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ELEMENT METHOD
Basic Concept
1
Basic Concept
Basic Concept
FEM based on “Principle of discretization”
=
procedure in which a complex problem of
large extent is divided (discretized) into
smaller equivalent units.
2
Application
• Application of this idea can be found everywhere in
everyday life and in engineering.
• Examples:
Examples
beam bridge
3
Application to buildings
Steel frames
Concrete building
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Advantages of the FEM
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Some Terminology
• FE: “small” elements (1D, 2D, 3D) obtained by
subdividing the given domain to be analyzed.
• Nodes or nodal points: intersections of the sides
of the elements.
• Nodal lines and nodal planes: interfaces
between elements.
• Linear elements: FE with straight sides.
• Higher order elements: FE with curved sides.
• Primary unknowns: nodal displacements
• Secondary unknowns: strains, stresses,
moments, shear forces, etc.
Basic procedure
• Step 1: Discretise the continuum: subdivide into elements: generate a mesh;
• Step 2: Select element displacement functions;
• Step 3: Calculate element properties: stiffness matrix [k].
• Step 4: obtain element load vector [F];
• Step 5: Assemble element properties (element stiffnesses global stiffness,
load vector).
• Step 6: Incorporate B.C. (set the element to the ground so disp = 0 or finite):
the stiffness matrix developed in step 5 will be modified to realize the
condition that disp of some coordinates = 0 or finite.
[F] = [K] {u} and {u}=[K]-1{F}. [K]: global stiffness matrix, [F]: vector of known forces
and {u}: displacements.
• Step 7: Determine displacements, strains and stresses
• Step 8: Check and iterate to eliminate precision errors if present.
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Discretization
=
Process of separating the length, area or volume
into discrete (separate) parts or elements.
structure
1-D elements
• Used for beams or frames
Node 1 Node 2 3
1 2
Curved element
2
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2-D elements
Used ,for plane-wall, diaphragm, slab, shell, etc.
1- Triangular elements
3 3
3
5
6
6 5
1 2 1 1 2
4 2
4
3 nodes 6 nodes 6- nodes curved triangle
2-D elements
2- Quadrilateral elements
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3-D elements
Used for the analysis of solid bodies (stresses under
foundation, contact stress under point loads, etc).
Axisymmetric elements
Used in problems that are axisymmetric in nature.
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Guidelines for discretization
• Discretization is a major decision making step in FEM.
• Simple structures: no problems.
• Most real structures: difficulties in
– processing of subdividing the structure;
– Numbering the nodes;
– Assigning coordinates to each node;
– Relating the structure coordinate numbers to elements numbers and
their coordinate number.
• In most FEM Software: discretization is handled automatically
by the “preprocessing” module of the software.
Examples of discretization
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1 2 3 4 5 3 4
1 2
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
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Examples of discretization
Material 1
Nodal line
Change in loading
Material 2
Change in material
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FE Equation
ƒ1 EA 1 1 u1
ƒ 1 1 u
1 2
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Element stiffness matrix of a prismatic bar:
Formal approach
ƒ1, u1 A,E ƒ2, u2
x
Node 1 Node 2
ℓ
Use conservation of energy: strain energy = work done by nodal forces
B 1 1
where
k T
E B dV : element stiffness matrix, with B
1 1
k EA
V
1 1
Same result !
u1 u2 u3
2 2 0
EA
Global stiffness matrix K
2 3 1
0 1 1
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Global FE equation
F1 2 2 0 u1
EA
F2 2 3 1 u2
F 0 1 1 u
3 3
Use B.C. and Loads condition: u1 = u3 = 0. and F2 = P.
