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Zienkiewicz 1964
Zienkiewicz 1964
Zienkiewicz 1964
6726
SYNOPSIS
The method of finite elements is extended to problems of bending of slabs.
The simplicity of formulation and of dealing with boundary conditionsallows
hitherto difficult problems of slabs with variable thickness and of orthotropic
slabs to be dealt with. The slab can be included in the analysis of a more
complex structure involving other types of members (such as beams, columns,
etc.) without difficulty. Several illustrative examples are given to show the
accuracy attainable and the range of problems that can be tackled by the
method,
INTRODUCTION
FORthe solution of slab problems even of moderate complexity, numerical
procedures have to be adopted. Of these, the finite difference approach has
to date been the most versatile and its well-known success amply justified.
In recent years another alternative procedure has been suggested. This is the
so-called ‘finite element’ approach pioneered by Clough and others.lSa
2. The philosophy of the ‘ h i t e element’ formulation is considerably dif-
ferent from that of the ‘finite difference’. While in the latter a numerical
approximation is made to the exact mathematical differential equation govern-
ing the problem by concentrating on a number ofselected values of the unknown
function at specified mesh points, in the former, a more physically obvious
approach is made. The structure, in the present case the slab, is divided into
a series of small elements. These elements are then ‘joined’at specified nodal
points only and continuity, together with equilibrium, is established at these
points. Now, not only the physical picture of theapproximationcan be
U1 = [,l:
0x1
. . . . . .
we can refer to the displacements of the finite element as
1:
Co-ordinates I
Nodal dirplacements
10. Similarly at every nodal point, ‘forces’ FIwill be assunled to exist, each
‘force’ consisting of three ‘components’, in thedirection of the displacements.
These components are simplytwo concentrated moments and a downward
force
. . . . .
and again the forces at the nodes of the finite element may be referred to
simply as
. . . (4)
11. Obviously, the nodal forces are a fictitious concept and represent in
some way a static equivalent of the shear forces and moments distributed along
the edges of the element. However, accepting for the moment this simplifica-
tion, it is clearly possible to write generally
FA = K A UA . . . . . . . (5)
N = S u . . . . . .
in which S is the stiffness matrix for the whole structure. The elements of
this matrix are built by adding the stiffness of the elements adjacent to a node.
Thus, the elements of S are built up as
si, =A =2 k:...:
1.2.
. . . . . . . (9)
13. The final relation (8) gives now a sufficient number of equations to
solve thecompleteproblem. If no displacements are specified, thematrix
willbe singular. However, in general, some displacement will be known at
the various supports of the plate, or can be arbitrarily specified to prevent
rigid body movements. The matrix is thenreduced by deleting the rows
corresponding to these known displacements and substituting their values in
the appropriate columns, with a resulting system of equations permitting all
the unknown displacements to be evaluated. This procedure will be recog-
nized asthegeneral stiffness analysis procedure used frequentlyin many
structural problems.
FOR ANALYSIS OF ELASTIC ISOTROPIC AND ORTHOTROPIC
SLABS 475
14. As the primary interest is usually in the internal distributed moments
of the elements, these have to be related with the displacements. In general
these will be given as *
[2IA=
a, i
E t uA . . . . . . (10)
* M,, My, M,, are internal moments defined in the conventional manner for slabs.
f As the even 4th order derivatives are zero,
it is clearthat the deflexion formassumed
also satisfies the well-known equation governing the deflexion at
an unloaded plate.
476 ZIENKIEWICZ
CHEUNG
ANDON THE FINITE ELEMENT
METHOD
[-Tw
19. The curvatures and twists at any point of the plate can now be deter-
mined in terms of the constants, and therefore
--a 2 W
X = 3x2 ]=BA=BC-IuA . . . . (15)
2-
axay
20. The internal moments are related to the curvatures by known expres-
sions from the theory of plates. For orthotropic materials this relationship
is determined in terms of four constants5
or simply M = Dx . . . . . (17)
where D stands for the appropriate matrix of coefficients.
21. At this stage itis possible to establish the equivalentvalues of the nodal
forces. By the principle of virtual work, if these forces are statically com-
patible withthe internal forces ( M ) ,then, during any virtual displacement,the
external work done must be equal to the internal work. In particular, if the
displacement i s such that it is unity in the directionof a selected external force
and zero in the directionof all other forces,the internal work will be the same
as the value of this selected force. Taking the virtual displacements 8uA as
equal to Z (the identity matrix) and writing out the corresponding external
work in matrix form, we have
W, = (FuA)'FA = IFA = F A . . . . . (18)
To each of these displacements corresponds an internal work done by the
moments equal to
W, = jJ ( 8 ~M) d~x d ~ . . . . (19)
where Sx = B C 1 ( 8 ~ =) ~( B C - l ) I = BC-' . . . (20)
Substituting for Sx and M and equating internal and external work results in
F A = JJ ( B C - l ) TD B C - l uAdxdy = [(C-l)T{J,fBTDBdxdy}C-']uA (21)
The only matrix dependent on the co-ordinates X and y in equation (21) is B
and the integrationof the central part has to be carried outover the entire area
of the element.
