Prismatic Isotropic Beam Element

The Beam Element incorporated in the Finite Element Engine of MIDAS Family Programs is a three-
dimensional beam element shown in Fig. 1. Formulation of this beam element is based on the following
assumptions:

1. The element is a straight bar of uniform cross-section.

2. The beam cross-section is a closed solid (thick-walled) section
3. The element cross-section bending and shear centers are coincident.
4. The element is capable of resisting axial forces, bending moments about the two principal axes
in the plane of its cross-section, and twisting moments about its centroidal axis.
5. The transverse shear effects are modeled according to Timoshenko beam theory.
6. Torsional behavior is governed by the Poison’s theory of torsion (warping is not allowed).
7. At the element ends can be hinges (member end-releases).
8. At the element ends can be member end-offsets along its local axes.

β yj x

β zj wj β xj
vj uj
j

y β yi
β zi wi
vi
i
Z ui
Y
β xi
X

Figure 1 A 3D Prismatic Beam Finite Element

The procedure of formulation for a prismatic, isotropic beam element accounting for the effects of
transverse shear deformations is as follows. Here, for the sake of convenience of formulation, we will
consider a two-dimensional beam element in the x-z plane illustrated in Fig. 2.
 z
y
β yi wj β yj
wi

Z ui i j uj x
Y

Figure 2 A 2D Prismatic Beam Finite Element

According to Timoshenko beam theory, the plane normal to the undeformed neutral axis is assumed to
remain plane after deformation. However, this plane is no longer normal to the neutral axis due to the
shear deformation. The total rotation of the plane normal to the undeformed neutral axis is the sum of the
rotation of the tangential line to the neutral axis and the rotation due to the shear deformation.
∂w
β =− +γ
∂x
where, γ is the shear strain, which is constant over the cross section. Since the shear stress and shear
strain vary over the cross section, the shear strain, γ , is an equivalent constant strain corresponding to
the shear area.
V τ
τ= ; γ =
As G
where, V is the shear force at the cross section being considered.
On the basis of the above assumptions, the finite element formulation is obtained by using the
fundamental virtual work principle or the principle of total minimum potential energy. The total potential
energy of the beam in the above figure is expressed as follows:

2 2
EI L  ∂β  GAs L  ∂w  L L
Π=
2 ∫ 0   dx +
 ∂x  2 ∫ 0 
 ∂x
− β 

dx − ∫0 pwdx − ∫0 mβ dx
where, p and m represent the lateral force and moment per unit length respectively. The first two
integration terms on the right side of the equation represent the strain energy corresponding to the flexure
and shear deformations, respectively, and the last two integration terms represent the potential energy of
external forces.

The condition for the minimum potential energy, δΠ = 0 , leads to

L  ∂β   ∂β  L  ∂w   ∂w  L L
EI ∫   δ   dx + GAs ∫  − β δ  − β  dx − ∫ pδ wdx − ∫ mδβ dx = 0
0
 ∂x   ∂x  0
 ∂x   ∂x  0 0
Based on the above condition, we now construct the formulation of a beam element with the shear
deformation. First of all, the element displacements are independently assumed as follows:

u = z β y ( x ) and w = w ( x )

By the assumed displacements, flexural-strain, -curvature and shear-strain are given by,

∂u ∂β ∂β y
εb = ε x = =z y ∴κ y =
∂x ∂x ∂x
∂w
γ s = γ xz = + βy
∂x
And, the constitutive relations (moment-curvature, shear force-shear strain) are,
∂β y
M = M y = Dbκ y = EI
∂x
V = Vy = Dsγ xz = GAsγ xz
Now, the shape function for rotation is assumed as follows:

β y = f1 β y1 + f 2 β y 2 + f3∆β y

where terms f i (ξ ) (i = 1, 2,3) and the respective derivatives can be expressed as

1−ξ 1+ ξ
f1 (ξ ) = , f 2 (ξ ) = , f 3 (ξ ) = 1 − ξ 2
2 2
∂f1 1 ∂f 1 ∂f
(ξ ) = − , 2 (ξ ) = , 3 (ξ ) = −2ξ
∂ξ 2 ∂ξ 2 ∂ξ
Using this shape function, the computation of the curvature becomes a simple matter.

∂f1 ∂f ∂f  ∂f ∂f ∂f 
κy = β y1 + 2 β y 2 + 3 ∆β y = J −1  1 β y1 + 2 β y 2 + 3 ∆β y 
∂x ∂x ∂x  ∂ξ ∂ξ ∂ξ 
 w1 
 
 ∂f1 ∂f 2   β y1  ∂f
= J −1 0 0  + J −1 3 ∆β y = Bbβ u + Bb∆β ∆β y
 ∂ξ ∂ξ   w2  ∂ξ
 
 β y 2 

where,
∂x ∂f1 ∂f x −x l
J= = x1 + 2 x2 = 2 1 =
∂ξ ∂ξ ∂ξ 2 2
Also, the field of shear strain is as follows:

1 ∂M y Db ∂ β y
2
Vy
γ xz = = =
Ds Ds ∂x Ds ∂x 2

If we assume the rotational angle, β y , as a quadratic function of the element length, then

 x x x x
β y =  1 −  β y 1 + β y 2 + 4  1 −  ∆β y
 l l l l  

Substituting this equation, the field of shear strain becomes,

2 Db 12 12 EI
γ xz = Bs∆β ∆β y = − φ3∆β y φ3 = =
3 Ds l 2 GAs l 2

But, the field of shear strain must satisfy the following constraint conditions:
l ∂w
∫ (γ
0
xz − γ xz ) dx = 0 γ xz =
∂x
+ βy

