MANE 4240 & CIVL 4240

Introduction to Finite Elements

Prof. Suvranu De

Finite element formulation for

1D elasticity using the
Rayleigh-Ritz Principle

Reading assignment:
Lecture notes, Logan 3.10
Summary:
Stiffness matrix and nodal load vectors for 1D elasticity
problem

Axially loaded elastic bar

y
F

A(x) = cross section at x

b(x) = body force distribution
(force per unit length)
x E(x) = Youngs modulus

x
x=L
x=0
Potential energy of the axially loaded bar corresponding to the
exact solution u(x)
2

L
1
du
(u) EA
dx bu dx Fu(x L)

0
2 0
dx
L

Potential energy of the bar corresponding to an admissible

displacement w(x)
2

L
1
dw
(w) EA
dx 0 bw dx Fw(x L)
0
2
dx
L

Finite element idea:

Step 1: Divide the truss into finite elements connected to each
other through special points (nodes)
1
El #1

2
El #2

El #3

Total potential energy=sum of potential energies of the elements

2

L
1
dw
(w) EA
dx bw dx Fw(x L)

0
2 0
dx
L

x1=0

x2

El #1

El #2

x4=L

x3
El #3

Total potential energy

2

L
1
dw
(w) EA
dx bw dx Fw(x L)

0
2 0
dx
L

Potential energy of element 1:

2

x2
1
dw
1 (w) EA
dx x bw dx
x
1
2 1
dx
x2

Potential energy of element 2:

2

x3
1
dw
2 (w) EA
dx x bw dx
x
2
2 2
dx
x3

x1=0

x2

El #1

El #2

x4

x3
El #3

Potential energy of element 3:

2

x4
1
dw
3 (w) EA
dx bw dx Fw(x L)

x3
2 x3
dx
x4

Total potential energy=sum of potential energies of the elements

(w) 1 (w) 2 (w) 3 (w)

Step 2: Describe the behavior of each element

In the direct stiffness approach, we derived the stiffness matrix
of each element directly (See lecture on Springs/Trusses).
Now, we will first approximate the displacement inside each
element and then show you a systematic way of deriving the
stiffness matrix (sections 2.2 and 3.1 of Logan).
TASK 1: APPROXIMATE THE DISPLACEMENT WITHIN
EACH ELEMENT
TASK 2: APPROXIMATE THE STRAIN and STRESS WITHIN
EACH ELEMENT
TASK 3: DERIVE THE STIFFNESS MATRIX OF EACH
ELEMENT (this class) USING THE RAYLEIGH-RITZ
PRINCIPLE

Summary
Inside an element, the three most important approximations in
terms of the nodal displacements (d) are:
Displacement approximation in terms of shape functions
(1)
w(x) N d
Strain approximation in terms of strain-displacement matrix
(2)
(x) B d
Stress approximation in terms of strain-displacement matrix and
Youngs modulus

EB d

(3)

The shape functions for a 1D linear element

x2 - x
N 1 (x)
x 2 x1

x - x1
N 2 (x)
x 2 x1
x1

El #1

x2

Within the element, the displacement approximation is

x2 - x
x - x1
w(x)
d1x
d 2x
x 2 x1
x 2 x1

For a linear element

Displacement approximation in terms of shape functions

x 2 - x x - x1 d1x
w(x)
d
x 2 x1 x 2 x1 2x
Strain approximation

d1x
dw
1
1 1

dx x 2 x1
d 2x

Stress approximation
d1x
E
E
1 1
x 2 x1
d 2x

Why is the approximation admissible?

x1=0

x2

x3

x4=L

El #1

El #2 El #3
For the entire bar, the displacement approximation is

w(x) w (1) (x) w (2) (x) w (3) (x)

Where w(i)(x) is the displacement approximation within element (i).
Let use set d1x=0. Then, can you seen that the above approximation
does satisfy the two conditions of being an admissible function on
the entire bar, i.e.,

(1) w(x 0) 0
dw
(2)
exists
dx

TASK 3: DERIVE THE STIFFNESS MATRIX OF EACH

ELEMENT USING THE RAYLEIGH-RITZ PRINCIPLE
Potential energy of element 1:
x2
1 x2
1 (w) Adx bw dx
x1
2 x1

Lets plug in the approximation

w(x) N d
1 T
1 (d) d
2

EB d

(x) B d

x2

x1

B EB Adx d d

x2
x1

b dx

Lets see what the matrix

x2

x1

B EB Adx

is for a 1D linear element

Recall that
B

Hence

1
1 1
x 2 x1

1 1
1
1 1
B EB

E
x 2 x1 1
x 2 x1
1
E
E

1 1
2
x 2 x1 1
x 2 x1 2
T

1 1
1 1

x2
x1

B EB Adx

x 2 x1

1 1
1 1

x2

x1

AEdx

x2

x1

AEdx

x x

1 1
1 1

Now, if we assume E and A are constant

x2
x1

B EB Adx

x2

x1

AEdx

AE
x 2 x1

x x
1

1 1
AE(x 2 x1 ) 1 1
1 1
1
2

1
x

2 1

1 1
1 1

Remembering that (x2-x1) is the length of the element, this is the

stiffness matrix we had derived directly before using the direct
stiffness approach!!

