Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Beam in three dimensions

Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Lecture plan

Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
Basic steps of the finite-element method (FEM)
1. Establish strong formulation
Partial differential equation

2. Establish weak formulation

Multiply with arbitrary field and integrate over element

3. Discretize over space

Mesh generation

4. Select shape and weight functions

Galerkin method

5. Compute element stiffness matrix

Local and global system

6. Assemble global system stiffness matrix

7. Apply nodal boundary conditions
temperature/flux/forces/forced displacements

8. Solve global system of equations

Solve for nodal values of the primary variables
(displacements/temperature)

9. Compute temperature/stresses/strains etc. within the element

Using nodal values and shape functions

Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Structural elements, n degrees-of-freedom (ndof) in each

node
degrees-of-freedom are displacement or rotation components in
cartesian coordinate system and these are the so-called primary
variables we solve for
A 3D beam has 6dof in each node:
2 nodes, one at each end (in this case)
3 deformation components
3 rotation components

node 1

node 2

Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Beam assumptions, (Cook: section 2.3-2.5 p24-36),

(OP:chapter 17, p311-334)
Small deformations
axial deformation, bending and twist can be decoupled and looked at
seperately

Bernoulli-Euler beam theory for bending

Plane sections normal to the beam axis remain plane and normal to the
beam axis during the deformation.

Twist is considered free

Saint-Venant torsion

Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Deformation figures: displacements

Node 1

Node 2

Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Deformation figures: rotations

Node 1

Node 2

Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

step 1: Strong formulation for axial deformation, (Cook:

section 2.2 p20-21), (OP: p52-53)

Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
equlibrium equation, see slide 20-21 lecture 1
Sum of all forces are equal to zero

N + bdx + N + dN = 0

dN
+b =0
dx

The force in terms of normal stress

N = A
Material property or constitutive relation (Hooks law)
Kinematic relation or geometric relation
axial deformation equation

Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
Second order differential equation needs two boundary conditions

Possible boundary conditions: displacement (kinematic) or

displacement gradient (boundary force,static)

This is the strong formulation axial deformation

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Step 2: Establish weak formulation

Strong form

Multiply with an arbitrary function v(x) (weight function) and integrate

over the pertinent region

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
Use integration by parts of the first term to obtain the same
derivative of the weight function and primary variable u

Weak formulation of axial deformation

boundary conditions
distributed load

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Step 3: Discretize over space

Discretized problem. Define: nodes, unknown (degree-of-freedom dof)
numbering, element numbering
dof

Nodes

coordinate

Node number
Elements

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Step 4: Select shape and weight functions (Cook: section

3.2-3.3 p83-91), (OP: chapter 7, 98-106)
Assuming nodal values to be known
Linear variation of deformation allows a constant deformation
gradient (strain)
Simplest one-dimensional element (p98-99)

Matrix notation
nodal values (dof)

shape functions

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Step 5: Compute element stiffness matrix

If the weak formulation holds for the entire field, it also holds for part
of the field, i.e. integration is done over one element

Insert the displacement field and arbitrary field (Galerkin approach,

equal to the approximation of the displacement field) into the weak
formulation
a and c are constants, i.e. they can be taken outside the integrals

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
In compact form

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Exercise: Determine the stiffness matrix for the axial

deformation
Solve the integral on slide 17
Enter the stiffness matrix into the local stiffness matrix in
K_3d_beam.m
The local element dof are u1 and u7, i.e. the stiffness should be added to
rows and columns 1 and 7. This is easily done by the following way

Kel([1 7],[1 7]) = [ - - ; - - ]

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Exercise: Enter the shape functions in shape_3d_beam.m

Enter N1 and N2 from slide 17 into the function
Test the shape function in the program beam_shape_test.m
Try to run the program with different displacements

u1=1

u7=1

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Beam bending problem in the xz-plane, (Cook: section 2.3

p24-27), (OP: chapter 17, p 311-334)

u3=1

u5=1

u9=1

u11=1

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

step 1: strong formulation, (OP: p.311-318)

Infinitely small part of the beam

Vertical equilibrium
Moment equilibrium around left end, counter clockwise

second order terms are disregarded

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
Combining the equilibrium equations

Kinematic relations (rotation and curvature)

Constitutive relation, uniaxial state of stress

Moment-displacement relation (homogeneous material)

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
Strong formulation in terms of displacements

4th order differential equation, 4 boundary conditions (two at each

end)
Free end

Simple support

Fixed support

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Assumptions in the formulation, (Cook: p28-29),

(OP: p315-317)
rotation is taken as first derivative of displacement. This is only
approximately true if the displacements are small
The shear strain is assumed equal to zeros which gives zeros shear
stress. This is not true but comes out of simplifying a 3D problem to
2D. We will not be concerned about this inconsistency
The beam axis is located at the so-called neutral axis where an
evenly distribution of normal stresses don't introduce a moment.
This gives that the axial and bending problem decouples and can be
considered separately.

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

step 2: weak formulation, (OP: p.318-319)

Multiply with arbitrary field and integrate over element

Integrate by parts

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
Integrate by parts again

boundary conditions

distributed load

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Step 3: Discretize over space

Discretized problem. Define: nodes, unknown (degree-of-freedom dof)
numbering, element numbering

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Step 4: Select shape and weight functions,

(Cook: sektion 3.2-3.3 p83-91), (OP: p.323-328)
Assuming nodal values to be known
The approximation for the deflection must be able to produce a
constant deflection and curvature, i.e. it should at least be twice
differentiable.
The second derivative of the displacements enters the formulation
hence the first derivative should be continuous over element
boundaries (C1-continuity) , or the second derivative will be infinite.

