Chapter 1: FEM concept via

Planar Truss Analyses

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Truss Structures

http://www.brantacan.co.uk

What is a truss?
•A structure consisting of rods and wires.
•Forces are applied on the nodes (or joints).
•Each element (or member) is under an axial load. No bending or torsion.
•Wikipedia entry on trusses: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truss

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 Today’s Agenda
• Expectation of this chapter

• World’s simplest finite element – 1D bar

element

• 2D bar element

• Finite element Method concept - summary

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What you can do after this chapter?

1. In theory you can
design a
complicated truss
system.

2. In practice you can

analyze a simple
truss structure like
this.
3. Have a feeling what
is Finite Element
Method

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 Physical Problem and FEM Models
Idealization of a physical problem to a FEM model.
Analyze the problem and select the type of elements

What is the problem here?

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2 Node Bar element (1 dimensional)

• In order to solve the

truss structure
problem, we have to
solve the 2-node bar
element!
y
x
• We have to
distinguish the Local
and global coordinate
systems Node
Element

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 2 Node Truss (Bar) element
Given E, A, L for the element
Be careful with the
force / displacement
direction!

d = Δl = u xj − u xi
EA
F = ks d = (u xj − u xi )
l
f xj = F
f xi = − F
f yj = 0 = f yi

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Three Fundamental Principals

The above equations were obtained from the following three principals:

• Equilibrium
σxA f xi

• Material law (constitutive

Equation) F d Δl
σx = = Eε = E = E
• Pure material dependent A l l

• Compatibility Δl
ε=
• all the deformation goes to l
strain – without any crack

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 Bar Element Formulation
We can write the above equation in a matrix form

⎡ f xi ⎤ EA ⎡ 1 − 1⎤ ⎡u xi ⎤
⎢ ⎥=
Element stiffness equation
⎢ − 1 1 ⎥ ⎢u ⎥ in local coordinates
f
⎣ ⎦ xj L ⎣ ⎦ ⎣ xj ⎦

f = Ku
EA ⎡ 1 − 1⎤
K= Element stiffness matrix in
L ⎢⎣ − 1 1 ⎥⎦ local coordinates

If we know u , we can calculate f - no Problem!

If we know f , can we calculate u ?

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Properties of Element Stiffness Matrix

KT = K Symmetric

det( K ) = 0 What does this mean?

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 Example 1
Can you solve the stress in each material and displacements?
f1 ,u1 Boundary conditions:
Steel f 2 ,u 2 Aluminum ⎡ f1 ⎤ ⎡ ? ⎤ ⎡ u1 ⎤ ⎡0⎤
1 2 3 f 3 ,u 3 ⎢f ⎥ = ⎢ 0 ⎥ ⎢u ⎥ = ⎢ ? ⎥
⎢ 2⎥ ⎢ ⎥ ⎢ 2⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎛ EA ⎞ ⎛ EA ⎞ ⎢⎣ f 3 ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣100⎥⎦ ⎢⎣u 3 ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣ ? ⎥⎦
⎜ ⎟ =2 ⎜ ⎟ =1
⎝ L ⎠ Steel ⎝ L ⎠ Al

3
1 f xA2 , u xA2
2 f xA3 , u xA3
f xS1 , u xS1 f xS2 , u xS2

For each element we have: A Generic form:

⎡ f xS1 ⎤ S⎡ 1 − 1⎤ ⎡ u xS1 ⎤ ⎡ f xA2 ⎤ A⎡ 1 − 1⎤ ⎡u xA2 ⎤ ⎡ f xiA ⎤ ⎡ kii kij ⎤ ⎡u xiA ⎤
⎢ S⎥=k ⎢ ⎢ A⎥ = k ⎢ ⎢ A⎥ = ⎢ ⎢ ⎥
⎣ f x2 ⎦
⎥⎢ S ⎥
⎣− 1 1 ⎦ ⎣u x 2 ⎦ ⎣ f x3 ⎦
⎥⎢ A ⎥
⎣ − 1 1 ⎦ ⎣u x 3 ⎦ ⎣⎢ f xj ⎦⎥ ⎣k ji k jj ⎥⎦ ⎣⎢u xjA ⎦⎥

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Example 1
After the stiffness equation has been written for each element, we can use
the Equilibrium and Compatibility principals to assemble the local element
stiffness equation into a global stiffness matrix equation.

