Beams and frames

Beams are slender members used for

supporting transverse loading.
Beams with cross sections symmetric with
respect to loading are considered.
M
= y
I
= / E
d 2 v / dx 2 = M / EI

Potential energy approach

Strain energy in an element of length dx is
dU =

1
dAdx

2A

1 M2
2
= 2 y dA dx
2 EI A

2
y
dA is the moment of inertia I
A

The total strain energy for the beam is given byL

1
2
2
U = EI d v / dx dx
20

Potential energy of the beam is then given byL

1
2
2
'
= EI d v / dx dx pvdx pm vm M k vk
20
m
k
0
Where-p is the distributed load per unit length
-pm is the point load at point m.
-Mk is the moment of couple applied at point k
-vm is the deflection at point m
-vk is the slope at point k.

Galerkins Approach
p
M

Here we start from equilibrium

of an elemental length.

V+dV
M+dM

dV/dx = p
dM/dx =V

d 2 v / dx 2 = M / EI

dx

2
d2
d
v 2 p=0
EI
dx
dx 2

For approximate solution by Galerkins approach-

2
d

d
v
2 p dx = 0
dx 2 EI
dx

is an arbitrary function using same basic functions as v

Integrating the first term by parts and splitting the interval 0 to L

to (0 to xm), (xm to xk) and (xk to L) we getxm

d vd
d d v
0 EI dx 2 dx 2 dx 0 pdx + dx EI dx 2
0
L

xk

d d v
d v d
d v d
EI 2 EI 2
EI 2
dx dx x
dx dx 0
dx dx
2

=0
xk

Further simplifying-

d 2v d 2
'
EI
dx

dx

m m m k k k = 0
0 dx 2 dx 2
0
L

and M are zero at support..at xm shear force is pm and at xk

Bending moment is -Mk

FINITE ELEMENT FORMULATION

Beam is divided in to elementseach node has two degrees of
freedom.
Degree of freedom of node j are Q2j-1 and Q2j
Q2j-1 is transverse displacement and Q2j is slope or rotation.
Q1
Q2

e1

Q3
Q4

e2

Q5
Q6

e3

Q7

e4

Q8

Q9
Q10

Q = [Q1, Q2 , Q3 KQ10 ]

Q is the global displacement vector.

Local coordinatesq1
q2

q3
e

q4

q = [q1 , q2 , q3 , q4 ]

= [v1 , v , v2 , v ]
'
1

'
2

The shape functions for interpolating v on an element are defined

in terms of from 1 to 1.
The shape functions for beam elements differ from those defined
earlier. Therefore, we define Hermite Shape Functions

Slope=0

H1

H2

Slope=0

Slope=0
Slope=1
Slope=0

H3

Slope=0

Slope=1

Slope=0

H4

Each Hermite shape function is of cubic order represented by-

H i = ai + bi + ci 2 + d i 3 K i = 1,2,3,4
The condition given in following table must be satisfied.

H1 H2

H2 H3

H3 H4

H4

=-1 1

=1

H1

Finding out values of coefficients and simplifying,

1
2
H1 = (1 ) (2 + )
4
1
2
H 2 = (1 ) ( + 1)
4
1
2
H 3 = (1 + ) (2 + )
4
1
2
H 4 = (1 + ) ( 1)
4

Hermite functions can be used to write v in the form-

dv
v( ) = H1v1 + H 2
d

dv
+ H 3v3 + H 4
1
d

The coordinates transform by relationship1

1+
x=
x1 +
x2
2
2
x1 + x2 x2 x1
=
+

2
2
le
dx = d
2

(x2-x1) is the length of

element le

dv le dv
=
d 2 dx
Therefore,
le
le
v( ) = H1q1 + H 2 q2 + H 3 q3 + H 4 q4
2
2
v = Hq
where
le
le

H = H1 , H 2 , H 3 , H 4
2
2

1
2
2
U e = EI d v / dx dx
2e
dv 2 dv
=
dx le d

and

d v 4 d v
=
2
dx
le d 2

substituting in above equation

d v
T 16 d H

= q 4
2
2
dx
le d
2

Where-

d 2H

d 2H

q
2
d

3 1 + 3 le 3 1 + 3 le
= ,
,
,

2
2
2
2
2
2

9 4 2 3 8 (1 + 3 )le 9 4 2 3 8 (1 + 3 )le

2
2
1 + 9 2

1 + 3 2 3

(
1
3
)
l
l
le

e
e
1
8
16
1 T 8 EI
4
d q
Ue = q
3
2
le 1 symmetric
2
3 8 (1 + 3 )le
9 4

1 + 3 2
l

Note that1

2
2
1 d = 3

d = 0 d = 2

This result can be written as1 T

U e = q ke q
2

Where Ke is element stiffness matrix given by

12 6le 12 6le

2
2
EI 6le 4le 6le 2le
ke = 3
le 12 6le 12 6le

2
2
6le 2le 6le 4le
It can be seen that it is a symmetric matrix.

