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NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF MARINE TECHNOLOGY







Contact person during the exam:
Kjell Holthe, phone 73 59 35 53 / 95 11 24 77








EXAM IN SUBJECT TMR 4190
FINITE ELEMENT METHODS IN STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

Friday, December 9th, 2005
Time: 09
00
- 13
00













Permitted aids: C Type approved simple calculator permitted.
No printed books or handwritten notes are permitted.










Result of the examination: Week 2, 2006.

Examin subject TMR 4190 Finite Element Methods in Structural Analysis, 09.12.2005 Page 2 of 8



Problem 1 (weight 25 %)

/2 L
, x u
2
o
( ) p x x p =
1
v
2
v
/2 L


Figure 1


Figure 1 shows a bar element with three nodes. The bar is fixed at the left hand side node ( 0 x = ),
while the other two nodes are free. The bar has a section area A, length L and is made of an
homogenous isotropic linearly elastic material with elasticity modulus E. The bar is subjected to an
external load in the longitudinal direction
2
o
( ) p x x p = .

a) Assume that the displacement ( ) u u x = is expressed in terms of generalized coordinates
1 2 2
1 2 q
2
( )
q
u u x xq x q x x
q

= = + = =


N q
One of the convergence requirements is the completeness criterion. State the completeness
criterion to be obeyed by the generalized displacement patterns (
q
N ) for the finite element
solution to converge towards the exact solution? Do
q
N satisfy these requirements?

b) Establish the A matrix that defines the relationship between the generalized coordinates q
and the nodal displacements v
1 1
2 2
v q
v q

= = =


v A Aq

c) Express the axial strain
x
in terms of generalized coordinates q
q x
du
dx
= = B q
Find
q
B and calculate the generalized stiffness matrix
q
k in the expression
o
q q q
= + S k q S
Examin subject TMR 4190 Finite Element Methods in Structural Analysis, 09.12.2005 Page 3 of 8



d) Calculate the generalized consistent load vector
o
q
S due to the external load
2
o
( ) p x x p = .

e) Calculate the generalized coordinates
1
q and
2
q for the bar problemin Figure 1 and compare
the finite element solution to the displacement ( ) u u x = and the stress ( )
x x
x = with the
exact solution displayed in Figure 2. Draw the finite element solution for 0 x L in Figure 2.
x
L

0,5 1,0
4
o
uEA
p L

0,05
0,15
0,25
0,20
0,10
0,25 0,75
4
4
o
4
12
p L x x
EA L L

x
L

0,5
1,0
3
o
x
A
p L

3
3
o
1
3
p L x
A L

0,1
0,2
0,3
0,4
0,25 0,75

Figure 2

Examin subject TMR 4190 Finite Element Methods in Structural Analysis, 09.12.2005 Page 4 of 8



Problem 2 (weight 25 %)


1 x
v
2 x
v
3 x
v
4 x
v
3 y
v
2 y
v
1 y
v
4 y
v
4
3
2 1
, x u
, y v
2L
2L
3L

4 3
2 1

2
2


Figure 3

Figure 3 shows an isoparametric quadrilateral plane stress element with four corner nodes and eight
nodal displacements. The element has thickness h and is made of an homogenous isotropic linearly
elastic material with elasticity modulus E and Poissons ratio v.

The shape functions
i
N for the nodal displacements may be expressed in terms of non-dimensional
coordinates and on the following form
( )( )
1
1 1
4
i i i
N = + +

a) Show how the Cartesian coordinates x and y can be expressed in terms of the characteristic
length parameter L and the non-dimensional coordinates and for the element in Figure 3.

b) Establish an explicit expression for the four components
11
J ,
12
J ,
21
J and
22
J of the J acobian
matrix ( , ) J for the element in Figure 3.
11 12
21 22
( , )
J J
x x
J J
y y

= =




J

c) Calculate the J acobian determinant det( ) J = J for the element in Figure 3.

d) What are the requirements for a unique (one-to-one) mapping between the reference element
expressed in terms of non-dimensional coordinates and , and the physical element expressed
in terms of Cartesian coordinates x and y? Are these requirements satisfied for the element in
Figure 3?
Examin subject TMR 4190 Finite Element Methods in Structural Analysis, 09.12.2005 Page 5 of 8



e) Explain why the four-node rectangular plane stress element (Q4) is overly stiff when exposed
to in-plane bending. Suggest a remedy that improves the in-plane bending behaviour of the
four-node rectangular plane stress element? State the reason for your answer.


