Useful Formulae

For a spring element in a horizontal direction, the force-displacement relation can be written
as
)
`

=
)
`

x
x
x
x
d
d
k k
k k
F
F
2
1
2
1

where k is the spring stiffness.
For a linear tensile element, the element stiffness matrix [K] and the element mass matrix [M]
are given as
| |
(

=
1 1
1 1
L
AE
K
| |
(

=
2 1
1 2
6
AL
M


For a spring element oriented u from the x-axis in an x y plane, the force-displacement
relation can be obtained after pre- and post-multiplying the previous stiffness matrix, i.e.

(
(
(
(
(

y
x
y
x
y
x
y
x
d
d
d
d
sym
k
F
F
F
F
2
2
1
1
2
2
2 2
2 2
2
2
1
1
sin
sin cos cos
sin sin cos sin
sin cos cos sin cos cos
u
u u u
u u u u
u u u u u u

(a) For a tensile element, the term k is replaced by
L
AE
.
(b) For a torsion element, the term k is replaced by
L
GJ
.
The displacement function of an Euler beam is given as:
2
2
3 2
2
3
3
2
2
1
2
3 2
1
3
3
2
2
2 3 2 2 3
1 | |
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ +
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ +
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ =
L
x
L
x
d
L
x
L
x
L
x
L
x
x d
L
x
L
x
v
y y

The displacement function of a tensile element is given as:
)
`

=
x
x
d
d
L
x
L
x
u
2
1
1 or
x x
d
L
x
d
L
x
u
2 1
1 + |
.
|

\
|
=
For an Euler beam element, the force-displacement relation is given as

(
(
(
(

2
2
1
1
2 2
2 2
3
2
2
1
1
4 6 2 6
6 12 6 12
2 6 4 6
6 12 6 12
|
|
y
y
y
y
d
d
L L L L
L L
L L L L
L L
L
EI
M
F
M
F

For a linear Euler beam element, the element stiffness matrix [K] and the element mass
matrix [M] are given as
| |
(
(
(
(

=
2
2 2
3
4
6 12
2 6 4
6 12 6 12
L sym
L
L L L
L L
L
EI
K
| |
(
(
(
(

=
2
2 2
4
22 156
3 13 4
13 54 22 156
420
L sym
L
L L L
L L
AL
M


The equivalent nodal load for a linear element for different types of loads



Transformation matrix between an x' y' coordinate system and an x y coordinate system


)
`

=
)
`

'
'
y
x
y
x
u u
u u
cos sin
sin cos

x
y
x'
y'
u
L
a b
L
3
2
) 2 (
L
b L Pa +

2
2
L
Pab

2
2
L
b Pa

3
2
) 2 (
L
a L Pb +

x
y
P
w
L
L
2
wL

2
wL

12
2
wL

12
2
wL

x
y
L
20
3wL

20
7wL

30
2
wL

20
2
wL

w
L
x
y
The general transformed global stiffness matrix for an Euler beam element
| |
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(

=
2
2
2
2 2
2 2
2 2
3
4
cos 6 cos 12
sin 6 cos sin 12 sin 12
2 cos 6 sin 6 4
cos 6 cos 12 cos sin 12 cos 6 cos 12
sin 6 cos sin 12 sin 12 sin 6 cos sin 12 sin 12
L sym
L
L
L L L L
L L
L L
L
EI
K
u u
u u u u
u u
u u u u u u
u u u u u u u u

The general transformed global stiffness matrix for a plane frame element.
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(

+
|
.
|

\
|
+

|
.
|

\
|
+
|
.
|

\
|
+

|
.
|

\
|

|
.
|

\
|
+
|
.
|

\
|
+
=
I sym
C
L
I
C
L
I
AS
S
L
I
CS
L
I
A S
L
I
AC
I C
L
I
S
L
I
I
C
L
I
C
L
I
AS CS
L
I
A C
L
I
C
L
I
AS
S
L
I
CS
L
I
A S
L
I
AC S
L
I
CS
L
I
A S
L
I
AC
L
E
K
4
6 12
6 12 12
2
6 6
4
6 12 12 6 12
6 12 12 6 12 12
] [
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

where u sin = S and u cos = C .
Lagranges interpolation formula
The basic form of the Lagranges polynomial in a single coordinate system is
( ) ( )

=
=
n
i
i
n
i
f x L x f
0
, where ( ) x L
n
i
is the Lagrange multiplier function and is given by
( )
( )( ) ( )( ) ( )
( )( ) ( )( ) ( )
n i i i i i i i
n i i n
i
x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x
x L


=
+
+
... ...
... ...
1 1 1 0
1 1 1 0

Hermitian polynomial
( ) ( ) ( )

= =
' + =
n
i
i i
n
i
i i
f x V f x U x f
0 0

where f
i
and
i
f ' are the function value and the first derivative respectively at point i, and
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) | |
2
2 1 x L x x x L
dx
d
x U
n
i i x x
n
i i
i (

=
=

( ) ( ) ( ) | |
2
x L x x x V
n
i i i
=