MANE 4240 & CIVL 4240

Introduction to Finite Elements

Prof. Suvranu De

Practical considerations
in FEM modeling
Reading assignment:

Logan Chap 7 + Lecture notes

Summary:

• Aspect ratio and element shapes

• Use of symmetry
• Natural subdivisions at discontinuities
• Stress equilibrium in FEM solutions
© 2002 Brooks/Cole Publishing / Thomson Learning™ Aspect ratio and element shapes

Aspect ratio = longest

dimension/ shortest
dimension

Figure 7-1a (a) Beam with

loading: effects of the aspect
ratio (AR) illustrated by the
five cases with different
aspect ratios
 © 2002 Brooks/Cole Publishing / Thomson Learning™

Figure 7-1b (b) Inaccuracy of solution as a function of the aspect

ratio (numbers in parentheses correspond to the cases listed in
Table 7-1)
 © 2002 Brooks/Cole Publishing / Thomson Learning™

Figure 7-2 Elements with poor shapes

Avoid abrupt changes in element sizes

Abrupt change in Gradual change in

element size element size
Examples of how NOT to connect elements
 Use of symmetry in modeling
© 2002 Brooks/Cole Publishing / Thomson Learning™

Figure 7-3 Use of symmetry applied to a soil mass subjected to

foundation loading (number of nodes = 66, number of elements
= 50) (2.54 cm = 1 in., 4.445 N = 1 lb)
 © 2002 Brooks/Cole Publishing / Thomson Learning™

Figure 7-4 Use of symmetry applied to a uniaxially loaded

member with a fillet
© 2002 Brooks/Cole Publishing / Thomson Learning™

Figure 7-5 Problem reduction

using axes of symmetry applied
to a plate with a hole subjected
to tensile force
Natural subdivisions at discontinuities
 Look before you leap!
1. Check the model that you have developed:
• Boundary conditions
• Loadings
• Symmetry?
• Element aspect ratios/shapes
• Mesh gradation

2. Check the results

• Eyeball
• Anything funny (nonzero displacements where they should be zero?)
• Are stress concentrations in places that you expect?
• Comparison with known analytical solution/literature

3. If you remesh the same problem and analyze, do the solutions converge?
(specifically check for convergence in strain energy)
 Stress equilibrium in FEM analysis

Example: Consider a linear elastic bar with varying cross section

2
1 2  x 
A( x)  1   sqcm
x  40 
P=3E/80 The governing differential (equilibrium) equation
80cm
d  du 
 0 for x  (0,80) Eq(1)
dx  dx 
E A( x )
E: Young’s modulus

Boundary conditions
u ( x  0)  0
du 3E
EA P
dx x 80 cm 80

Analytical solution  
3 1 
u ( x)  1 
exact

2  1 x 
 
 40 
 Lets us discretize the bar using a 2-noded (linear) bar element. The finite element
approximation within the bar is

u FEM ( x)  N1 ( x)u1x  N2 ( x)u2 x

where the shape functions
x
N1 ( x)  1 
80
x
N 2 ( x) 
80
If we incorporate the boundary condition at x=0

x
u FEM ( x)  N 2 ( x)u2 x  u2 x
80

Does this solution satisfy the equilibrium equation (Eq 1)?

  x 
2

 1   
 
2
d   40   
FEM
u2 x   2 x
d du u d x
E  A( x) E    1    ??
dx  dx  dx 80 80 dx  40 
 
 
Conclusion: The FEM displacement field does NOT satisfy the equilibrium
equations at every point inside the elements.

However, the solution gets better as the mesh is refined.

 Stress equilibrium in FEM analysis

To obtain exact solution of the mathematical model in solid

mechanics we need to satisfy
1. Compatibility
2. Stress-strain law
3. Stress-equilibrium
at every point in the computational domain.

In a FE model one satisfies the first 2 conditions exactly.

But stress-equilibrium is NOT satisfied point wise.
Question: Then what is satisfied?
Let us compute the FEM solution using a bar element
The stiffness matrix is
80
E
A( x)dx  1 1
K x 0
 1 1 
802  
13E  1 1
  
240  1 1 

The system equations to solve are

13E  1 1  u1x   f1x 

     
240  1 1  u2 x   P 

With u1x=0; we solve for

240 P  240  3E  9
u2 x     13 cm
13E  13E 
 80 

(Note that the exact solution for the displacement at node 2 is 1cm!!)
Let us now compute the nodal forces due to element stresses using the formula

f  Kd

13E  1 1
K  
240  1 1 

0
 
d 9 
13 
 

 3E 
  
0
13E  1 1    80 
 f  Kd   1 1   9    3E 
240     
13  
 80 
Two observations

P=3E/80

3E 3E
f1x  f2x 
80 80

1. Element equilibrium
2. Nodal equilibrium
The following two properties are ALWAYS satisfied by the
FEM solution using a coarse or a fine mesh

Property 1: Nodal point equilibrium P

Property 2. Element equilibrium

El #4 El #3

El #2 El #1

PROPERTY 1: (Nodal point equilibrium) At any node the

sum of the element nodal point forces is in equilibrium with the
externally applied loads (including all effects due to body forces,
surface tractions, initial stresses, concentrated loads, inertia,
damping and reaction)
How to compute the nodal reaction forces for a given finite element?

f  k d    e B D B dV  d
T

V 
  e B D B d dV
T
V

  e B  dV
T
V

Once we have computed the element stress, we may obtain the

nodal reaction forces as

f   e B  dV
T
V
Nodal point equilibrium implies: This is equal in
magnitude and in the
same direction as P

El #4 El #3

El #2 El #1

Sum of forces equal externally applied load (=0 at this node)

 PROPERTY 2: (Element equilibrium) Each element is in
equilibrium under its forces f
i.e., each element is under force and moment equilibrium
e.g.,
Define d  1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0
T

as a rigid body displacement in x-direction

F4y F3y
 d f  F1x  F2 x  F3 x  F4 x
T

F4x F3x
But

d f  d   e B  dV 
T T T

F1x F2x V 

F1y F2y V

  e d B  dV
T T

0   Bd  0 since this is a rigid
Hence body
F1x  F2 x  F3 x  F4 x  0 displacement, the
strains are zero
Example (Finite Element Procedures, Bathe 1996)
NOTE: In a finite element analysis

1. Stress equilibrium violated inside each element

2. Stresses are discontinuous across elements
3. Stresses are not in equilibrium with the applied traction
 © 2002 Brooks/Cole Publishing / Thomson Learning™

Figure7-10 Example 6.2, illustrating violation of equilibrium of

a differential element and along the diagonal edge between two
elements (the coarseness of the mesh amplifies the violation of
equilibrium)
 © 2002 Brooks/Cole Publishing / Thomson Learning™

Figure 7-11 Convergence of a finite element solution based on the

compatible displacement formulation
Hence a finite element analysis can be interpreted as a process in
which
1. The structure or continuum is idealized as an assemblage of
elements connected at nodes pertaining to the elements.

2. The externally applied forces are lumped to these nodes to

obtain the equivalent nodal load vectors

3. The equivalent nodal loads are equilibriated by the nodal point

forces that are equivalent to the element internal stresses.

4. Compatibility and stress-strain relationships are exactly

satisfied, but instead of force equilibrium at the differential level,
only global equilibrium for the complete structure, of the nodal
points and of each element under its nodal point forces is
satisfied.