1

1
Trusses
Lecture Notes
Dr Mohd Afendi
Universiti Malaysia Perlis
ENT467 Finite Element Analysis
2
Introduction
The discussion of truss will cover:
Two dimensional trusses (plane trusses)
section 4.2
Three dimensional trusses section 4.3
Some consideration in truss:
All loads and joints are connected together at
their ends by pin joints
Friction will be ignored

3
Plane Trusses
Local and global coordinate systems
In plane trusses the is orientations of each elements
Local and global coordinate systems will be introduced to
account the different orientations

1
2
X

Y

X

Local coordinate
1
2
1
2
u

q
2
q
1
q
2
u

Global coordinate
q
1
q
3
q
4
q
1
= q
1
cosu + q
2
sin u

q
2
= q
3
cosu + q
4
sin u

4
Plane Trusses
Local and global coordinate systems
1
2
X

Y

X

Local coordinate
1
2
1
2
u

q
2
q
1
q
2
u

Global coordinate
q
1
q
3
q
4
q
1
= q
1
cosu + q
2
sin u

q
2
= q
3
cosu + q
4
sin u

Element displacement Element displacement
| |
T
q q q
2 1
, ' ' = ' | |
T
q q q q q
4 3 2 1
, , , =
5
Plane Trusses
Local and global coordinate systems
Element displacement Element displacement
| |
T
q q q
2 1
, ' ' = ' | |
T
q q q q q
4 3 2 1
, , , =
u u sin cos
2 1 1
q q q + = '
u u sin cos
4 3 2
q q q + = '
Local Global
Lq q = '
(

=
m l
m l
L
0 0
0 0
u
u
sin
cos
=
=
m
l
6
Plane Trusses
Formulas for calculating
Direction cosines
1
2
u

|

(x
1
, y
1
)
(x
2
, y
2
)
y
2
- y
1
x
2
- x
1
e
l
x x
l
1 2
cos

= = u
e
l
y y
m
1 2
sin cos

= = = u |
( ) ( )
2
1 2
2
1 2
y y x x l
e
+ =
2
7
Plane Trusses
Element Stiffness Matrix
1
2
u

|

(x
1
, y
1
)
(x
2
, y
2
)
y
2
- y
1
x
2
- x
1
(

=
1 1
1 1
e
e e
l
A E
k
q k q U
T
e
' ' ' =
2
1
From previous chapter
| |q L k L q U
T T
e
' =
2
1
Lq q = '
kq q U
T
e 2
1
=
Direction cosines
Strain energy in global coordinate
| | L k L k
T
' =
(
(
(
(
(

=
2 2
2 2
2 2
2 2
m lm m lm
lm l lm l
m lm m lm
lm l lm l
l
A E
k
e
e e
8
Plane Trusses
Element Stiffness Matrix
kq q U
T
e 2
1
=
Strain energy in global coordinate
(
(
(
(
(

=
2 2
2 2
2 2
2 2
m lm m lm
lm l lm l
m lm m lm
lm l lm l
l
A E
k
e
e e
9
Plane Trusses
Stress calculation
1
2
u

|

(x
1
, y
1
)
(x
2
, y
2
)
y
2
- y
1
x
2
- x
1
c o
e
E =
Direction cosines
Stress in global coordinate
e
e
l
q q
E
1 2
' '
= o | |
)
`

'
'
=
2
1
1 1
q
q
l
E
e
e
o
| |q m l m l
l
E
e
e
= o
| |Lq
l
E
e
e
1 1 = o Lq q = '
10
Ex. 4.1
Consider the four-bar truss shown below. Given data
E = 29.5 x 10
6
psi and A
e
= 1 in
2
for all elements

a) Determine the element stiffness matrix for each element
b) Assemble the structural stiffness matrix K for the entire truss
c) Using the elimination approach, solve for the nodal
displacement
d) Recover the stress in each element
e) Calculate the reaction forces
11
Ex. 4.1
40 in
30 in
25000 lb
Y

