Beam Element Stiness Matrices

CEE 421L. Matrix Structural Analysis

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Duke University
Henri P. Gavin
Fall, 2014
Truss elements carry only axial forces. Beam elements carry shear forces
and bending moments. Frame elements carry shear forces, bending moments,
and axial forces. This document presents the development of beam element
stiness matrices in local coordinates.
1 A simply supported beam carrying end-moments
Consider a simply supported beam resisting moments M
1
and M
2
applied
at its ends.
The exibility relates the end rotations {
1
,
2
} to the end moments {M
1
, M
2
}:
_
_
_

2
_
_
_
=
_
_
F
11
F
12
F
21
F
22
_
_
_
_
_
M
1
M
2
_
_
_
.
The exibility coecients, F
ij
, may be obtained from Castiglianos 2nd Theo-
rem,
i
= U

(M
i
)/M
i
.
First Column Second Column
2 CEE 421L. Matrix Structural Analysis Duke University Fall 2014 H.P. Gavin
The applied moments M
1
and M
2
are in equilibrium with the reactions
forces V
1
and V
2
; V
1
= (M
1
+ M
2
)/L and V
2
= (M
1
+ M
2
)/L
V (x) =
M
1
+ M
2
L
M(x) = M
1
_
x
L
1
_
+ M
2
x
L
The total potential energy of a beam with these forces and moments is:
U =
1
2
_
L
0
M
2
EI
dx +
1
2
_
L
0
V
2
G(A/)
dx
By Castiglianos Theorem,

1
=
U
M
1
=
_
L
0
M(x)
M(x)
M
1
EI
dx +
_
L
0
V (x)
V (x)
M
1
G(A/)
dx
=
_
_
_
_
L
0
_
x
L
1
_
2
dx
EI
+
_
L
0
dx
GAL
2
_
_
_M
1
+
_
_
_
L
0
x
L
_
x
L
1
_
dx
EI
+
_
L
0
dx
GAL
2
_
_
M
2
and

2
=
U
M
2
=
_
L
0
M(x)
M(x)
M
2
EI
dx +
_
L
0
V (x)
V (x)
M
2
G(A/)
dx
=
_
_
_
L
0
x
L
_
x
L
1
_
dx
EI
+
_
L
0
dx
GAL
2
_
_
M
1
+
_
_
_
_
L
0
_
x
L
_
2
dx
EI
+
_
L
0
dx
GAL
2
_
_
_M
2
or, in matrix form,
_

2
_

_
=
_

_
_
_
_
L
0
(
x
L
1
)
2
dx
EI
+
_
L
0
dx
GAL
2
_
_
_
_
L
0
x
L
(
x
L
1
)
dx
EI
+
_
L
0
dx
GAL
2
_
_
_
L
0
x
L
(
x
L
1
)
dx
EI
+
_
L
0
dx
GAL
2
_
_
_
_
L
0
(
x
L
)
2
dx
EI
+
_
L
0
dx
GAL
2
_
_
_

_
_

_
M
1
M
2
_

_
Beam Element Stiness Matrices 3
For prismatic beams, E, A, and I are constant along the length, and the
exibility relationship is
_

2
_

_
=
_

_
L
3EI
+
1
G(A/)L

L
6EI
+
1
G(A/)L

L
6EI
+
1
G(A/)L
L
3EI
+
1
G(A/)L
_

_
_

_
M
1
M
2
_

_
To neglect shear deformation, set = 0.
The stiness relationship is the inverse of the exibility relationship, and
for prismatic members,
_

_
M
1
M
2
_

_
=
_

_
(4+)EI
(1+)L
(2)EI
(1+)L
(2)EI
(1+)L
(4+)EI
(1+)L
_

_
_

2
_

_
where
=
12EI
G(A/)L
2
= 24(1 + )
_
r
L
_
2
and r is the radius of gyration of the cross section, r =
_
I/A.
To neglect shear deformation, set = 0:
_

_
M
1
M
2
_

_
=
_

_
4EI
L
2EI
L
2EI
L
4EI
L
_

_
_

2
_

_
(1)
4 CEE 421L. Matrix Structural Analysis Duke University Fall 2014 H.P. Gavin
2 Beam Element Stiness Matrix in Local Coordinates, k
The beam element stiness matrix k relates the shear forces and bend-
ing moments at the end of the beam {V
1
, M
1
, V
2
, M
2
} to the deections and
rotations at the end of the beam {
1
,
1
,
2
,
2
}.
_

_
V
1
M
1
V
2
M
2
_

_
=
_

_
k
11
k
12
k
13
k
14
k
21
k
22
k
23
k
24
k
31
k
32
k
33
k
34
k
41
k
42
k
43
k
44
_