Then why is it necessary to go through this complicated procedure??

1. Easy to handle nonuniform E and A
2. Easy to handle distributed loads
For nonuniform E and A, i.e. E(x) and A(x), the stiffness matrix of
the linear element will NOT be
1 1
1 1

EA
x 2 x1

But it will ALWAYS be

x2

k B EB Adx
x1

Now lets go back to

1 T
1 (d) d
2

T
B
EB
A
dx
d

d
x1

1
4
4
2
4
43

x2

x N b dx
11 44 2 4 43
fb

x2

1 T
T
d k d d fb
2

Element stiffness matrix

x2

k B EB Adx
T

x1

Element nodal load vector due to distributed body force

x2

f b N b dx
x1

Apply Rayleigh-Ritz principle for the 1D linear element

1 (d)

0
d1x

1 (d)
0

d 2x

1 (d )

0
d

Recall from linear algebra (Lecture notes on Linear Algebra)

1 T
T
1 (d ) d k d d f b
2
1 (d)

kd fb
d

Hence

1 (d )
0
d
kd fb

Exactly the same equation that we had before, except that the
stiffness matrix and nodal force vectors are more general

Recap of the properties of the element stiffness matrix

x2

k B EB Adx
T

x1

1. The stiffness matrix is singular and is therefore non-invertible

2. The stiffness matrix is symmetric
3. Sum of any row (or column) of
the stiffness matrix is zero!
k
11

Why?

Sum of any row (or column) of the stiffness matrix is zero

Consider a rigid body motion of the element
2

1
d1x=1

1
d
1

d2x=1

k d

x2

x1

0

0

B EB Adx d

B E Bd Adx
x2

x1

k11 k12 1 0
kd

k 21 k 22 1 0
k11 k12 0 and k 21 k 22 0

0Bd

Element
strain

The nodal load vector

x2

f b N b dx
T

x1

b(x)

2
d2x

d1x

f 1x

x2

x1

f 2x

x2

x1

x2

x2

x1

x1

f b N b dx
f 1x

f
2x

x2

x1
x2

x1

N1 ( x)

b dx
N 2 ( x)

N 1 ( x) b dx

N 2 ( x) b dx

N 1 ( x) b dx
N 2 ( x) b dx

Consistent nodal loads

b(x) /unit length

Replaced by

d1x

d2x

d1x

1 f
1x

f2x

d2x

A distributed load is represented by two nodal loads in a

consistent manner
e.g., if b=1

f 1x

x2

x1

f 2x

x2

x1

N 1 ( x) b dx

x2

x1

N 2 ( x) b dx

x2

x1

x 2 x1
N 1 ( x) dx
2
x 2 x1
N 2 ( x) dx
2

Divide the total force into two equal halves and lump them at the
nodes
What happens if b(x)=x?

Summary: For each element

Displacement approximation in terms of shape functions

w(x) N d
Strain approximation in terms of strain-displacement matrix
(x) B d
Stress approximation
EB d

Element stiffness matrix

x2

k B EB Adx
T

x1

Element nodal load vector

x2

f b N b dx
x1

What happens for element #3?

2

x4
1
dw
3 (w) EA
dx x bw dx Fw(x L)
x
3
2 3
dx
x4

For element 3

x 4 - x x - x 3 d 3x
w(x)
d
x 4 x 3 x 4 x 3 4x
w(x L) d 4x
The discretized form of the potential energy
1 T
3 (d) d
2

x4

x3

B EB Adx d d

x4
x3

b dx Fd 4x

What happens for element #3?

Now apply Rayleigh-Ritz principle

3 (d )
0
d
0
k d fb
F
Hence there is an extra load term on the right hand side due to the
concentrated force F applied to the right end of the bar.
NOTE that whenever you have a concentrated load at ANY
node, that load should be applied as an extra right hand side
term.

