MCEN 4173/5173

Chapter 3

1D Spring/Truss Elements

Fall, 2006

What is Finite Element Method?

P

P
deformed

undeformed

X2

X2

X1

X1

In a very simple way, a solid mechanics problem is about

Given P, what is u?
For linear elasticity, we want to find an approximate solution by:

[K]{u}={P}

Linear equations

[K] is a matrix that shows the relationship between {u} and {P}.
How to formulate [K]?
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1D Spring/Truss Elements

3
2

Model the interface as

springs

Spring elements: commonly used to model connectors, interface.

In this lecture, we will use spring element to illustrate some basic
features of finite element

Reading Materials: 1.1-1.7 (especially 1.2), 2.1-2.5.

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Spring/Truss Assembly

6
Spring constant k
Displacements at each node?
Spring element = Truss element

Coordinate System
y

x
2
1

z
z

Global Coordinate: (xyz)

Local Coordinate:

(xyz )
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1D Spring/Truss Element

1
In a spring element,

d1x f1x

d2 x f2 x

2 nodes, and each node has 1 DOF.

The element has 2 DOFs.

So, we have two nodal displacements, and two nodal forces.

Sign Rule: the force or the displacement is positive, if it is along the
positive direction of the coordinate.
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Single Spring Element

d1x f1x

d2 x f2 x

Constitutive equation (force-displacement equation)

For the spring to be in equilibrium,

f2 x = f1x = k d2 x d1x

f = kd

f1x = kd1x kd2 x

f2 x = kd1x + kd2 x

Two Spring Elements

d1x
1

d3 x

k1

F1x

F2 x

is the external force on the i-th node.

For element

F3 x

Fix

d1x f1(x1)

k2

d2 x

For element

k1

d3 x f3(x1)
3

d3 x f3(x2)
3

k2

d2 x f2(x2)
2

Two Spring Elements

Force balance at each node

f3(x1)

f1(x1)
1

f1(x1)
1

f3(x2)
3

f3(x1)

f2(x2)

f3(x2)

F1x

F1x = f1(x1)

f2(x2)
2

F3 x
F3 x = f3(x1) + f3(x2)

F2 x
F2 x = f2(x2)

F: external force, or total force acting on the node

f: internal force, or force contribution from one element
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Two Spring Elements

Global Stiffness Matrix
For element

f1(x1) k1
(1) =
f 3 x k1

For element

f3(x2) k 2
( 2) =
f 2 x k 2

k1 d1x

k1 d3 x

F1x = f1(x1) =

k1d1x k1d3 x = + k1d1x + 0d2 x k1d3 x

F2 x = f2(x2) =

k 2 d2 x k 2 d3 x = 0d1x + k 2 d2 x k 2 d3 x

F3 x = f3(x1) + f3(x2) =

k1d1x + k1d3 x + k 2 d3 x k 2 d2 x
= k d k d + (k + k )d
1 1x

2 2x

k 2 d3 x

k 2 d 2 x

3x

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Two Spring Elements

Global Stiffness Matrix

F1x = + k1d1x + 0d2 x k1d3 x

F1x k1

F2 x = 0
F k
3x 1

F2 x = 0d1x + k 2 d2 x k 2 d3 x
F3 x = k1d1x k 2 d2 x + (k1 + k 2 )d3 x

F1x

F2 x
F
3x

d1x

d 2 x
d
3x

0
k2
k2

k1 d1x

k 2 d 2 x
k1 + k 2 d3 x

Global (external) nodal force matrix

k1
0

k1

0
k2
k2

k1
k 2 Global stiffness
matrix
k1 + k 2

Global nodal displacement matrix

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Global Stiffness Matrix

Direct Stiffness Method
Element stiffness matrix
For element

f1(x1) k1
(1) =
f 3 x k1

For element

k1 d1x

k1 d3 x

f3(x2) k 2
( 2) =
f 2 x k 2

k 2 d3 x

k 2 d 2 x

f1(x2) 0
0
( 2)
f 2 x = 0 k 2
f ( 2) 0 k
2
3x

0 d1x

k 2 d 2 x
k 2 d3 x

Expanded Stiffness matrix

f1(x1) k1 0 k1 d1x
(1)