u xS2 = u xA2 = u 2
u xA3 = u 3 By compatibility (there should be no gap at node 2)
u = u1S
x1

f xS1 = f1 f1 = f xS1 = k S {u1 − u 2 }

f xS2 + f xA2 = f 2 By equilibrium f 2 = f xS2 + f xA2 = k S {− u1 + u2 }+ k A {u2 − u3 }
f xA3 = f 3 f 3 = f xA3 = k A {− u2 + u3 }

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 Example 1
We get the following global stiffness matrix equation:
What does this mean kij=0?
⎡ f1 ⎤ ⎡ k −kS 0 ⎤ ⎡ u1 ⎤ ⎡ 2 − 2 0 ⎤ ⎡ u1 ⎤
S

⎢ f ⎥ = ⎢− k S k +kA
S ⎥
− k A ⎥ ⎢⎢u2 ⎥⎥ = ⎢⎢− 2 3 − 1⎥⎥ ⎢⎢u2 ⎥⎥
⎢ 2⎥ ⎢
⎣⎢ f 3 ⎦⎥ ⎢⎣ 0 −kA k A ⎥⎦ ⎣⎢u3 ⎦⎥ ⎣⎢ 0 − 1 1 ⎦⎥ ⎢⎣u3 ⎦⎥

global What is the other way to

stiffness Global
Global load derive this global stiffness
matrix Displacement
vector equation?
vector

f = Ku Global stiffness equation

K T = K det(K ) = 0 Can you check this?

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Example 1
Now we have got the global equation, we can use the boundary condition
to solve the unknowns – unknown displacements first, forces next!

⎡ f1 ⎤ ⎡ 2 − 2 0 ⎤ ⎡ u1 ⎤
⎢ f ⎥ = ⎢− 2 3 − 1⎥ ⎢u ⎥ ⎡ f1 ⎤ ⎡ ? ⎤ ⎡ u1 ⎤ ⎡0⎤
⎢ 2⎥ ⎢ ⎥⎢ 2 ⎥ ⎢f ⎥ =⎢ 0 ⎥ ⎢u ⎥ = ⎢ ? ⎥
⎢⎣ f 3 ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣ 0 − 1 1 ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣u3 ⎥⎦ ⎢ 2⎥ ⎢ ⎥ ⎢ 2⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎢⎣ f 3 ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣100⎥⎦ ⎢⎣u 3 ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣ ? ⎥⎦

⎡ 0 ⎤ ⎡ 3 − 1⎤ ⎡u2 ⎤
⎢100⎥ = ⎢− 1 1 ⎥ ⎢u ⎥
⎣ ⎦ ⎣ ⎦⎣ 3 ⎦

−1
⎡u 2 ⎤ ⎡ 3 − 1⎤ ⎡ 0 ⎤ 1 ⎡1 1⎤ ⎡ 0 ⎤ ⎡ 50 ⎤
⎢u ⎥ = ⎢− 1 1 ⎥ ⎢100⎥ = 2 ⎢1 3⎥ ⎢100⎥ = ⎢150⎥
⎣ 3⎦ ⎣ ⎦ ⎣ ⎦ ⎣ ⎦⎣ ⎦ ⎣ ⎦

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 Example 1
Final solution:

⎡ u1 ⎤ ⎡ 0 ⎤
⎢u ⎥ = ⎢ 50 ⎥
⎢ 2⎥ ⎢ ⎥ What is the unit here? nm or m?
⎣⎢u3 ⎦⎥ ⎣⎢150⎦⎥
f1 = k S (u1 − u 2 ) = 2 * (0 − 50) = −100

⎡ f1 ⎤ ⎡− 100⎤ What are the strains in the elements?

⎢f ⎥=⎢ 0 ⎥
⎢ 2⎥ ⎢ ⎥ What are stress and strain?
⎢⎣ f 3 ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣ 100 ⎥⎦
We discuss the definitions later
Steel Aluminum
100 1 2 3 100

u2 = 50 u3 = 150

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Example 2
Use the same principal as example 1 to
solve the composite bar problem.