C0 continuity

C1 continuity

We have four node values available, i.e. four shape functions giving
the deformation shape

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
Shape functions

test u3=1, u5=u9=u11=0

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
Including all dof

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Exercise: Enter the shape functions in shape_3d_beam.m

Enter N3 - N6 from slide 28-29 into the function
Test the shape function in the program beam3D_example.m, make
sure the signs are correct!
Try to run the program with different displacements

u3=1

u11=1

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

step 5: compute the element stiffness matrix

Weak form

FE approximation

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
In compact form

natural boundary
conditions, cancels
between elements.
Only at supports they
have a value
(reactions).

consistent load

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Exercise: solve the bending in the xz-plane part of the

stiffness matrix and enter into K_3d_beam.m

The local element dof are u3, u5, u9 and u11, i.e. the stiffness should be added
to rows and columns 3, 5, 9 and 11. This is easily done by
Kel([3 5 9 11],[3 5 9 11]) =

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

xy-plane, what changes? (Cook: p27-28)

index for dof

Signs on shape functions for rotation

u6=1

u5=1

u12=1

u11=1

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
xy-plane

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
displacement field

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Free Torsion, Saint-Venant, (Cook: p27-28), (OP: chapter 14,

p261-281)

u4=1

u10=1

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Torsional stiffness

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Torsional moment of inertia

Thin walled sections (statik 4, 5th semester, 4th lecture)
Open sections

Closed sections (Bredts equation)

"Teknisk STBI", steel sections

From bending moment of inertia

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

FE formulation is identical with the axial deformation

See slide 9

Torsion

mx is a distributed twisting load

A linear approximation (shape function) for the torsion between the

nodes, see slide 14

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
FE-formulation for torsion in compact form

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
The full displacement field for a 3D beam

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
Stiffness matrix for torsion is identical with the one for axial
deformation with AE replaced with GIx , se exercise slide 8

The dofs are u4 and u10 , i.e. the stiffness matrix should enter the
corresponding rows and columns

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
Exercise: Type in the stiffness matrix and shape functions and test
your beam element (Teknisk STBI)

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Transformation, (Cook: section 2.4 p29-32)

Why do we need to do a transformation?

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Local beam axis

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
Combined structure including the global dofs is defined in global
coordinate system (xg,yg,zg)
Stiffness are evaluated in local coordinate system
E, G, A, Ix, Iy, Iz, L (all values are independent of how the beam is
located in space)

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
Assume at first that there exists a relation between a vector in the
global coordinate system and local coordinate system (at first we
only consider the xz-plane)

transformation matrix

This relation is valid for any vector, e.g. displacement, rotation, force
or moment vector.

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
Until now everything has been described in a local coordinate
system where the beam axis is located at the local x-axis. I.e. the
element stiffness matrix Ke is described in a local system and the
compact form (slide 16, 33 and 42) is only valid in a local system
a includes both displacements and rotations and f includes both
forces and moments

Property of a transformation matrix T

The global form of the system

Global element stiffness matrix,

this is used to assemble the
global system of equations

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
We have already identified the local element stiffness matrix Ke, all
we need is to determine the transformation matrix T

If we want to describe the components of a vector given in one

coordinate system (xg,yg) in another coordinate system (x,y), we can
multiply the vector with the unit vectors spanning the (x,y) system
This corresponds to rotating the vector - equal the angle between
the two systems

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
Vectors defined in global system

V defined in local system

The transformation matrix is an orthogonal set of unit vectors placed

in the columns. This also holds in 3D

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
In the beam case we need the y- and z-coordinates equal zero (the
beam axis is equal the x-axis). The y- and z-axis are the axis around
which the moments of inertia, Iy and Iz, are defined.
the plane spanned by node 1, node 2 and node 3 defines the xyplane
the xz-plane is orthogonal to the xy-plane
I.e. the beam has two nodes but we need three nodes to define the
location in space (this is the only thing the 3rd node is used for)

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

How do we find the unit vectors describing the xyz-system?

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Exercise: Include the transformation in the program

Update transformation.m according to the previous slide.

Make the full transformation matrix (12x12) from T (3x3) in

K_3d_beam.m and multiply the local element stiffness matrix with
the transformation to obtain the global element stiffness matrix

hint introduce a matrix null = zeros(3,3)

The cross product V3xV1 in matlab: cross(V3,V1);
The transposed: Tg'

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Test the transformation function

The local y- and z-components should all be zero

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Exersice: Solve the test case from "Teknisk STBI"

supports are type 1 boundary conditions

loads are type 2 boundary conditions
where a type 1 BC has been defined a reaction is determined
where a type 2 BC has been defined a displacement is determined
A BC should be defined in all nodes in all dofs. Where nothing is
defined a load equal 0 is assumed
Below infinite axial stiffness is assumed. How do we get that?

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Field values: displacement, strain, stress, section forces

All field values are evaluated in local coordinate system, i.e. nodal
dofs needs to be rotated via the transformation matrix [12x12]
We need to identify the numbers of the12 dofs for the beam of interest
done in the matrix ElemDof defined in calc_globdof.m

Normal force, slide 9

@ux
N = EA
@x

Bending moments, slide 22 (index just change when considering Mz

and Vz)
Torsional moment, slide 39

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element
Derivative of the field values are taken as derivative of the shape
functions multiplied by the nodal values, se slide 43 (used in the
visualization part)

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Exercise: 3Dframe

Create the indicated geometry

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Exercise: Varying section height

Divide the beam into 5 elements with varying height

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Finite Element Method II

Structural elements
3D beam element

Thank you for your attention

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