f 2 x = 0 0 0 d 2 x
f (1) k 0 k d
1 3x
3x 1

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Global Stiffness Matrix

Direct Stiffness Method
(1)
( 2)
F1x f1x f1x
(1) ( 2)
F2 x = f 2 x + f 2 x
F f (1) f ( 2)
3x 3x 3x

0
k1 0 k1 d1x 0

= 0 0 0 d 2 x + 0 k 2
k1 0 k1 d3 x 0 k 2

k1
= 0
k1

0
k2
k2

0 d1x

k 2 d 2 x
k 2 d3 x

k1 d1x

k 2 d 2 x
k1 + k 2 d3 x

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Global Stiffness Matrix

Properties of Global Stiffness Matrix

F1x k1

F2 x = 0
F k
3x 1

0
k2
k2

k1 d1x

k 2 d 2 x
k1 + k 2 d3 x

1. The product of the i-th row of the global stiffness matrix and the
global displacement matrix gives the external force on the i-th DOF
of the system.

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Global Stiffness Matrix

Properties of Global Stiffness Matrix

F1x k1

F2 x = 0
F k
3x 1

0
k2
k2

k1 d1x

k 2 d 2 x
k1 + k 2 d3 x

Cannot find a solution because

det[K ] = k1k 2 (k1 + k 2 ) k1k 22 k 2 k12 = 0

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Boundary Conditions

d1x = 0
1

k1

F1x

d3 x
3

F3 x

F1x k1

F2 x = 0
F k
3x 1

0
k2
k2

F1x

= 0 +0

F2 x

= 0 + k 2 d2 x
= 0 k d

F3 x

k2

2 2x

d2 x
2

F2 x

k1 0

k 2 d 2 x
k1 + k 2 d3 x

k1d3 x
k d

2 3x

+ (k1 + k 2 )d3 x
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Boundary Conditions

F1x

= 0 +0

F2 x

= 0 + k 2 d2 x
= 0 k d

F3 x

2 2x

F1x k1

F2 x = 0
F k
3x 1

k2
det
k 2

0
k2
k2

k1d3 x
k d

2 3x

+ (k1 + k 2 )d3 x

k1 0

k 2 d2 x
k1 + k 2 d3 x

k2
0

k1 + k 2

How to find F1x ?

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Boundary Conditions

d1x = 0
1

k1

d3 x

F1x

k2

d2 x

F3 x

F1x k1

F2 x = 0
F k
3x 1

0
k2
k2

F2 x

k1 0

k 2 d2 x
k1 + k 2 d3 x

F1x = 0 + 0 k1d3 x
F2 x = 0 + k 2 d2 x k 2 d3 x
F3 x = 0 k 2 d2 x + (k1 + k 2 )d3 x

(d

2 x , d3x

)
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Boundary Conditions

(d

2 x , d3x

F1x = 0 + 0 k1d3 x
F1x k1

F2 x = 0
F k
3x 1

0
k2
k2

k1 0

k 2 d2 x
k1 + k 2 d3 x

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Global Stiffness Matrix & Direct Stiffness Method

F1x k1

F2 x = 0
F k
3x 1

For the system with two springs:

d1x

d2 x

d3 x

k1
[K ] = 0
k1

0
k2
k2

K11
[K ] = K 21
K 31

K12
K 22
K 32

k1
k 2
k1 + k 2
K13
K 23
K 33

0
k2
k2

k1 d1x

k 2 d 2 x
k1 + k 2 d3 x

F1x

F2 x

F3 x

K ij = K ji

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Global Stiffness Matrix & Direct Stiffness Method

