1.

Finite Element Formulation of Multidimensional Problems

We will now derive the element equations for 2D and 3D problems. We will consider
first the formulation of scalar problems by studying the problem of heat conduction. Then,
we will formulate multidimensional vector-valued problems within the context of solid
mechanics (linear elasticity).
Remember that the general approach to derive element equations is to first write a
variational statement (e.g. weak form) of the boundary problem, and then approximate
the solution (trial) and the test (or weight) functions inside the elements using shape or
interpolation functions.
1.1 Finite Element Formulation of Heat Transfer Problems
Lets derive the element equations for the steady-state heat transfer problem. Consider a

subdomain (i.e. element) e with boundary e . Take T ( x ) to be a test function

defined on the subdomain and its boundary. We learned that the weak form of the steadystate heat conduction problem with a boundary flux q is

T ( x ) q ( x ) d e e T ( x ) k ( x ) T de + e T ( x ) G ( x ) de = 0 .

The next step in developing a finite element formulation for this problem is to
approximate the solution and the weight function using shape or interpolation functions
as
n

T ( x ) = N i ( x ) Ti e
i=1

Te
1

Nn ( x )

Te
n

= N1 ( x )

= N ( x ) {T e }

Similarly,

T ( x ) = N ( x ) { T e } .

{ }

In the above expressions, T e and T e are the values of the temperature field and
test function at the nodes of the element. The gradients of the temperature and test
function are computed as

 N1,x N n,x

T ( x ) = N1,y N n,y

N1,z N n,z
= [ B ]{T e }

T e
1

e
Tn

and

T ( x ) = [ B ]{ T e } ,
respectively.
Substituting the above approximations into the weak form, we get

{ T }

e T

T
T
T

T
N ( x ) q ( x ) d e e T e [ B ] k ( x )[ B ] de T e + e T e N ( x ) G ( x ) de = 0

T
T

T
T e e N ( x ) q ( x ) d e e [ B ] k ( x )[ B ] de T e + e N ( x ) G ( x ) de = 0

{ }

{ }

{ }

{ }
{ }

Since T e is arbitrary, we obtain

T
N ( x ) q ( x ) d e e [ B ] k ( x )[ B ] de T e + e N ( x ) G ( x ) de = 0 .

{ }

We can express the above equation as

e {T e } = {q e } + {G e } ,
where the thermal conductivity matrix is

T
e = e [ B ] k ( x )[ B ] de ,

the external heat flux vector is

T
N ( x ) q ( x ) d e ,

N ( x ) G ( x ) de .

{q } =
e

and the heat source vector is

{G } =
e

Assembling element contributions, the global system of equations can be expressed as

{ } { } { }

g Tg = qg + Gg .
Where

g =
qg =

elements

e ,

{q } ,
e

elements

and

{G } = {G }
e

elements

are the global conductivity matrix, global external heat flux vector, and global heat
source vector, respectively.
1.2

Solid Mechanics

Let {d ( x )} = u ( x ) v ( x ) w ( x )

be a displacement vector in a 3D domain with

boundary . We defined the position vector as x =

{x

y z

} . u ( x ) v ( x ) , and w ( x )
T

are the components of the displacement vector in the directions x , y , and z , respectively.
We will choose interpolation functions of the following form,
n

u ( x ) = N i ( x ) uie
i=1

v ( x ) = N i ( x ) vie
i=1

w ( x ) = N i ( x ) wie
i=1

where uie ,vie , and wie are the element nodal displacements and N i ( x ) are the element
shape functions.
In matrix form, we have

u ( x ) = N1 ( x ) N 2 ( x )

Nn ( x )

u1e

u2e

une

The same form is also used for v ( x ) and w ( x ) . The displacement vector can be
represented now in matrix form as

u ( x )

v(x)

w ( x )

N ( x )
0
0
Nn ( x )
0
1

N1 ( x )
0

0
Nn ( x )
= 0

0
N1 ( x )
0
0
0

In matrix notation, we can express the above relationship as

{d ( x )} = N ( x ) d e

0

Nn ( x )

u1

v1
w1

un

vn
wn

{ }

The strain-displacement relationships can be now written using the above expressions.
For instance,

xx =

u
x

= N1,x

N 2,x N n,x

In 3D we have,

xx N1,x

yy 0

zz 0
=
xy N1,y

xz N1,z

yz 0

N n,x

N1,y

N1,z

0
N1,x
0
N1,z

N n,y

N n,z

N n,x

N n,x

N n,z

N n,y

N n,y

N1,x N n,z
N1,y

u1

u2

un

u1

v1
w1

un

vn
wn

The above can be written in matrix notation as,

{ ( x )} = B ( x ) {d } .
e

Where, [B( x)] is the matrix above containing the derivatives of the shape functions.
Using the above expressions, the stresses can be calculated as

{ ( x )} = [ D ]{ ( x )}

= [ D ][ B ]{d e }

1.2.1 Finite Element Formulation of the 3D Elasticity BVP

The first step is to write the variational statement in an element domain. As we showed
earlier, the principle of virtual work is equivalent to the weak form of the BVP. We will
use this to derive the element equations.

{ d} {b} d + { d} { } d = { } { } d
T

Now we will substitute the expressions derived for the displacements, strains, and
stresses using shape functions. Recall that,

{d} = [ N ]{d e }, { } = [ B ]{d e }, { } = [ D ][ B ]{d e } .

We will use the Galerkin approach to approximate the virtual displacement vector as

{ d} = [ N ]{ d e }
Then, these approximations are substituted into weak form to get the element equations.
For clarity, lets proceed with the calculations term by term. The body force vector is
computed as

([ N ]{ d }) {b} d = { d } [ N ] {b} d
e

e T

The traction term becomes

([ N ]{ d }) { } d = { d } [ N ] { } d
e

e T

while the term containing stresses and derivative of the test functions is given as

([ B ]{ d }) [ D ][ B ]{d } d = { d } [ B ] [ D ][ B ]{d } d .
e

e T

Combining the above expressions and simplifying, we obtain

T
T
T
T
d e [ N ] {b} de + [ N ] { } d e e [ B ] [ D ][ B ] d e de = 0

e
Since the above equation is true for arbitrary values of the test (functions) nodal
displacements, the expression in parentheses is equal to zero. Then,

{ }

{ }

[ N ] {b} d + [ N ] { } d = [ B ] [ D ][ B ]{d } d
T

Now let,

K e = e [ B ] [ D ][ B ] de

{b } = [ N ] {b} d

{ f } = [ N ] { } d

We can express the element equations in matrix form as

K e {d e } = { f e } + {b e } .
a. Assembly of elements
The element equations are assembled using interelement continuity and compatibility.
Notice that inside the domain the tractions in connecting elements cancel out and nodal
displacements coincide with global displacements. As in the 1D case, these conditions are
used to form a global system of equations from individual element contributions.
Defining

K g =

elements

K e

{P } = ({b } + { f }) + {F} ,
{d } = Global displacement vector
e

elements

we can express the global system of equations as

K g ug = Pg

{ } { }

Notice that point loads can be applied at the nodes of the finite element mesh. These
nodal loads contained in a vector {F} are added directly to the global load vector as
shown above.

It is important to realize that in order to obtain a unique solution for the system of
equations shown above, appropriate boundary conditions must be applied. Otherwise, the
global stiffness matrix is singular and the system of equations has infinite many solutions.
We will show the treatment of essential boundary conditions later on.