FINITE ELEMENT METHODS

AE-5310-001
Lectures
by Andrey Beyle, Ph.D., Dr. Eng. Sci.
Professor in Practice
MAE UTA
Spring, 2016

Lecture 10. Additional aspects of

the plane problem in FEM
10.1. Body Force.
Usually it is considered that the body forces are
varying in the scale of the whole structure but not in
the scale of the element. The treatment of the body
force is simple: let it is applied to the center of
gravity of the element and it acting on the element
as on the mass point of the mass equal to the mass
of element. M At
It is better to decompose this force to two forces
acting along the axes of the global system.

If the element has a node at its center of gravity, then the whole
bulk force is applied to this node only. If there is no node at the
center of gravity (as in constant-strain triangular element
analyzed at the previous lecture) then the calculated force has
to be distributed among the nodes. Your textbook suggests to
put 1/3 of the calculated bulk force at each node. It satisfies to
balance of forces but not satisfied to the balance of the
moments. Redistribution of the bulk force between nodes has to
give the same bulk force but zero bulk moment on the element.

10.2. Surface load on the boundary.

If the load on the boundary is distributed uniformly, it is
distributed among boundary nodes uniformly also. Product of
the pressure or distributed shear load on the length of the part
of the boundary, where it is acting and on the thickness of the
plate analyzed will give the corresponding total boundary force.
It is divided on the number of boundary nodes and these are
prescribed boundary conditions in nodal sense. In non-uniform
applied distributed force, it is necessary to integrate it along the
edge of element to find an acting force
b

P t q l dl
a

and to find the moment about a non-boundary node

b

M t q l rdl
a

The forces acting in two boundary nodes of an element have

to give the same resultant force and the same resultant
moment as the integral characteristics written above. If
node belongs to two neighbor elements, forces on it are
summarized.

Analyzed structure with given boundary conditions and bulk forces

has to be verified (before any meshing operation) for equilibrium
and kinematically that it is not moving mechanism. After
prescribing of the bulk forces and boundary forces it has to be
verified again because some small resultant moment can be
created as a result of discretization.

10.3. Rectangular element

Rectangular element
was proposed at the
initial stage of the
development of FEM. It
is not used now and it is
replaced by
quadrilateral element.

Correct tetragon/quadrilateral model of the

element has to be non-orthogonal one. We
can suppose that it is rectangular initially
but it has to be allowed to change the
angles after deformation and to have not
obligatory equal opposite sides. If formulae
are derived for the rectangular element but
strains and stresses are acting in the
deformed state, the hidden error is
introduced, which appeared big in the
assembling deformed body and calculations
of the total displacements. Rectangular
elements are convenient in the problems of
thermal conductivity, when thermal
expansion is neglected.

 u1
v
1
u2

v2
d ;



u4
v
4

u x, y a1 a2 x a3 y a4 xy;

v x, y a5 a6 x a7 y a8 xy;

Further development of the element is similar to the

triangular one.

10.4. Linear strain triangular elements (Chapter 8).

One more initially proposed but not ideal model. Approximation function contains
12 coefficients. 6 nodes together have 12 degrees of freedom. However, after
deformation, element will not be triangular and neighbor elements will not
produce continuous medium. To keep sides straight after deformation, we need to
subtract one degree of freedom from each non-corner node (they will be allowed
to move along the lines connecting corner nodes). Now we either have to remove 3
terms from written approximation function, or to add 3 additional points on the
sides of the triangle.

10.5. Notes about allowable errors.

There are different forms of FEM. The most popular method is
the method of virtual displacements, which corresponds to
Lagrange variation principle. This method can be derived also
without variational principles. It is based on so-called weak form
of governing equations of the theory of elasticity. This form can
be obtained from the exact (strong) form of equations by
multiplication by some weight functions and by integration over
the element. Thus, the equation of equilibrium of element will
be satisfied in average. However, these methods are based on
the assumption that the kinematical equations are fulfilled
exactly. Violation of this requirement resulted in elevated errors,
what was discussed about two previous elements. In the force
method, which is coming from Castigliano principle, the
equations of equilibrium have to be fulfilled exactly but
kinematical conditions can be slightly violated.

Homework #2.
Solve one problem from the Chapter 5. The number of your problem is 5.x, where
x=n+1, here n is the last digit of your ID. For example, your last digit is 7. Your problem is
5.8.

Project

Plate is loaded by constant tension 100 Mpa. Material aluminum alloy 2014 T6.
Plate is attached by hard steel (2800 Maraging steel) bolts to foundation. Sizes of
the plate (L*H*t) are 300mm*200mm*10mm. Diameters of the bolts are 1x mm,
where x is the last digit of your student #. For example, your ID is finished by 7.
Bolts are 17 mm in diameter. Distance a is equal to three diameters of the bolts.
Boundary conditions: centers of the bolts are fixed (not moving). Left half is ideal
contact between bolt and opening. Right half of the opening is free.

Task. Find stress distributions in plate and bolts. How different is the stress
concentration among the openings? Is the load distributed among the bolts evenly?
What is the ratio of the equivalent von Mises stress and yield limit for the materials?
If in your case the yield is happened, find more safe load level and recalculate the
stresses.

Thank you.
Questions?