General Form of Global Stiffness Matrix
For a system with N DOFs
1

[K ] =

K ij

N by N matrix

K ii

K jj

K ij
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Global Stiffness Matrix & Direct Stiffness Method

Direct Stiffness Method
Element stiffness matrix

For element
k1
k
1

For element
k2
k
2

k1
k1

k2
k 2

Expanding Stiffness matrix

k1
0

k1

0 k1
0 0
0 k1

0
0
0 k
2

0 k 2

0
k 2
k 2

k1
[K ] = 0
k1

0
k2

Adding element matrixes together

0
k1 0 k1 0
0 0 0 + 0 k
2

k1 0 k1 0 k 2

0
k 2
k 2

k2

k1
k 2
k1 + k 2
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Global Stiffness Matrix & Direct Stiffness Method

Direct Stiffness Method

k2

k1

Element number
1
k1
k
1

3
k1 1
k1
3

k11(1)
(1)
k13
Nodal number

k13(1)
(1)
k33

k2
k
2

3
k2 2
k 2
3

( 2)
k 22
( 2)
k 23

( 2)

k 23
( 2)
k33

Nodal number

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Global Stiffness Matrix & Direct Stiffness Method

Direct Stiffness Method
k11(1)
(1)
k13

k13(1)
(1)
k33

( 2)
k33
( 2)
k32

( 2)

k32
( 2)
k 22

Expanding Stiffness matrix

k11(1)

0
k13(1)

0 k13(1) 1

0 0 2
(1)
0 k 33
3

k11(1)

0
k13(1)

0 0
0 k ( 2 )
22

( 2)
0 k 23

0
( 2)
k 22
( 2)
k 23

0 1
( 2)
k 23
2
( 2)
3
k 33

k13(1)

( 2)
k 23

(1)
( 2)
k33
+ k33

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Global Stiffness Matrix & Direct Stiffness Method

Element I

Direct Stiffness Method

kii( I )
(I )
kij

N by N matrix
1

[K ] =

kij( I )

k (jjI )

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Global Stiffness Matrix & Direct Stiffness Method

Direct Stiffness Method
Example

k1
1

k2
2

k3
3

k4
4

k5
5

k6
6

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27

Global Stiffness Matrix & Direct Stiffness Method

Direct Stiffness Method
Example

k1
k
1

0
0

0
0

k1
k1 + k 2

0
k2

0
0

0
0

0
0

0
0

k2
0

k 2 + k3
k3

k3
k3 + k 4

0
k4

0
0

0
0

0
0

0
0

k4
0

k 4 + k5
k5

k5
k5 + k 6

0
k6

k6

k6

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Global Stiffness Matrix & Direct Stiffness Method

Physical Implication of

K ij

The product of the i-th row of the global stiffness matrix and the global
displacement matrix gives the external force on the i-th DOF of the system.

Fi = K i1 ... K ij

d1
...

... K iN d j

...
d N

Fi = K i1d1 + ... + K ij d j + ... + K iN d N

Now, we consider a special case, where

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Global Stiffness Matrix & Direct Stiffness Method

Physical Implication of

K ij

Now, we consider a special case, where

d1 = d 2 = d j 1 = d j +1 = d N = 0

d j =1

Fi = K ij
So, Kij is equal to the reaction force on the i-th DOF due to
a unit displacement on the j-th DOF whereas all the other
DOFs are fixed.

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Global Stiffness Matrix & Direct Stiffness Method

Physical Implication of

K ij

km

kn

km

kn

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Global Stiffness Matrix & Direct Stiffness Method

The next step in FEA is to solve the following linear equations

Symm.

d1 F1
d F
2 2
... ...

... = ...
... ...

... ...
... ...

d N FN

In FEA, the global stiffness is symmetric and sparse. This offers

FEA a big advantage because the linear equations with such
properties can be solved with a very high efficiency.
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