_
_

2
_

_
The elements of this four-by-four stiness matrix may be derived from
equation (1) using arguments of equilibrium and symmetry.
The second column of the stiness matrix is the set of forces and moments
corresponding to the following set of displacements and rotations:
{
1
= 0,
1
= 1,
2
= 0,
2
= 0}
From equation (1) we know
M
1
= 4EI/L = k
22
and
M
2
= 2EI/L = k
42
.
Beam Element Stiness Matrices 5
From equilibrium we know
V
1
= (M
1
+ M
2
)/L = 6EI/L
2
= k
12
and
V
2
= (M
1
+ M
2
)/L = 6EI/L
2
= k
32
.
This completes the second column of k.
Similarly, the fourth column of k is the set of forces and moments corre-
sponding to
{
1
= 0,
1
= 0,
2
= 0,
2
= 1}
These forces and moments are
M
1
= 2EI/L = k
24
,
M
2
= 4EI/L = k
44
,
V
1
= (M
1
+ M
2
)/L = 6EI/L
2
= k
14
,
and
V
2
= (M
1
+ M
2
)/L = 6EI/L
2
= k
34
.
6 CEE 421L. Matrix Structural Analysis Duke University Fall 2014 H.P. Gavin
Now the rst column of k is the set of forces and moments corresponding
to
{
1
= 1,
1
= 0,
2
= 0,
2
= 0}
From arguments of symmetry (of the element stiness matrix) we know
M
1
= k
21
= k
12
= 6EI/L
2
and
M
2
= k
41
= k
14
= 6EI/L
2
.
And from equilibrium,
V
1
= (M
1
+ M
2
)/L = 12EI/L
3
= k
11
,
and
V
2
= (M
1
+ M
2
)/L = 12EI/L
3
= k
31
.
Finally, the third column of k is the set of forces and moments correspond-
ing to
{
1
= 0,
1
= 0,
2
= 1,
2
= 0}
From arguments of symmetry (of the element stiness matrix) we know
M
1
= k
23
= k
32
= 6EI/L
2
and
M
2
= k
43
= k
34
= 6EI/L
2
.
And from equilibrium,
V
1
= (M
1
+ M
2
)/L = 12EI/L
3
= k
13
,
and
V
2
= (M
1
+ M
2
)/L = 12EI/L
3
= k
33
.
Beam Element Stiness Matrices 7
This analysis provides the sixteen terms of the beam element stiness matrix.
_

_
V
1
M
1
V
2
M
2
_

_
= (EI)
_

_
12/L
3
6/L
2
12/L
3
6/L
2
6/L
2
4/L 6/L
2
2/L
12/L
3
6/L
2
12/L
3
6/L
2
6/L
2
2/L 6/L
2
4/L
_

_
_

2
_

_
The images below summarize the stiness coecients for the standard xed-
xed beam element as well as for the xed-pinned beam element.
6EI
L
2

12EI
L
3


4EI
L

6EI
L
2

2EI
L

6EI
L
2


6EI
L
2

12EI
L
3

3EI
L
3

3EI
L
2


EI
L

3EI
L
2

3EI
L

EI
L


3EI
L
3

3EI
L
2

8 CEE 421L. Matrix Structural Analysis Duke University Fall 2014 H.P. Gavin
3 Notation
u = Element deection vector [
1
,
1
,
2
,
2
]
q = Element force vector in the [V
1
, M
1
, V
2
, M
2
]
k = Element stiness matrix in the Local coordinate system
... q = k u
d = Structural deection vector
p = Structural load vector
K
s
= Structural stiness matrix
... p = K
s
d
Element Deection u
Element Force q
Element Stiness k
Structural Deection d
Structural Loads p
Structural Stiness K
s
Beam Element Stiness Matrices 9
Example 1
>> E = 30000; % modulus of elasticity
>> I1 = 1000; I2 = 500; I3 = 250; % moments of inertia
>> L1 = 150; L2 = 120; L3 = 100; % element lengths
% enter the stiffness matrix
>> Ks = [ (4*E*I1/L1 + 4*E*I2/L2) 2*E*I2/L2 ;
2*E*I2/L2 4*E*I2/L2 + 4*E*I3/L3 ]
Ks =
1300000 250000
250000 800000
>> w = 0.1; % uniform distributed load on member number 1
>> p = [ w*L12/12 0 ] % fixed end forces from member 1 applied to DoF 1
p =
% external load vector
187.50000
0.00000
>> d = inv(Ks) * p % compute the displacement Vector
d =
1.5345e-04
-4.7954e-05
>> M1 = 4*E*I1/L1 * d(1)
M1 = 122.76 % Moment in member 1 at DoF 1 due to rotation D1
>> M2 = 4*E*I2/L2 * d(1) + 2*E*I2/L2 * d(2)
M2 = 64.738 % Moment in member 2 at DoF 2 due to rotation D2
>> M1 - 187.5 % Moment in member 1 at DoF 1 MINUS the
ans = -64.738 % fixed end moment equals the Moment M2 ... YAY!