DYNAMI C OF STRUCTURES

CHAPTER 12
I NTRODUCTI ON TO FI NI TE ELEMENT
METHOD
Department of civil engineering, University of North Sumatera
Ir. DANIEL RUMBI TERUNA, MT;IP-U
INTRODUCTION TO FINITE LEMENT METHOD
To ilustrate this concept, consider the cantilever beam shown in Fig. 1
General overview
Fig.1Degrees of freedomof cantilever beam
6
u
3
u
2
u
1
u
4
u
5
u
1 N
u
N
u
1
2
= u
1
1
= u ) (
1
x
) (
2
x
INTRODUCTION TO FINITE LEMENT METHOD
6
u
3
u
2
u
1
u
4
u
5
u
1 N
u
N
u
1
3
= u
) (
3
x
1
4
= u
) (
4
x
1
1
=
N
u
) (
1
x
N

1 =
N
u
) (x
N

The frame structures is subdividedinto a number of segment, called

finite element
The element are interconected only at nodes or nodal point, in this simple
case the nodal points are the ends of the elements
In the finite element method nodal displacement are selected as the generalized
coordinate
The deflection of the beam is expressed in terms of nodal displacement
through trial/shape fungtion
Coresponding to each DOF, a trial function is selected with the following
properties: unit value at the DOF; zero value at all other DOFs; continous function
with continous first derivative
These trial function satisfy the requirement of admissibility, because they are linerly
independent, continous and consistent with the geometric boundary contidition
) (x
i

INTRODUCTION TO FINITE LEMENT METHOD

) (x m
L Consider a straight beamof length , mass per unit length ,and
flexural rigidity as shown Fig.2,
INTRODUCTION TO FINITE LEMENT METHOD
) (x EI
1
u
x
2
u
3
u
4
u
1
1
= u
1
2
= u
1
3
= u
1
4
= u
) (x m ) (x EI
) (
1
x
) (
2
x
) (
3
x
) (
4
x
( ) ( ) x t u t x u
i
i
i
) ( ,
4
1

=
=
(1)
Where is the nodal displacement in the DOF and is
the associated trial function (interpolation function).
) (t u
i
The deflection of the beam can be expressed in nodal DOFs as
INTRODUCTION TO FINITE LEMENT METHOD
th
i
( ) x
i

The interpolation function can be any arbitrary shapes stasfying

the boundary condition. Thus satisfies the following
boundarycondition
( ) x
i

INTRODUCTION TO FINITE LEMENT METHOD

(2)
The interpolation function can be any arbitrary shapes stasfying
the boundary condition. The deflection of beam is selected a
cubic polynomial
( )
3
4
2
3 2 1

+ =
L
x
a
L
x
a
L
x
a a x u
(3)
(3)
i
a
The constant can be determined for each of the four sets of boundary
conditions Eq.(1), to obtain
INTRODUCTION TO FINITE LEMENT METHOD
ELEMENT STIFFNESS MATRIX
INTRODUCTION TO FINITE LEMENT METHOD
(5)
Using the principle of virtual displacement, the stiffness matrix
can be derived :
(4)
ELEMENT MASS MATRIX
INTRODUCTION TO FINITE LEMENT METHOD
(6)
Using the principle of virtual displacement, the mass matrix can
be derived :
(5)
It is noted that the consistent mass matrix is not diagonal, where
as the lump mass approximation lead to diagonal matrix
ELEMENT MASS MATRIX
INTRODUCTION TO FINITE LEMENT METHOD
(7)
The mass matrix of a finite element can be simplified by assuming that the
distibuted mass of the element can be lumped as point masses along
translational DOF
3 1
u and u
For, example if the mass of a uniform element is m per unit length, a point
mass of will be assigned to each end, leading to 2 / mL
ELEMENT (APPLIED) LOADVECTOR
INTRODUCTION TO FINITE LEMENT METHOD
(8)
When members of a structures are oriented in different directions, it
becomes necesssary to transformthe stiffness , mass, force relations for
each member from its local coordinate system to a single global
coordinate systemselectedfor the entire structures.
Since both local element DOF and structures DOF are defined along the
same set of cartesian coordinate, no transformation of coordinate is
required. Therefore,
2 2 1 1
, k k k k = =
If local element DOF and structures DOF do not have the same set of
cartesian coordinate, transformation of coordinate is required. Therefore,
e
T
e
a k a k =
The following example is given in derivation of transformation matrix.
(a)
(b)
(c)
Assemble the element stiffness matrices
The element mass matrices in their local DOF; and as for the stiffness
Matrix, . Thus
2 2 1 1
, m m m m = =
2 1
, m m
[ ]{ } [ ]{ } 0 = + u K u M & &
Assemble the element mass matrices
Diffrential equation of free vibration can be written as:
The Natural frequencies are determined by solving the eigen problem
[ ] [ ] 0
2
= M K
n

Repeat example using lump mass aproximation

Bcause the mass associated with the rotational DOF is
zero, they can be eliminated from the stiffness matrix by static
condensation. The resulting 2x2 stiffness matrix in term of the
translational DOF
3 1
u and u
4 2
u and u
Solve the eigenvalue problem to obatain natural frequencies:
Comparison of Finite Element and Exact Solutions