Load vectorWe assume the uniformly distributed load p over the element.

ple 1

l pvdx = 2 1 Hd q
e
Substituting the value of H we get-

pvdx = f

eT

le

where
ple pl ple pl
f =
,
,
,

12
2 12 2
e

2
e

2
e

This is equivalent to the element shown belowp

1

Ple/2
Ple

le

2/12

Ple/2
e

-Ple2/12

The point loads Pm and Mk are readily taken care of by

introducing the nodes at the point of application.

Introducing local-global correspondence from potential energy

approach we get-

1 T
= Q KQ QF
2

And from Galerkins approach we get-

KQ F = 0
where = admissible virtual displacement
vector.
T

BOUNDARY CONSIDERATIONS
Let Qr = a.single point BC
Following Penalty approach, add 1/2C(Qr-a)2 to
C represents stiffness which is large in comparison
with beam stiffness terms.
C is added to Krr and Ca is added to Fr to getKQ = F
These equations are solved to get nodal displacements.
Ca
C
Dof =(2i-1)

C
Ca
Dof = 2i

Shear Force and Bending MomentWe have,

dM
d 2v
M = EI 2 V =
dx
dx

and

v = Hq

12 6le 12 6le
q1 ple 2
R1

R
pl 2 12
2
2
l
l
l
l

6
4
6
2
q

2 EI e
e
e
e
e
2 +
=

R
q
l
l
pl

2
12
6
12
6
l
e
e 3
e
e

R4
6le 2le2 6le 4le2 q4 ple2 12

V1 = R1

V2 = -R3

M1 = -R2

M 2 = R4

Beams on elastic support

Shafts supported on ball, roller, journal bearings
Large beams supported on elastic walls.
Beam supported on soil (Winkler foundation).
Stiffness of support contributes towards PE.
Let s be the stiffness of support per unit length.

1 l 2
additional term =
sv dx

2 0
v = Hq
1
= q T s H T H dx q
2 e
e

1
= q T kes
2 e
where kes is stiffness matrix for
elastic foundation
156 22le 54 13le

2
2
sle 22le 4le 13le 3le
s

ke =

420 54 13le 156 22le

13le 3le2 22le 4le2

PLANE FRAMES
Plane structure with rigidly connected members.
Similar to beams except that axial loads and deformations
are present.
We have 2 displacements and 1 rotation at each node.
3 dof at each node.
q =[q1, q2, q3, q4, q5, q6]T

Global and local coordinate systems

q5

q5

q4
q4

q6 (q6)
X

q2

q2
q1

q1
q3 (q3)

Y
X

q =[q1, q2, q3, q4, q5, q6]

l,m are the direction cosines of local coordinate system. XY

l = cos()
m =sin()
We can see from the figure thatq3 = q3
q3 = q6
which are rotations with respect to body.

q = Lq
Where-

l
m

0
L=
0
0

0 0 l m 0
0 0 m l 0

0 0 0 0 1

m 0 0 0 0
l 0 0 0 0
0 1 0 0 0

q2, q3,q5 and q6 are beam element dof while q1andq4

are like rod element dof.

Combining two stiffness and rearranging at proper locations we

get element stiffness matrix as EA
l
e

0
k 'e =
EA

le

EA
0
le

0
12 EI
le3
6 EI
le2

6 EI
le2
4 EI
le

12 EI
le3

6 EI
le2

0
0
EA
le

6 EI
le2

2 EI
le

12 EI 6 EI

le
le2

6 EI 2 EI
2

le
le

0
0

12 EI
6 EI
0
2
3
le
le
6 EI
4 EI
2

le
le
0

Strain energy of an element is given by1 T 'e

q' k q'
2
1
= q T LT k 'e Lq
2
by Galerkin ' s approach ,

Ue =

W e = 'T k 'e q '

= T LT k 'e Lq

Element stiffness matrix in global form can be written asK e = LT k 'e L

If there is distributed load on

member, we haveq 'T f ' = q T LT f '
where

Y
Y
X

ple pl
ple pl
,
,0,
,
f ' = 0,

2
12
2
12

f = LT f '
In global form,
2
e

KQ = F

2
e