F1 2 2 0 0
EA
P 2 3 1 u2
F 0 1 1 0
3
P
P EA
3 u2 u2
3 EA
u u E P P
1 E 1 E 2 1 0
3 EA 3A
u3 u 2 E P P
2 E 2 E 0
3 EA 3A
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v02
Bar element in 2-D x, u02
in global coordinates E, A
2
y, v01 Y, v
1 α
x, u
Element stiffness matrix in u0 1
global coordinates
u1 v1 u2 v2
c 2
cs c cs u1
2
c = cos α
s 2 cs s 2 v1
k 2
EA cs
s= sin α
c cs c 2 cs u2
cs s s 2 v2
2
cs
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Element stiffness matrix of a beam:
Direct method
F1, v1 F2, v2
E, I 2
1
x
M1, θ1 M2, θ2
Element stiffness equation:
v1 1 v2 2
F1 12 6 12 6 v1
M 6 4 2 6 2 2
1 EI 1
F2 3 12 6 12 6 v2
M 2 6 2 6 4 2
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Local Stiffness matrix of a general 2-D beam element:
u1 v1 1 u2 v2 2
EA EA
0 0 0 0
12 EI 6 EI 12 EI 6 EI
0 0
3 2 3 2
0 6 EI 4 EI
0
6 EI
2
2 EI
2
k
EA EA
0 0 0 0
0
12 EI
6 EI
0
12 EI 6 EI
2
3 2 3
6 EI 2 EI 6 EI 4 EI
0 0 2
2
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2
E, A M2, θ2
y0, v01
α
1
u01 M1, θ1
x, u
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u1 v1 1 u2 v2 2
EA 2 12 EI 2 EA 12 EI 6 EI EA 2 12 EI 2 EA 12 EI 6 EI
c 3 s
cs 3 cs
3
s
c 3 s
cs 3 cs
2
s
EA 12 EI EA 2 12 EI 2 6 EI EA 12 EI EA 2 12 EI 6EI
cs 3 cs s 3 c c cs 3 cs s 3 cs c
2 2
6 EI 6 EI 4 EI 6 EI EA 2 6 EI 2 EI
s c s c 2 s
k 2
2
2
EA 2 12 EI 2 EA 12 EI 6 EI EA 2 6 EI 2 EA 12 EI 6 EI
c 3 s cs 3 cs s c 2 s cs 3 cs s
2 2
EA cs 12 EI cs EA s 2 12 EI c 2 6 EI EA 12 EI
c cs 3 cs
EA 2 12 EI 2
s 3 c
6 EI
c
3 3 2 2
6 EI 6 EI 2 EI 6 EI 6 EI 4 EI
s c s c
2
2 2 2
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Calculation of primary unknowns
Features of the assembled stiffness matrix
1) The stiffness matrix has its non-zeros terms along its
main diagonal (terms distant from the diagonal are 0).
2) Stiffness matrices are symmetric: advantage in storing
the matrices.
Half band width Values to be stored
5 3 4
-Reduction of the 5 0 6 2
3 4 0 0
required storage memory 3 6 7 0
2 0 7
-Reduction of the 4 3 5
solution time 4 7 4 0
3 5 k
k 9 6 4
0 2 3 9
4 6
7 3 0
0 0 5 6 7 3
5 0 0
0 0 0 4 3 5
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Calculation of secondary unknowns
nodal displacement {u}
strain {ε}
Results include:
- Refined colored graphics;
- Direct stresses σx, σy;
-Shear stresses xy; maximum shear, etc.
Summary:
Computer implementations
• Preprocessing (build FE model, loads and
constraints);
• FE Analysis solver (assemble and solve the
system of equations);
• Postprocessing (sort and display the results).
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Conclusions:
Procedures of FEM in Structural Analysis
1) Divide structure into elements with nodes;
2) Describe the behavior of the physical quantities on each
element;
3) Assemble (connect) the elements at the nodes to form an
approximate system of equations for the whole structure;
4) Solve the system of equations involving unknown quantities
at the nodes (e.g., displacements);
5) Calculate desired quantities (e.g., strains and stresses) at
the selected elements.
N.B.: be aware of the limitations of the FEM: such as loads
application is imposed (no moving loads), and do not
misuse the FEM (it is a numerical tool).
M. Ben Ouezdou, University of Nizwa, 2011 39
References
1- Yijun Liu, “Introduction to Finite Element Method”,
Lecture notes, University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA,
1998.
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