Step3:Assembly exactly as you had done before, assemble the

global stiffness matrix and global load vector and solve the
resulting set of equations by properly taking into account the
displacement boundary conditions

Problem:
6
12

E=30x106 psi
=0.2836 lb/in3
Thickness of plate, t=1
24

P=100lb
3
x

Model the plate as 2 finite elements and

(1)Write the expression for element stiffness
matrix and body force vectors
(2)Assemble the global stiffness matrix and
load vector
(3)Solve for the unknown displacements
(4)Evaluate the stress in each element
(5)Evaluate the reaction in each support

Solution (1)

Node-element connectivity chart

Finite element model

1
El #1

12

2
El #2 P=100lb
3
x

12

12

Element # Node 1

Node 2

Stiffness matrix of El #1
k
(1)

12

12

12

E
B EB Adx
(12) 2
T

12

A( x)dx t (6 0.125 x)dx t (6 0.125 x)dx 63 in 3

1 1
6 1 1
E
k
63
13.125 10

1
2

1
1

1
(12)

(1)

1 1
A( x)dx

1
1

Stiffness matrix of El #2
k

24

12

(2)

24

12

E
B EB Adx
(12) 2
T

24

24

12

1 1
A( x)dx

1
1

12

24

A( x)dx t (6 0.125 x)dx t (6 0.125 x)dx 45 in 3

12

(2)

6 - 0.125x

4.5

12

1 1
6 1 1
E

45
9.375 10

1
2

1
1

1
(12)

Now compute the element load vector due to distributed body

force (weight)
x2

f b N b dx
x1

For element #1

fb

(1)

12

12

N b dx N
T

12

A dx

N A dx
T

12

N1(1) ( x )
0.125 x) dx
(1) t1(644
2 4 43
N 2 ( x )
A( x )

33
0.2836 lb
30
9.3588

lb
8.508

N1(1) ( x)
12

N 2(1) ( x)
12 x
(1)
N1 ( x )
12
x
(1)
N 2 ( x)
12

2
x

Superscript in parenthesis indicates

element number

El #1

For element #2

fb

(2)

24

24

N b dx N
T

12

12

24

A dx

N A dx
T

12

24

12

N 2(2) ( x )
0.125 x) dx
(2) t1(644
2 4 43
N
(
x
)
3
A( x )

24
0.2836 lb
21
6.8064

lb
5.9556

( 2)
2

( x)

N 3( 2 ) ( x)

1
El #1
2
El #2
3
x

24 x
N ( x)
12
x 12
( 2)
N 3 ( x)
12
( 2)
2

12
12

Solution (2) Assemble the system equations

0
13.125 13.125
K 106 13.125 22.5 9.375

0
9.375 9.375
f fb f concentrated load

fb

9.3588

8.508 6.8064 lb
5.9556

f concentrated load

0

100 lb
0

9.3588

f 115.3144 lb
5.9556

Solution (3)
Hence we need to solve
0
13.125 13.125
106 13.125 22.5 9.375

0
9.375 9.375

d 1x

d 2x
d
3x

9.3588 R1

115.3144

5.9556

R1 is the reaction at node 1.

Notice that since the boundary condition at x=0 (d1x=0) has not been
taken into account, the system matrix is not invertible.
Incorporating the boundary condition d1x=0 we need to solve the
following set of equations
22.5 9.375
10

9.375
9.375

d 2x

d 3x

115.3144

5.9556

Solve to obtain
d 2 x 0.92396 10 5

5 in
d 3 x
0.98749 10

Solution (4) Stress in elements

Notice that since we are using linear elements, the stress within
each element is constant.
In element #1
(1) EB d
(1)

(1)

d1x
E

1 1

x2 x1
d 2x
30 106

d 2x Q d1x 0
12
23.099 psi

In element #2
(2) EB d
(2)

(2)

d 2x
E

1 1

x3 x2
d 3x
30 106

d3x -d 2x
12
1.5882 psi

Solution (5) Reaction at support

Go back to the first line of the global equilibrium equations
0
13.125 13.125
106 13.125 22.5 9.375

0
9.375 9.375

d 1x

d 2x
d
3x

9.3588 R1

115.3144

5.9556

R1 130.6288 lb (The ve sign indicates that the force is in the ve x-direction)

R1
6

Check
12

The reaction at the wall from force

equilibrium in the x-direction
24

R1 P

24
x 0

A( x) dx
24

P=100lb
3
x

100 t (6 0.125 x) dx
x 0

130.6288 lb

Problem: Can you solve for the displacement and stresses

analytically?
Check out
uanal

4.727 109 x 2 9.487 107 x

for 0 x 12

9 2
7
6
4.727 10 x 2.0797 10 x 8.89 10 for 12 x 24

Stress
( x)anal

duanal
6 duanal
E
30 10
dx
dx

Comparison of displacement solutions

-4

1.2

x 10

Analytical solution
1

Displacement (in)

0.8

0.6
Finite element solution
0.4

0.2

10

x (in)

15

20

Notice:
1. Slope discontinuity at x=12 (why?)
2. The finite element solution does not produce the exact
solution even at the nodes
3. We may improve the solution by
(1) Increasing the number of elements
(2) Using higher order elements (e.g., quadratic instead of
linear)

Comparison of stress solutions

30
25

Stress (psi)

20
15

Finite element solution

Analytical solutions

10
5
0
-5

10

x (in)

15

20

The analytical as well as the finite element stresses are

discontinuous across the elements