Plates and Shells: Theory and Computation

- 4D9 -
Dr Fehmi Cirak (fc286@)
Office: Inglis building mezzanine level (INO 31)
 Outline -1-
! This part of the module consists of seven lectures and will focus on finite
elements for beams, plates and shells. More specifically, we will consider
! Review of elasticity equations in strong and weak form

! Beam models and their finite element discretisation

! Euler-Bernoulli beam
! Timoshenko beam

! Plate models and their finite element discretisation

! Shells as an assembly of plate and membrane finite elements

! Introduction to geometrically exact shell finite elements

! Dynamics

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 Outline -2-
! There will be opportunities to gain hands-on experience with the
implementation of finite elements using MATLAB
! One hour lab session on implementation of beam finite elements (will be not marked)
! Coursework on implementation of plate finite elements and dynamics

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 Why Learn Plate and Shell FEs?
! Beam, plate and shell FE are available in almost all finite element software
packages
! The intelligent use of this software and correct interpretation of output requires basic
understanding of the underlying theories

! FEM is able to solve problems on geometrically complicated domains

! Analytic methods introduced in the first part of the module are only suitable for computing plates
and shells with regular geometries, like disks, cylinders, spheres etc.

! Many shell structures consist of free form surfaces and/or have a complex topology
! Computational methods are the only tool for designing such shell structures

! FEM is able to solve problems involving large deformations, non-linear

material models and/or dynamics

! FEM is very cost effective and fast compared to experimentation

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 Literature
! JN Reddy, An introduction to the finite element method, McGraw-Hill (2006)

! TJR Hughes, The finite element method, linear static and dynamic finite element
analysis, Prentice-Hall (1987)

! K-J Bathe, Finite element procedures, Prentice Hall (1996)

! J Fish, T Belytschko, A first course on finite elements, John Wiley & Sons (2007)

! 3D7 - Finite element methods - handouts

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 Examples of Shell Structures -1-
! Civil engineering

Masonry shell structure (Eladio Dieste) Concrete roof structure (Pier Luigi Nervi)

! Mechanical engineering and aeronautics

Ship hull (sheet metal and frame) Fuselage (sheet metal and frame)
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 Examples of Shell Structures -2-
! Consumer products

! Nature

Crusteceans Ficus elastica leaf Red blood cells

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 Representative Finite Element Computations

Wrinkling of an inflated party balloon

Virtual crash test (BMW)

buckling of carbon nanotubes

Sheet metal stamping (Abaqus)

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 Shell-Fluid Coupled Airbag Inflation -1-
0.86 m

0.49 m

0.74 m

0.025 m
0.8
6m

0.123 m
Shell mesh: 10176 elements Fluid mesh: 48x48x62 cells

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 Shell-Fluid Coupled Airbag Inflation -2-

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 Detonation Driven Fracture -1-
Fractured tubes (Al 6061-T6)

! Modeling and simulation challenges

! Ductile mixed mode fracture
! Fluid-shell interaction

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 Detonation Driven Fracture -2-

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 Roadmap for the Derivation of FEM
! As introduced in 3D7, there are two distinct ingredients that are combined
to arrive at the discrete system of FE equations
! The weak form
! A mesh and the corresponding shape functions

! In the derivation of the weak form for beams, plates and shells the
following approach will be pursued
1) Assume how a beam, plate or shell deforms across its thickness
2) Introduce the assumed deformations into the weak form of three-dimensional elasticity
3) Integrate the resulting three-dimensional elasticity equations along the thickness direction
analytically

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 Elasticity Theory -1-
! Consider a body in its undeformed (reference) configuration

! The body deforms due to loading and the material points move by a displacement

! Kinematic equations; defined based on displacements of an infinitesimal

volume element)
! Axial strains

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 Elasticity Theory -2-
! Shear components

! Stresses
! Normal stress components

! Shear stress component

! Shear stresses are symmetric

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 Elasticity Theory -3-
! Equilibrium equations (determined from equilibrium of an infinitesimal
volume element)
! Equilibrium in x-direction

! Equilibrium in y-direction

! Equilibrium in z-direction

! are the components of the external loading vector (e.g., gravity)

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 Elasticity Theory -4-
! Hookes law (linear elastic material equations)

! With the material constants Youngs modulus and Poissons ratio

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 Index Notation -1-
! The notation used on the previous slides is rather clumsy and leads to very
long expressions

! Matrices and vectors can also be expressed in index notation, e.g.

! Summation convention: a repeated index implies summation over 1,2,3, e.g.

! A comma denotes differentiation

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 Index Notation -2-
! Kronecker delta

! Examples:

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 Elasticity Theory in Index Notation -1-
! Kinematic equations

! Note that these are six equations

! Equilibrium equations

! Note that these are three equations

! Linear elastic material equations

! Inverse relationship

! Instead of the Youngs modulus and Poissons ratio the Lame constants can be used

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 Weak Form of Equilibrium Equations -1-
! The equilibrium, kinematic and material equations can be combined into
three coupled second order partial differential equations

! Next the equilibrium equations in weak form are considered in preparation

for finite elements
! In structural analysis the weak form is also known as the principle of virtual displacements

! To simplify the derivations we assume that the boundaries of the domain are fixed (built-in, zero
displacements)

! The weak form is constructed by multiplying the equilibrium equations with test functions vi which
are zero at fixed boundaries but otherwise arbitrary

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 Weak Form of Equilibrium Equations -1-
! Further make use of integration by parts

! Aside: divergence theorem

! Consider a vector field and its divergence

! The divergence theorem states

! Using the divergence theorem equation (1) reduces to

! which leads to the principle of virtual displacements

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 Weak Form of Equilibrium Equations -2-
! The integral on the left hand side is the internal virtual work performed by the internal stresses due to virtual
displacements

! The integral on the right hand side is the external virtual work performed by the external forces due to virtual
displacements

! Note that the material equations have not been used in the preceding derivation.
Hence, the principle of virtual work is independent of material (valid for elastic, plastic,
)
! The internal virtual work can also be written with virtual strains so that the principle of
virtual work reads

! Try to prove

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