑘2 −𝑘2 𝑢2 = 𝐹2 or KU = F
0 −𝑘2 𝑘2 𝑢3 𝐹3

K is the stiffness matrix (structure matrix) for the spring system.

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 Spring System

An alternative way of assembling the whole stiffness matrix: “Enlarging” the stiffness matrices for elements
1 and 2, we have :

𝑘1 −𝑘1 0 𝑢1 𝑓11
−𝑘1 𝑘1 0 𝑢2 = 𝑓21
0 0 0 𝑢3 0

0 0 0 𝑢1 0
0 𝑘2 −𝑘2 𝑢2 = 𝑓12
0 −𝑘2 𝑘2 𝑢3 𝑓22

Adding the two matrix equations (superposition), we have:

𝑘1 −𝑘1 0 𝑢1 𝑓11
−𝑘1 𝑘1 + 𝑘2 −𝑘2 𝑢2 = 𝑓21 + 𝑓12
0 −𝑘2 𝑘2 𝑢3 𝑓22

This is the same equation we derived by using the force equilibrium concept.

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 Spring System

Boundary and load conditions

Assuming: 𝑢1 = 0 and 𝐹2 = 𝐹3 = 𝑃

𝑘1 −𝑘1 0 0 𝐹1
We have: −𝑘1 𝑘1 + 𝑘2 −𝑘2 𝑢2 = 𝑃
0 −𝑘2 𝑘2 𝑢3 𝑃

𝑘1 + 𝑘2 −𝑘2 𝑢2 𝑃
which reduces to: 𝑢3 = and 𝐹1 = −𝑘1 𝑢2
−𝑘2 𝑘2 𝑃

𝑢2
Unknowns are: U = 𝑢
3

and the reaction force 𝐹1 (if desired).

𝑢2 2𝑃/𝑘1
Solving the equations, we obtain the displacements: 𝑢 =
3 2𝑃/𝑘1 + 𝑃/𝑘2

and the reaction force: 𝐹1 = −2𝑃

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 Spring System

Checking the Results

1. Deformed shape of the structure

2. Balance of the external forces

3. Order of magnitudes of the numbers

Notes About the Spring Elements

1. Suitable for stiffness analysis

2. Not suitable for stress analysis of the spring itself

3. Can have spring elements with stiffness in the lateral direction, spring elements for torsion,
etc.

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 Spring System

Example 1

Given: For the spring system shown above

𝑘1 = 100 𝑁/𝑚𝑚, 𝑘2 = 200 𝑁/𝑚𝑚, 𝑘3 = 100 𝑁/𝑚𝑚, 𝑃 = 500 𝑁, 𝑢1 = 𝑢4 = 0

Find:

1. the global stiffness matrix

2. displacements of nodes 2 and 3

3. the reaction forces at nodes 1 and 4

4. the force in the spring 2

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 Spring System

Solution 1

1. The element stiffness matrices are

100 −100
k1 = (N/mm) (1)
−100 100

200 −200
k2 = (N/mm) (2)
−200 200

100 −100
k3 = (N/mm) (3)
−100 100

Applying the superposition concept, we obtain the global stiffness matrix for the spring system
as :

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 Spring System

Solution 1

𝑢1 𝑢2 𝑢3 𝑢4
100 −100 0 0
100 −100 0 0
−100 300 −200 0
𝐾 = −100 100 + 200 −200 0 = .
0 −200 300 −100
0 −200 200 + 100 −100
0 0 −100 100
0 0 −100 100

which is symmetric and banded.

Equilibrium (FE) equation for the whole system is:

100 −100 0 0 𝑢1 𝐹1
−100 300 −200 0 𝑢2 0
𝑢3 = (4)
0 −200 300 −100 𝑃
0 0 −100 100 𝑢4 𝐹4

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 Spring System

Solution 1

2. Applying the BC (𝑢1 = 𝑢4 = 0) in Eq(4), or deleting the 1𝑠𝑡 and 4𝑡ℎ rows and columns,
we have:

300 −200 𝑢2 0
= (5)
−200 300 𝑢3 𝑃

Solving Eq.(5), we obtain:

𝑢2 𝑃/250 2
𝑢3 = = (6)
3𝑃/500 3

3. From the 1𝑠𝑡 and 4𝑡ℎ equations in (4), we get the reaction forces:

𝐹1 = −100𝑢2 = −200 𝑁

𝐹4 = −100𝑢3 = −300 𝑁

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 Spring System

Solution 1

4. The FE equation for spring (element) 2 is:

200 −200 𝑢𝑖 𝑓𝑖
=
−200 200 𝑢𝑗 𝑓𝑗

Here i = 2, j = 3 for element 2. Thus we can calculate the spring force as:

𝑢2 2
𝐹 = 𝑓𝑗 = −𝑓𝑖 = −200 200 𝑢 = −200 200 = 200 𝑁
3 3

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 Spring System

Example 2

Problem: For the spring system with arbitrarily numbered nodes and elements, as shown above,
find the global stiffness matrix.

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 Spring System

Solution 2

First we construct the following:

Element ConnectivityTable

Element Node i (1) Node j (2)

1 4 2
2 2 3
3 3 5
4 2 1

which specifies the global node numbers corresponding to the local node numbers for each
element.

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 Spring System

Solution 2

Then we can write the element stiffness matrices as follows:

𝑢4 𝑢2 𝑢2 𝑢3 𝑢3 𝑢5 𝑢2 𝑢1
k1 = 𝑘1 −𝑘1 ; k2 = 𝑘2 −𝑘2 ; k3 = 𝑘3 −𝑘3 ; k4 = 𝑘4 −𝑘4
−𝑘1 𝑘1 −𝑘2 𝑘2 −𝑘3 𝑘3 −𝑘4 𝑘4

Finally, applying the superposition method, we obtain the global stiffness matrix as follows:
𝑢1 𝑢2 𝑢3 𝑢4 𝑢5
𝑘4 −𝑘4 0 0 0
−𝑘4 𝑘1 + 𝑘2 + 𝑘4 −𝑘2 −𝑘1 0
𝐾= 0 −𝑘2 𝑘2 + 𝑘3 0 −𝑘3
0 −𝑘1 0 𝑘1 0
0 0 −𝑘3 0 𝑘3
The matrix is symmetric, banded, but singular.

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 THANK YOU

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