22. The whole expression in thesquarebrackets is simply therequired
stiffness matrix K* of the element, while obviously relations (15) and (17)
define the internal moments in terms of the nodaldisplacernents giving
M = (DBC-')uA . . . . . . (22)
Equation (22) is actually a definition of the matrix E t in equation (10).
FOR ANALYSIS OF ELASTIC ISOTROPIC AND ORTHOTROPIC SLABS 477
23. For a rectangular element, matrices K A and EA can be worked out
explicitly and are given in Appendix 1. When a completely general quadri-
lateral is used for anelement, it is convenient to perform thevarious operations
numerically. In fact, the whole process of inverting the matrix C, etc. can
be programmed fora computer and treated as a part of the complete solution.
It is convenient then to derive the integral in an explicit form.
24. The boundary conditions which have to be inserted in equation (6)
are either prescribed displacements or prescribed forces (along a free edge,
these are simply zero). No ambiguity or difficulty is experienced with corners
whether these are convex or concave.
THERMAL EFFECTS
30. Ifitis desired to includeinthe analysis theeffect of temperature
changes, this can be done by rewriting equation (17) as
M = Dk-xT) . . . . . . . (31)
with ,yT denoting the curvature changes occurring in an unrestrained element
due to temperaturealone.Repeatingthesteps (18) to (21) with this new
expression for the moment matrix, it will be found that
FA = KA~A-(C-l)T JJ BD& dxdy . . . . (32)
in which the last term represents thermal forces which have to be added to
obtain the thermal deformations.
Isotropic square plate clamped around the boundaries under uniform load
34. Fig. 2 and Table 1 summarize the results obtained.
35. Three sizesof elements wereused representingthe division of the
whole plateinto 4, 16, 36, and 64 square elements. For comparisonare
* m being the mass per unit area of the plate, and W = da(w)/dta.
FOR ANALYSIS OF ELMTIC ISOTROPIC AND ORTHOTROPIC SLABS 479
DEFLEXION CURVE
16 X 16 finite difference
0 6 X 6 finite element
.. - ..-. .- h 4 X 4 finite element
BENDING MOMENT
FIG.2: CLAMPED
ISOTROPIC SQUARE PLATE UNDER UNIFORM LOAD q
TABLE
1
Finite element
3x3 . -0.60 0.03 - 1.70 -0.57
1 -0.51
~
Point
matching
solution9 . 0.00 ~ -1.26 -0.37
Multiplier qL2/4
TABLE
3
l
~ Point 1 Point 2
W M,
Finite
element
- ~~ - ~~ .-
2x2
4x4
-1
1 0.0126
0.0165
~~
~ 0.0232
0.095
. _,.
0.108
Marcus
Lee and
Bailerjeros'l
. 6. x 6.
. 1
1 0.0173
0.0180
0.0170
'
1
1
0.0244
0.0281
0.0265
0.109
0.110
0.109
Multiplier . . . . .
Point I, centre of side: point 2, centre of plate
TABLE
4
E I = LD Point 1 Point 2
Point2
Polnt I
DEFLEXIONSALONG B-B
(SHOWING ANTICLASTIC CURVATURE)
FIG.3 : CANTILEVERED
SQUARE PLATE UNDER UNIFORM LOAD q
Isotropic square plate with edge beams supported at corners (yniform load)
39. This example is included to show how the stiffness matrix of the plate
can be combined with that of other elements such as beams. A general stiff-
ness matrix of a beam element (Appendix 2 ) is combined simply with the plate
elements. In this particular case, the results of which are shown in Table 4
where they are compared with those obtained by T i m ~ s h e n k oa, ~6 X 6 division
of the plate was used and torsional rigidity of the beam ignored (though its
inclusion presents no additional difficulty). ’
D, = 6.025 D,,
D1 = 0.375 D,, deflexion
D,, = 0.9375 D,
Finite
element 2x2 1 0.00131 ,
4x4 l 0.00148 0.0767
-
6x6 I 0.00151 1
' 0.0181
0.0222 0.0798
Series
solution
___-__________-
. . . 1 0.00152 1 0,0222 0.0833
Multiplier . . . . 1 qL4/Dx
J
SECTION A-6 : W,DIAGRAfl
FIG.4: SQUARE
PLATE WITH A CIRCULAR HOLE (V =0.3)
FOR ANALYSIS OF ELASTIC ISOTROPIC AND ORTHOTROPIC
SLABS 483
a rectangular shape was used here, a skew situation can easily be worked out
allowing forthe special shape of elements required. The slab issimply
supported along two edges and free along the others.