Accordingly, the following conditional equation is established:

l l 2
w2 − w1 + β y1 + β y 2 + l (1 + φ3 ) ∆β y = 0
2 2 3

Now, the rotational angle at the mid-point ∆β y can be expressed in terms of nodal displacements as

 w1 
 
1  l l   β y1 
∆β y == Au = 1 − −1 − 
2
l (1 + φ3 )  2 2   w2 
 
3  β y 2 

2  l l
A = A −∆1β A w , A ∆β = A∆β = l (1 + φ3 ) , A w = 1 − −1 − 
3  2 2

Then, the curvature and shear strain can be expressed in matrix form as follows:

κ y = Bbβ u + Bb∆β ∆β y = Bbβ u + Bb∆β Au = ( Bbβ + Bb∆β A ) u = Bbu

γ xz = Bs∆β ∆β y = Bs∆β Au = ( Bs∆β A ) u = B s u
where,

 ∂f1 ∂f 2  ∂f 3  l l
Bb = J −1 0 0  + J −1 3 1 − −1 − 
 ∂ξ ∂ξ  ∂ξ 2l (1 + φ3 )  2 2
 ∂f 3 ∂f1 ∂f 3 3 ∂f3 3 ∂f 2 ∂f 3 3 
= J −1  3 − − − 
 ∂ξ 2l (1 + φ3 ) ∂ξ ∂ξ 4 (1 + φ3 ) ∂ξ 2l (1 + φ3 ) ∂ξ ∂ξ 4 (1 + φ3 ) 

1 6 3 6 3 
=  −ξ −1 + ξ ξ 1+ ξ 
l  l (1 + φ3 ) (1 + φ3 ) l (1 + φ3 ) (1 + φ3 ) 
2 3  l l φ3  l l
B s = − φ3 1 − −1 −  =  −1 1
3 2l (1 + φ3 )  2 2  l (1 + φ3 )  2 2 

Therefore, the stiffness matrix is obtained as follows:

K = Kb + K s
in which
l l
K b = Db ∫ BTb Bb dx, K s = Ds ∫ BTs B s dx
0 0

and

 12 6 12 6 
 l3 − 2 − − 
l l3 l2
 
 4 2φ3 φ32 6 2 2φ3 φ32 
 + + − − 
EI l l l l2 l l l
Kb =  
(1 + φ3 )
2
 12 6 
 l3 l2 
 2
Sym. 4 2φ3 φ
+ + 3
 l l l 

 1 1 1 1
 l − − − 
2 l 2
 
 l 1 l 
GAsφ32  4 2 4 
Ks =  
(1 + φ3 )
2
 1 1 
 l 2 
 l 
Sym. 
 4 
  12 6 12 6 
 l3 − 2 − 3 − 
l l l2
 
 4  φ3  6 2  φ3  
 1+  1 − 
EI  l 4  l2 l  2
K=  
1 + φ3  12 6 
 l3 l 2 
 
Sym. 4  φ3  
1+ 
 l  4  

Eventually, the stiffness matrix of a beam element accounting for the effects of shear deformations in the
three-dimensional space is expressed as follows:

 k1,1 −k1,1 
 k2,2 k2,6 −k2,2 k2,6 

 k3,3 k3,5 − k3,3 k3,5 
 
 k4,4 − k4,4 
 k5,5 − k3,5 k5,11 
 
 k6,6 − k2,6 k6,12 
 k1,1 
 
 k2,2 − k2,6 
 k3,3 −k3,5 
 
 k4,4 
 
 Sym. k5,5 
 k6,6 

where, each term in the above matrices is expressed as follows:

EA GJ
k1,1 = k4,4 =
Lx Lx
12 EI z 6 EI z
k2,2 = k2,6 =
L (1 + φ sy )
3
z L (1 + φ sy )
2
z

12 EI y 6 EI y
k3,3 = k3,5 = −
L (1 + φ sz )
3
y L (1 + φ sz )
2
y

4 EI y  φsz  2 EI y  φ sz 
k5,5 = 1 +  k5,11 = 1 − 
Ly (1 + φ sz )  4  Ly (1 + φ sz )  2 
4 EI z  φ sy  2 EI z  φ sy 
k6,6 = 1 +  k6,12 = 1 − 
Lz (1 + φsy )  4  Lz (1 + φ sy )  2 
where,
E = Young’s modulus;
G = shear modulus;
Lx, Ly, Lz = element lengths considering the offset lengths along the x, y, and z-axis, respectively;
A = cross sectional area;
J = torsional constant;
Iy, Iz = moments of inertia about the y-and z-axes, respectively.

φsy , φsz = terms representing the shear deformations effects defined as,

12 EI z 12 EI y
φsy = φ sz =
GAsy L2z GAsz L2y

where,

Asy , Asz = shear areas in the directions of local y-and z-axes, respectively.

The 3D beam element implemented in MIDAS Finite Element Library retains the same 12 DOF’s (see
Fig.1) as those in other programs, but produces more accurate results by considering shear deformations
effects in element formulation. As far as the rotational stiffness about the x-axis is concerned, the effect of
warping due to torsion is neglected, whereas only the terms for pure torsion are calculated. However, this
effect may be significant for some special structures (e.g. a structure with beam elements subjected to
significant in-plane torsional moments), but typical general-purpose programs do not account for such
effects. Currently MIDAS IT is developing special analysis techniques, which will model these effects
properly.