Ei , Ai , Li (i = 1 - 6)

Matrix properties – band structure

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 2 Dimensional Bar element
As a special case, we can re-write the previous 1D element formulation into
2D form:

Element stiffness equation

in local coordinates

Element stiffness matrix in

local coordinates

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2 Dimensional Bar element

For a general 2D bar element, we need transformation to get the global
stiffness equation:

Node displacement
transformation: Global to
local:

u = Tu
Local Global

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 2 Dimensional Bar element
Properties of the T

⎡ cosθ sin θ 0 ⎤ ⎡ cosθ sin θ ⎡ cosθ sin θ 0 ⎤ ⎡cosθ − sin θ

T
0 0 0 ⎤ 0 0 0 ⎤ ⎡1 0 0 0⎤
⎢− sin θ cosθ 0 0 ⎥⎥ ⎢⎢− sin θ cosθ 0 0 ⎥⎥ ⎢− sin θ cosθ 0 0 ⎥⎥ ⎢⎢ sin θ cosθ 0 0 ⎥ ⎢0 1 0 0⎥⎥
⎢ =⎢ ⎥=⎢
⎢ 0 0 cosθ sin θ ⎥ ⎢ 0 0 cosθ sin θ ⎥ ⎢ 0 0 cosθ sin θ ⎥ ⎢ 0 0 cosθ − sin θ ⎥ ⎢0 0 1 0⎥
⎢ ⎥⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎣ 0 0 − sin θ cosθ ⎦ ⎣ 0 0 − sin θ cosθ ⎦ ⎣ 0 0 − sin θ cosθ ⎦ ⎣ 0 0 sin θ cosθ ⎦ ⎣0 0 1 1⎦

TT T = I
u = Tu u = TT u

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2 Dimensional Bar element

f = Tf
f = T Tf

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 2 Dimensional Bar element
Globalization of the element stiffness equation

f = Ku, T f ~u Global force and

displacement relations

u = Tu f = T Tf
f = Ku = KTu
Element stiffness equation
f = T Tf = TT KTu = Ku in global coordinates
⎡ c2 sc − c 2 − sc ⎤
⎢ ⎥
EA ⎢ sc s 2 − cs − s 2 ⎥
K = T KT =
T

L ⎢− c 2 − cs c 2 sc ⎥
Element stiffness matrix
⎢ ⎥ in global coordinates
⎢⎣ − cs − s s 2 ⎥⎦
2
sc

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Example 3

⎛ EA ⎞
⎜ ⎟ = 20
⎝ L ⎠ ⎛ EA ⎞
⎜ ⎟=5
⎝ L ⎠

⎛ EA ⎞
⎜ ⎟ = 10
⎝ L ⎠

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 Example 3
Globalized element stiffness equations for the three elements

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Example 3
• Compatibility: The node
displacements of all the members meeting
at a node must be the same!

• Equilibrium: The sum of forces by all

the members meeting at a node must
balance the external force at that node!

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 Example 3
Expanded element stiffness equations for the three elements to a global matrix

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Example 3
Assemble the contribution of each element together to form the
global stiffness matrix equations:

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 Example 3
Apply the boundary conditions:

Get familiar with the boundary signs

in mechanics!

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Example 3
Apply the boundary conditions to the global matrix equations:

•We can take away the horizontal rows because of the corresponding forces
are unknown
•We can take away the vertical columns because the corresponding
displacements are zero

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 Example 3
After eliminating the corresponding columns and rows, we obtain a
reduced global stiffness equations

Inverse the
matrix

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Example 3
Once displacements are solved, we can calculate the unknown
nodal forces:

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 More Complicated Example

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The Finite Element Method

• Numerical representation and solution of a physical
problem

• Solve the element in local and global form

• Assemble the elements into a global system

• Apply boundary conditions and solve the global

equations

• Come back to each element

• Verification

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 FEM Terminology
• Degree of freedom (DOF)

• State variables: displacement in mechanics

• Conjugate variables: forces in mechanics

• stiffness matrix

TKT4145 – The Finite Element Method, NTNU Spring Course zhiliang.zhang@ntnu.no

Flow Chart of a FEM Program

Load relevant data file - preprocessing

Initialize variable

For each element

Calculate element stiffness terms and assemble
them in global stiffness matrix
End of element loop
Set boundary conditions

Solve the equations

Save and plot results – post processing

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 Comments
• You are learning FEM not FEA in this course

• Single element stiffness equation is the core

competence of the FEM

• So far, we have used the world’s simple

element. In this course we will learn the generic
methods for deriving equations other
complicated elements

• Assembling and solving are just techniques

TKT4145 – The Finite Element Method, NTNU Spring Course zhiliang.zhang@ntnu.no

Questions to Think!
• What is the physical meaning of stiffness?

• Same material, same cross section, element A is double long as

element B. How can you compare the stiffness matrix for element A
and B?

• How can we compare the stiffness of materials and the stiffness of

components?

• Can you derive the transformation matrix T without help?

• What does “boundary conditions” mean? Why we can eliminate the

columns and rows because of the boundary conditions?

• Will the choice of local coordinate influences the global results? Read
page 41-42 of Ottosen’s book to get the answer.

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