CONCLUSIONS
44. The few examples included in the Paper which show the comparison
of both deflexions and moments obtained by the finite element method and
available exact solutions, indicate remarkable agreement even for relatively
G,
FIG.5 A : VARIABLETHICKNESSORTHOTROPICPLATE
FIG.5B: DEFLEXION
CURVESOFVARIABLETHICKNESSORTHOTROPICPLATE
484 ZIENKIEWICZ AND CHEUNG ON FINITE
THE ELEMENT METHOD
1
APPENDIX
48. The matrix K A for a rectangular element shown in Fig. 6 is iven below. The
axes of orthotropy areassumed parallel and perpendicular tothe sifes of the element.
Directions of
prthotropy
Writing
I-0
0 20
0 3Op-I 60p - Symmetricalp =
0 0 0 0 b
0 10 15p-1 0 20
0 15p-I 30p-' 0 3Op-1 6 0 ~ - ~
0 0 0 0 0
0 10 3Op-I
0 - 3 0 ~ - 1 - 60p-=
0 0 n 0 0- 0- 0 0- 0 0
0 5 15p-1 0 10 3Op-: 0 10 -15p-I 0 20
0 - 1 5 ~ - l - 30p-' 0 - 3 0 ~ - ' - 6 0 ~ - 0 - 15p-I 30p-' 0 - 30p-- l 6 0 ~ - ~
20
0 0
-3Op 0 60p2 Symmetrical
10 0 -3Op 20
0 0 0 0 0
30p 0 -6Op' 30p 0 60p2
10 0 -15p 5 0 2015p
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- 15p 0 30p' - 15p 0 - 3 0 ~ ' -3Op 0 60p2
5 0 -15p 10 0 15p 10 0 -3Op 20
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
-
15p 0 - 3 0 ~ ' 15p 0 30p" 30p 0 - 60p2 30p 0 60p'
J
0
15p 30
D O 0 Svmmetrical
0 -15p
- 1 5 p -30
0 15p --l
1
O n 0 0 0 li: n
15p-1, 0 -30
!
0 0
0 0
0 3 0
L _I
K4 =
l- -1
486 ZIENKIEWICZ
CHEUNG
ANDON THE FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
I l
l
FOR ANALYSIS OF ELASTIC ISOTROPIC AND ORTHOTROPIC SLABS 487
The internal moments are given by the equation
1
M = - E A uA,
ab
and E A is defined on p. 486.
APPENDIX
2
49. The stiffness matrix of a beam element (Fig. 7) is as follows:
2 -6
6 -12
4 -6
6 12
Y -Y
-Y Y
y =
GJ
-.
where
EI
REFERENCES
1. M. J. TURNER, er al. Stiffnessanddeflexionanalysis ofcomplex structures.
J . Aero. Sri., vol. 23, no. 9, 1956, pp. 805-823.
2. R. W.CLOUGH.Thefiniteelementmethod in planestressanalysis.Proc. 2nd
Conf. on Electronic Computation, Amer. Soc. civ. Engrs,8-9 September, 1960.
3. D. N. DE G. ALLEN and R. T. SEVERN. The stresses in foundation rafts. Proc.
Instn ciu. Engrs. Part I: vol. 15, January 1960, pp. 35-48. Part IT: vol. 20,
October 1961, pp. 293-304.
4. R. J. MELOSH.A stiffnessmatrix for theanalysisofthinplatesinbending.
J. Aero. Sri., vol. 28, 1961, pp. 34-42.
5. S. TIMOSHENKO and S . WOINOWSKY-KRIEGER.‘Theory of platesandshells.’
2nd edition, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1959.
6. R. V. SOUTHWELL. ‘Relaxation methods in theoretical physics’, vol.11. Univer-
sity Press, Oxford, 1956.
7. R. K. LIVESLEY and P. C. BIRCHALL.Analysisof a loadedcantileverplateby
finitedifferencemethods.R.A.E.,Tech.NoteM.S. 26, June 1956.
S. J. W. DALLEY.Experimentalvalues of deflexion,stresses,andinfluenceco-
efficients for a thin square plate fixed along one edge. Defense Res. Lab. Rept,
no. 189, Univ. Texas, November 1948.
488 ZIENKIEWICZ AND CHEUNG ON THE FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
FOR ANALYSIS OF ELASTIC ISOTROPIC AND ORTHOTROPIC SLABS
The Paper, which was first received on 26 March, 1963, and in final form
on 9 August, 1963, is accompanied by 7 sheets of drawings, from which the
Figures in the text have been prepared.