3D Beam Element

By
S. Ziaei Rad
 3D Beam-Bar Element

Q1 , Q2, Q3: Translation at node 1

Z in x, y and z directions
Q3
Q3, Q4, Q5: Rotation at node 1 in
X, y and z directions
Q6
1 Q2
Q4
2
Q5
Y
Q1

X
 Stiffness Matrix
 AS 0 0 0 0 0  AS 0 0 0 0 0 
 0 az 0 0 0 bz 0  az 0 0 0 bz 

 0 0 ay 0  by 0 0 0  ay 0  by 0 
 
 0 0 0 TS 0 0 0 0 0  TS 0 0 
 0 0  by 0 cy 0 0 0 by 0 dy 0 
 
 0 bz 0 0 0 cz 0  bz 0 0 0 dz 
Ke  
 AS 0 0 0 0 0 AS 0 0 0 0 0 
 
 0  az 0 0 0  bz 0 az 0 0 0  bz 
 0 0  ay 0 by 0 0 0 ay 0 by 0 
 
 0 0 0  TS 0 0 0 0 0 TS 0 0 
 
 0 0  by 0 dy 0 0 0 by 0 cy 0 
 0 bz 0 0 0 dz 0  bz 0 0 0 c z 
 Stiffness Matrix
Where
AE GJ
AS  , TS 
L L
12 EI z 6 EI z 4 EI z 2 EI z
az  , bz  , c z  , d z 
L3 L2 L L
12 EI y 6 EI y 4 EI y 2 EI y
ay  3
, by  2 , c y  , dy 
L L L L
 0 0 0   l1 m1 n1 
0  0 0  
L  where   l2 m2 n2 
0 0  0
  l3 m3 n3 
0 0 0  
 Stiffness Matrix
x2  x1 y2  y1 z 2  z1
l1  , m1  , n1 
L L L

L  ( x2  x1 ) 2  ( y2  y1 ) 2  ( z 2  z1 ) 2

K  LT K e L
If a distributed load with components wy , wz is applied on the element
Then the equivalent point loads at the ends of the member are:
w L w L  w L2
w L2
w L w L w L 2
 w L2

f e  [0,
y y y y
, z ,0, z
, ,0, , z ,0, z , ]T
2 2 12 12 2 2 12 12
f  LT f e
 3D Beam-Bar
Input data for beam-bar elements:
• (X, Y, Z) for each node
• E , A, G, J, Iz, Iy for each element in local coordinates
Calculate:
• The directional cosines
• The element stiffness matrix in global coordinates
• The element force vector in global coordinates
• Assemble the stiffness matrices to obtain the global
stiffness matrix
• Assemble the load vectors to obtain the global load
vector
• Solve the final equation to obtain the displacement at
different nodes