Lecture 8

A 3-Node Element Stiffness Matrix

The selection of shape functions discussed so far is actually the simplest possible with
its piece-wise linear nature with a discontinuous first-order derivative.
Let us now introduce a second choice of shape functions, still with a discontinuous
first-order derivative, requiring a node a the mid-point of each element. By doing so
our approximation of the displacement u(x) will be enhanced by a second-order term
and the approximation will be a piece-wise parabolic polynomial chain.

N1e(ξ) N2e(ξ) N3e(ξ)

1.

Ni(x) Ni+2(x)

xi xi+1 xi+2 x
ξ
-1. 0. 1.

Figure 1: Element local shape functions for 3-node element

In a typical element of length Le = xi+2 − xi we have now defined three element

local shape functions in accordance to the figure 1 and element local displacement
approximation can be written as

T (ξ) = N1e (ξ)ae1 + N2e (ξ)ae2 + N3e (ξ)ae3 = N e ae . (14)

where
· ¸
e ξ ξ
N =[ N1e (ξ) N2e (ξ) N3e (ξ) ]= (ξ − 1) 1 − ξ 2 (ξ + 1) . (15)
2 2
It is now possible to evaluate the B e matrix as follows
· ¸ · ¸
e dN1e dN2e dN3e 2 dN1e dN2e dN3e
B = = e (16)
dx dx dx L dξ dξ dξ

where the B e matrix in this parabolic case will be dependent from the local coordinate
system. After introducing derivatives of the shape functions with respect to ξ we have
2 £ ¤
Be = ξ − 1/2 −2ξ ξ + 1/2 . (17)
Le
The element stiffness matrix K e will in this case be a 3x3 matrix and in a case with
constant cross section and Young’s modulus we receive
 
Z 1 ξ − 1/2
4AE £ ¤ e
K e = e2  −2ξ  ξ − 1/2 −2ξ ξ + 1/2 L dξ (18)
L −1 2
ξ + 1/2

6
 Lecture 8

⇒
 
Z (ξ − 1/2)2 −2ξ(ξ − 1/2) (ξ − 1/2)(ξ + 1/2)
1
2AE   dξ
Ke = 4ξ 2 −2ξ(ξ + 1/2) (19)
Le −1
sym. (ξ + 1/2)2

By solving of six different integral over polynomials in ξ we end up in a element stiffness

matrix for a 1D 3-node element for second-order problem as it is defined in the box
below.

Box: ‘1D 3-node bar element stiffness matrix’

 
14 −16 2
EA 
Ke = −16 32 −16 
6Le
2 −16 14