X

E = 29.5 x 10
6
psi
A = 1.0 in
2
20000 lb
12
Solution
40 in
30 in
25000 lb
Y

X

E = 29.5 x 10
6
psi
A = 1.0 in
2
1
2
3
4
Q
3
Q
4
Q
1
Q
2
Q
7
Q
8
Q
5
Q
6
20000 lb
3
13
Solution
a) Determine the element stiffness matrix for each element
It is recommended to use a tabular
The nodal coordinate data:
Node x y
1 0 0
2 40 0
3 40 30
4 0 30
14
Solution
a) Determine the element stiffness matrix for each element
It is recommended to use a tabular
The element connectivity:
Element 1 2
1 1 2
2 3 2
3 1 3
4 4 3
15
Solution
a) Determine the element stiffness matrix for each element
It is recommended to use a tabular
The direction cosines:
Element l
e
l = cos u m = sin u
1 40 1 0
2 30 0 -1
3 50 0.8 0.6
4 40 1 0
16
Solution
a) Determine the element stiffness matrix for each element
Using Eq. 4.13 the element stiffness matrices for element 1
(
(
(
(
(

=
2 2
2 2
2 2
2 2
m lm m lm
lm l lm l
m lm m lm
lm l lm l
l
A E
k
e
e e
( )( )
( )
(
(
(
(

=
0 0 0 0
0 1 0 1
0 0 0 0
0 1 0 1
40
1 10 5 . 29
6
1
k
1 2 3 4
1
2
3
4
Global dof
17
Solution
a) Determine the element stiffness matrix for each element
Using Eq. 4.13 the element stiffness matrices for element 3
(
(
(
(
(

=
2 2
2 2
2 2
2 2
m lm m lm
lm l lm l
m lm m lm
lm l lm l
l
A E
k
e
e e
( )( )
( )
(
(
(
(

=
36 . 48 . 36 . 48 .
48 . 64 . 48 . 64 .
36 . 48 . 36 . 48 .
48 . 64 . 48 . 64 .
50
1 10 5 . 29
6
3
k
1 2 5 6
1
2
5
6
Global dof
18
Solution
a) Determine the element stiffness matrix for each element
Using Eq. 4.13 the element stiffness matrices for element 2 & 4
( )( )
( )
(
(
(
(

=
0 0 0 0
0 1 0 1
0 0 0 0
0 1 0 1
40
1 10 5 . 29
6
4
k
7 8 5 6
7
8
5
6
Global dof
( )( )
( )
(
(
(
(

=
1 0 1 0
0 0 0 0
1 0 1 0
0 0 0 0
30
1 10 5 . 29
6
2
k
5 6 3 4
5
6
3
4
Global dof
4
19
Solution
b) Assemble the structural stiffness matrix K for the entire truss
( )( )
( )
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(

=
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 . 15 0 . 15 0 . 15 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 76 . 5 0 . 20 0 32 . 4 76 . 5
0 0 . 15 0 . 15 68 . 22 0 0 76 . 5 68 . 7
0 0 0 0 0 . 20 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 . 15 0 0 . 15
0 0 0 76 . 5 0 0 32 . 4 76 . 5
0 0 0 68 . 7 0 0 . 15 76 . 5 68 . 22
600
1 10 5 . 29
6
K
1 2 3 4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
5 6 7 8
20
Solution
c) Using the elimination approach, solve for the nodal
displacement
( )( )
( )
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(

=
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 . 15 0 . 15 0 . 15 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 76 . 5 0 . 20 0 32 . 4 76 . 5
0 0 . 15 0 . 15 68 . 22 0 0 76 . 5 68 . 7
0 0 0 0 0 . 20 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 . 15 0 0 . 15
0 0 0 76 . 5 0 0 32 . 4 76 . 5
0 0 0 68 . 7 0 0 . 15 76 . 5 68 . 22
600
1 10 5 . 29
6
K
1 2 3 4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
5 6 7 8
Fixed support: 1, 2, 4, 7 and 8
21
Solution
c) Using the elimination approach, solve for the nodal
displacement
( )( )
( )

)

(
(
(

25000
0
20000
32 . 24 76 . 5 0
76 . 5 68 . 22 0
0 0 15
600
1 10 5 . 29
6
5
3
6
Q
Q
Q
.
10 25 . 22
10 65 . 5
10 12 . 27
3
3
3
6
5
3
in
Q
Q
Q

Displacements:
22
Solution
c) Using the elimination approach, solve for the nodal
displacement
.
10 25 . 22
10 65 . 5
10 12 . 27
3
3
3
6
5
3
in
Q
Q
Q

Displacements:
| | in Q
T
0 , 0 , 10 25 . 22 , 10 65 . 5 , 0 , 10 12 . 27 , 0 , 0
3 3 3
=
Displacements vector for the entire structure:
23
Solution
d) Recover the stress in each element
| |
psi 20000
0
10 12 . 27
0
0
0 1 0 1
40
10 5 . 29
1
3
6
1
=

