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Pietro Crespi
What is the Finite Element Method?
Finite Element Method (FEM) is a numerical procedure for the solution (in an
approximate way) of various types of problems:
• structural
• thermodynamic
• fluid-dynamic
• electromagnetic
It is often used when it is not possible to find an exact solution or when the exact
solution is too complex.
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Finite Elements in structures
• Two-dimensional
• Three-dimensional
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Steps of the modeling process
For instance, the particular case of beam FE will be described in the following.
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Subdivision of the structure in FEs
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Modeling of the displacement fields
Deflected shape
2D problem
2 nodes FE
2 3 d.o.f. per node
v1 1 v(x) v2
u( x )
sx Nx u
u1 u(x) u2
L v( x )
N1 x 1 N4 x
x x
L L
2 3 2 3
x x x x
N2 x 1 3 2 N5 x 3 2
L L L L
x2 x3 x2 x3
N3 x x 2 2 N6 x 2
L L L L
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Modeling of the deformation fields
The deformation fields inside the FE can be evaluated from the hypothesis
made on the displacement fields:
u( x )
εx Bx u
v ( x )
N1 x 0 0 N4 x 0 0
Bx
Compatibility matrix:
0 N
2
x N
3
x 0 N
5
x N
6
x
REMARKS:
1. Shape functions N(x) must be selected in order to guarantee the
possibility to reproduce rigid motions and constant strains;
2. The presented shape functions allow to obtain the exact solution of
beam problems without distributed loads applied along the
longitudinal axis (see elastic curve theory).
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Principle of virtual work
2 0 2 0
0 0
L
V px ux dx qx v x dx i Q xi ux i Q yi v x i
The equilibrium of the structure can be imposed by writing the virtual work
principle or, equivalently, the minimum of the total potential energy for every
possible compatible variation of the displacement field.
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Principle of virtual work
The stiffness matrix k of the FE comes from the elastic strain energy:
L T EA 0
u B x
T
Bx dx u Reduction of the
0
0 EI d.o.f. of the structure
EA EA
L 0 0 0 0
L
12EI 6EI 12EI 6EI
The j-th column of
the stiffness
0 0 3 matrix represents
L3 L2 L
2
L the loads
0 6EI 4EI
0 2
6EI 2EI generated on the
L2 L L L nodes by the j-th
k displacement
EA EA
0 0 0 0 assumed equal to
1, while all the
L L other
0 12EI
3
6EI
2 0
12EI 6EI
2 displacements are
L L L 3
L set to 0.
6EI 2EI 6EI 4EI
0 0 2
L2 L L L
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Equivalent nodal loads of the beam FE
L T px
u N x
Reduction of the
T
dx
qx
d.o.f. of the structure
0
The equivalent nodal loads f can be evaluated by integration for a given function
of the applied distributed loads.
px p cos t. q=cost
qx q cos t.
pL qL qL2 pL qL qL2
f T
2 2 12 2 2 12
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Rotation of the local reference system
All the above defined quantities (stiffness, equivalent nodal load,…) with respect
to the local reference system of the FE must be expressed in the global
reference system.
2=q6
q5 v2
u2 u T U
y
1=q3 q4
T: rotation matrix of the FE.
q2 v1 cos b sin b 0 0 0 0
u1 b sin b cos b 0 0 0 0
0 0 1 0 0 0
x T
0 0 0 cos b sin b 0
u = nodal displacements vector in the local
reference system
0 0 0 sin b cos b 0
U = nodal displacements vector in the global
reference system
0 0 0 0 0 1
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Rotation of the local reference system
The stiffness matrix of the FE can be converted from the local reference system
to the global reference system by means of the rotation matrix.
δuT k u δUT T T k T U δUT k e U
The equivalent nodal loads of the FE can be converted from the local reference
system to the global reference system by means of the rotation matrix.
δuT f δUT T T f δUT f e
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Assembling
δU
Ne
e 1
eT
k e Ue δUeT f e Q e 0 δUeT
Owing to the arbitrariness of the virtual nodal displacements U, the minimum of
the total potential energy implies the following system of linear equilibrium
equations:
K U F
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Assembling
Example on how the assembling process works in the case of a structure made of
two beam FEs.
q3 q6 q9
q2 q5 q8
q4 q7
1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 q1 P1
1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 q2 P2
1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 q3 P3
1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 q4 P4
1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 q5 P5
1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 q6 P
6
0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 q7 P7
0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 q8 P8
2 q9 P9
0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2
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Boundary conditions and elastic springs
If happens that det(K) = 0 it means that the structure is statically impossible (rigid
motions are allowed to the structure).
In order to apply the boundary conditions to the structure, the out of diagonal
coefficients and the load can be assigned to zero for the relevant d.o.f.
* * * 0 * q1 *
* * * 0
* q2 *
* * * 0 * q3 *
0 0 0 1 0 q4 0
* * * 0
* q5 *
Elastic springs can also be treated by adding their stiffness to the diagonal
coefficient of the assembled stiffness matrix corresponding to the d.o.f. along
which the spring is applied.
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Solution of the equilibrium equations and back-
substitution
FINAL REMARKS
Compatibility is satisfied everywhere but the equilibrium is imposed only in the
nodes of the discretized mesh of the structure.
The solution of the equilibrium equations is not the correct solution of the problem
because not all the points of the structure are in equilibrium. The degree of
accuracy of the solution strongly depend on the discretization process.
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Example: simply supported beam
Problem: simply supported beam already studied with the elastic curve theory
Data:
Free span: L = 4.00 m
Rectangular cross section: 20×45 cm
Wood material: E = 15000 MPa, u = 8 MPa
Uniformly distributed load: q = 27 kN/m
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Example: simply supported beam
8 8
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Example: simply supported beam
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Example: simply supported beam
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Homework: beam with linearly distributed load
Problem:
For the structure sketched in the following picture, it is requested to:
Solve the structure in an analytical way by means of the elastic curve theory by
determining at least:
the unknown redundant reaction X (supposed as the couple reaction in B);
the shear and bending internal actions diagrams;
the deflection in the mid span point.
Model the beam in the FEM software and solve it. Finally, compare the numerical
results with the analytical ones.
P.S.: Span, geometry of the cross section and material of the beam are free.
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Example 2: simply supported truss
Problem: simply supported truss with wood beam and steel pipe and strands
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Example 2: simply supported truss
Geometry:
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Example 2: simply supported truss
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Example 2: simply supported truss
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Example 2: simply supported truss
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Example 2: simply supported truss
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Example 2: simply supported truss
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Example 2: simply supported truss
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Example 2: simply supported truss
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Example 2: simply supported truss
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Example 2: simply supported truss
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Example 2: simply supported truss
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Example 2: simply supported truss
5 -20
0 -10
1st stage 2nd stage 3rd stage
-5 0
-10 10
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