Problem 3 (weight 40 %)

1 x
v
2 x
v
3 x
v
4 x
v
3 y
v
2 y
v
1 y
v
4 y
v
4
3
2
1
, x u
, y v
8
5
6
7
9
7 y
v
9 y
v
8 y
v
6 y
v
5 y
v
8 x
v
7 x
v
9 x
v
6 x
v
5 x
v

4 3
2 1

2
2 8
5
6
7
9


Figure 4

Figure 4 shows a nine-node Lagrange plane stress element that is mapped into a square region in
the non-dimensional coordinate system( , ) . The geometry of the element is defined in terms of
its thickness h, and the nodal point coordinates ( , )
i i
x y for 1,2,3, ,9. i = Each node i is assigned
nodal degrees of freedom
T
i xi yi
v v =

v .

a) Show how the shape functions ( , )
i
N for nodal point 1, 5 and 9 can be established fromthe
general formula of the one-dimensional Lagrange polynomial, ( )
n
k
.
( )
( )( ) ( )( ) ( )
( )( ) ( )( ) ( )
0 1 1 1
0 0 1 1 1
n
k k n n i
k
i k i k k k k k k k n
i k

+
= +

= =

b) Assume that the displacements [ ]
T
u v = u is expressed in terms of generalized coordinates
[ ]
1 2 3 9 qo
q
qo
1 2 3 9
where
T
x x x x x x
T
y
y y y y y
q q q q
u
v q q q q
=

= = =

=


q N 0 q
u N q
0 N q
q

Show how the generalized displacements patterns
qo 1 2 3 9
( , )
q q q q
N N N N =

N can
be established on the basis of the Pascal triangle in non-dimensional coordinates ( , ) .
Examin subject TMR 4190 Finite Element Methods in Structural Analysis, 09.12.2005 Page 6 of 8



c) What is meant by full and reduced integration of the element stiffness matrix k ? What are
the advantages and disadvantages of reduced integration of the element stiffness matrix k .

d) Assume that the integral I should be evaluated numerically by Gauss quadrature. What is the
highest polynomial degree of the integrand ( ) f that is integrated exactly by n Gauss points?
1
1
1
( ) ( )
n
i i
i
I f d w f
+
=

How many Gauss points corresponds to full and reduced integration of the element
stiffness matrix k for the nine-node Lagrange element? State the reason for your answer.

e) What are the optimal sampling points for stresses for the nine-node Lagrange element? What is
the convergence rate of the finite element solution to the stresses at an arbitrary point ( , )
and at the optimal sampling points for stresses for the nine-node Lagrange element?


4 x L
P
L
y
x


Figure 5

Figure 5 shows a cantilever modelled by four equally sized nine-node Lagrange elements. The
cantilever is exposed to an upright tip shear load at the free end, and fixed at the opposite end.

f) How many mechanisms (zero-energy-deformation modes) does reduced integration of the
element stiffness matrix k introduce for the nine-node Lagrange element in Figure 4. Will
reduced integration of the element stiffness matrix k result in a singular systemstiffness
matrix for the cantilever in Figure 5? State the reason of your answers.

g) Give a short description of a procedure to calculate improved stresses
* *
( ,0)
x x
x = along the
lower surface of the cantilever based on the finite elements stresses sampled at the optimal
sampling points for stresses.


Examin subject TMR 4190 Finite Element Methods in Structural Analysis, 09.12.2005 Page 7 of 8






Figure 6a Figure 6b

Figure 6a shows a straight cantilever while Figure 6b shows a quarter-circle curved cantilever
beam. In both cases the thickness is constant and the cantilever is loaded by a moment at the free
edge and fixed at the opposite edge. In both cases a single nine-node Lagrange element is used to
model the cantilever beam.

h) Give a short explanation why a single nine-node Lagrange element may reproduce the exact
beamsolution to the straight cantilever, while this is not the case for the curved cantilever
beam.




























Examin subject TMR 4190 Finite Element Methods in Structural Analysis, 09.12.2005 Page 8 of 8



Problem 4 (weight 10 %)





Figure 7

Figure 7 shows a cantilever beamwith constant thickness. The cantilever is loaded by a moment as
shown in Figure 7 and fixed along the left hand side.

a) Assume that the cantilever beamshould be discretized with plane stress elements. Suggest an
appropriate element type and finite element mesh to obtain an accurate solution with a
minimumnumber of degrees of freedom.

b) How would you judge the accuracy of the calculated finite element stresses fromthe results of
one single finite element analysis?