LECTURE 16 - OUTLINE

The Finite Element Method

2D and 3D Problems - Nonlinear materials
(a) Solution procedures
- Initial stress method: elasto-plastic model
(b) Case Studies
(c) A more mathematical approach
(d) Incremental - Iterative (mixed) approach
(e) Case Studies

ROCK MECHANICS 2
Giovanni Barla
Politecnico di Torino
STRUCTURAL AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

FEM
FEM FOR
FOR NONLINEAR
NONLINEAR MATERIALS
MATERIALS
b)
elasto-plastic
b) elasto-plastic material
material

INITIAL STRESS APPROACH

Diagrammatic representation of uniaxial loading

INITIAL STRESS/STRESS TRANSFER APPROACH

The initial stress, also called stress transfer approach

can be used to solve elasto-plastic problems

1
R1

Let us first remind the following:

(a) The constitutive law for an elasto-plastic material is written as follows,in
incremental form:

0
y

[] = [Cep] []

where [Cep] is the elasto-plastic matrix which is used instead of the stiffness
matrix [C] which applies for a linealrly elastic material, always retaining the
incremental form.
This equation applies when the state of stress is such that:

R1

E1

h
h
h
h

(1)ep

(1)el

()1 = ()1,el - ()1,ep

(1)el
E1

F([],[k]) = 0

If F([],[k]) < 0, the material behaviour is elastic (ILE)

(b) The previous constitutive law holds true for small strains. In stress
analyses where significant increments of the applied load occur in
conjunction with significant increments in strain, the state of stress may
be such that we go far from the yield surface

continue

The specimen undergoes an increment

of load R1, starting with the state of
stress 0, assuming that the applied
stress is greater than the yield stress y

continue

INITIAL STRESS APPROACH

From uniaxial loading to a general case

(e) The displacements, strains and stresses due to [R]1 can be computed
as follows, always for the element under consideration:

(a) The analysis starts with the application of the load vector [R]1
assuming that the initial condition is given by []0; we can compute:
[]1,el e []1,el

[u]1 = [K]-1 [R]1

(b) A new state of stress []1 is computed as sum of []0 present prior
to the application of [R]1 and []1,el

[]2 = [C] []2 - []1

(c) Based on []1,el the increment of stresss []1,ep, is computed according

to the elasto-plastic behaviour:
[]1,ep = [Cep] []1,el
(d) Then, the following stress difference can be computed:
[]1 = []1,el - []1,ep
from which:
[R]1 =

[]2 = [B] [u]1

(f) Go back to (b) and repeat steps (b) to (e) up to obtaining a small value
of [] which can be considered as acceptable
(g) The computation cycle continues up to the maximum stress level
applied to the FEM model

Ve [B]T []1dV,

with []1 representing the initial stress

A MORE MATHEMATICAL APPROACH

A MORE MATHEMATICAL APPROACH

It is worth while to re-examine the whole problem mathematically

by applying the Newton method of solving general nonlinear equations
of the form: (x)=0
d
dx n

(x)

(xn)
True Solution

d
dx

If a trial value of xn is found

sufficiently close to the correct
one but at which (x) # 0, the
improved, trial solution can be
obtained by finding:
xn= xn+1 + xn+1
where:

(x)

where:
d
()o
xn+1 = -(xn)/
dx
(xn)

True Solution

xn+1 = -(xn)/ d (x)

n
dx
xn+1

xn

x
Newton iteration process with tangent stiffness

An alternative approach would be

to use at all stages a constant value
of :
d (x)
o
dx

Xn+1

Xn
x

Convergence of such a process

would be slower and is illustrated
in the figure on the left
The same ideas can fairly obviously
be extended to nonlinear equations
of many variables

Newton iteration process with constant stiffness

INITIAL STRESS APPROACH

CASE EXAMPLES

A MORE MATHEMATICAL APPROACH

NEWTON-RAPHSON MODIFIED METHOD (MNR)
load

2m

True solution
2 Unbalanced load

K0

R1

m
y
1.0

u2
u1

ui

0.5

Displacement

Tangent stiffness:

[K]j [u]j = []j-1

Constant stiffness:

[K]o[u]j = []j-1

Elastic solution

hh
h

Elastoplastic solution

E
y

j=iteration number

Circular hole in a plate

From Zienkiewicz,1971

INITIAL STRESS APPROACH

CASE EXAMPLES

INITIAL STRESS APPROACH

CASE EXAMPLES

p0

3
3
Rpl

Deep circular tunnel

1
1

Phase2 Solutions

Near surface tunnel with lining

From Zienkiewicz,1971

FEM
FEM SOLUTION
SOLUTION OF
OF AA NONLINEAR
NONLINEAR ELASTIC
ELASTIC PROBLEM
PROBLEM

INCREMENTAL - ITERATIVE (MIXED) APPROACH

incremental
incremental--iterative
iterativeapproach
approach

1= 743 kPa

load

The model to be used is shown in the figure

(it comprises 200 Q4 elements - 4 nodes - and
231 nodes). Two plane strain analyses were
performed by using the incremental - iterative
approach. The constitutive law is of hyperbolic
type (see lecture 3)

True solution

Ri+1

Ri
Ri-1

u=0

5 cm

Analysis
Analysis11

h
3=293 kPa

x
ui-1

ui

Ui+1

displacement

u=0,
v=0

A very efficient solution approach for solving nonlinear problems is the

incremental - iterative (mixed) approach, where within each
incremental step the iterative approach is applied up to obtaining
a nearly negligible value of the unbalanced force

Analysis
Analysis22

v=0

2.5 cm

The initial state of stress is hydrostatic

(1 = 3=293 kPa). The specimen is loaded in
three steps up to 1 = 743 kPa:

Input Parameters

step 1, 1 = 200 kPa

step 2, 1 = 150 kPa
step 3, 1 = 100 kPa

continue

FEM
FEM SOLUTION
SOLUTION OF
OF AA NONLINEAR
NONLINEAR ELASTIC
ELASTIC PROBLEM
PROBLEM

FEM
FEM SOLUTION
SOLUTION OF
OF AA NONLINEAR
NONLINEAR ELASTIC
ELASTIC PROBLEM
PROBLEM

incremental
incremental--iterative
iterativeapproach
approach

600

1 - 3
(kPa)

Analysis
Analysis11

The initial state of stress is hydrostatic

(1 = 3=293 kPa). The specimen is loaded in one
step only up to 1 = 743 kPa

incremental
incremental--iterative
iterativeapproach
approach

600

1 - 3
(kPa)

Analysis
Analysis22

(1 - 3)f =515 kPa

(1 - 3)f = 515 kPa

500

500

400

400

100

300

300

50

200

100

max
(kPa)

Iteration Number = 30
max
= 5 kPa

500

1000

Iteration Number = 30
= 10 kPa
max

10

1500

20

30

Iteration nr.

1(%)

Increment 3
1 = 100 kPa

h
Increment 2
1 = 150 kPa

100

max
(kPa)

Iteration Number = 18
= 1.5 kPa
max

Increment 1
1 = 200 kPa

200

100

Iteration Number = 6
= 2 kPa
max

500

50

10

1000

1500

20

30

Iteration nr.

1(%)