=

o
o
| | q m l m l
l
E
e
e
= o
For element 1: node 1 and node 2
Displacements: Q
1
, Q
2
, Q
3
, Q
4
1
2
3
4
24
Solution
d) Recover the stress in each element
| |
psi 21880
0
10 12 . 27
10 25 . 22
10 65 . 5
1 0 1 0
30
10 5 . 29
2
3
3
3
6
2
=

o
o
| | q m l m l
l
E
e
e
= o
For element 2: node 3 and node 2
Displacements: Q
5
, Q
6
, Q
3
, Q
4
5
6
3
4
5
25
Solution
d) Recover the stress in each element
| |
psi 5208
10 25 . 22
10 65 . 5
0
0
6 . 0 8 . 0 6 . 0 8 . 0
50
10 5 . 29
3
3
3
6
3
=

o
o
| | q m l m l
l
E
e
e
= o
For element 3: node 1 and node 3
Displacements: Q
1
, Q
2
, Q
5
, Q
6
1
2
5
6
26
Solution
d) Recover the stress in each element
| |
psi 4167
10 25 . 22
10 65 . 5
0
0
0 1 0 1
40
10 5 . 29
4
3
3
6
4
=

o
o
| | q m l m l
l
E
e
e
= o
For element 4: node 4 and node 3
Displacements: Q
1
, Q
2
, Q
5
, Q
6
1
2
5
6
27
Solution
e) Calculate the reaction forces
( )( )
( )

(
(
(
(
(
(

0
0
10 25 . 22
10 65 . 5
0
10 12 . 27
0
0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 . 15 0 0 . 15 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 . 20 0 0 . 20 0 0 0
0 0 32 . 4 76 . 5 0 0 32 . 4 76 . 5
0 0 76 . 5 68 . 7 0 0 . 15 76 . 5 68 . 22
600
1 10 5 . 29
3
3
3
6
8
7
4
2
1
R
R
R
R
R
R = KQ - F
Reaction forces along dofs 1, 2, 4, 7, and 8
28
Solution
d) Calculate the reaction forces
lb
R
R
R
R
R

0
4167
21879
3126
15833
8
7
4
2
1
R = KQ - F
Reaction forces along dofs 1, 2, 4, 7, and 8
29
Three-Dimensional Trusses
Local and global coordinate systems
The 3-D truss element can be treated as a straightforward
generalization of 2D truss element.

1
2
X

Local coordinate
1
2
1
2
q
1
q
2
Global coordinate
(q
1
i + q
2
j + q
3
k)
q
3
q
1
= q
1
cosu + q
2
sin u

q
2
= q
3
cosu + q
4
sin u

Y

X

Z

(q
4
i + q
5
j + q
6
k)
Deformed element

30
Three-Dimensional Trusses
Local and global coordinate systems
Element displacement Element displacement
| |
T
q q q
2 1
, ' ' = ' | |
T
q q q q q q q
6 5 4 3 2 1
, , , , , =
Local Global
Lq q = '
(

=
n m l
n m l
L
0 0 0
0 0 0
6
31
Three-Dimensional Trusses
Formulas for calculating
Direction cosines
1
2
u

|

(x
1
, y
1
)
(x
2
, y
2
)
y
2
- y
1
x
2
- x
1
e
l
x x
l
1 2
cos

= = u
e
l
y y
m
1 2
sin cos

= = = u |
( ) ( ) ( )
2
1 2
2
1 2
2
1 2
z z y y x x l
e
+ + =
e
l
z z
n
1 2

=
32
Three-Dimensional Trusses
Element Stiffness Matrix
kq q U
T
e 2
1
=
Strain energy in global coordinate
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(

=
2 2
2 2
2 2
2 2
2 2
2 2
n mn n l n n m n l
n m m m l n m m m l
n l lm l n l m l l
n mn n l n n m n l
n m m m l n m m m l
n l m l l n l m l l
l
A E
k
e
e e
33
Three-Dimensional Trusses
Assembly of Global stiffness matrix
The solution should take the advantage of symmetry and
sparsity of the global stiffness matrix.

The banded approach
The elements of each element stiffness matrix k
e
are directly place in
a banded matrix S
The skyline approach
The elements of k
e
are placed in a vector form with vertain
indentification pointers
34
Q P4.3
Displacement

Stress


Reaction at node 2