Lecture 4: Use of Symmetry & Skewed Supports.

In last class we looked at P. 3.20.

In Steps 5 through 7, we saw a large
reduction in the size of the
assembled system. y x
3.8. Use of Symmetry in Structure.
Reflective Symmetry: correspondence
in size, shape and position of loads; x
material properties; and boundary y
conditions that are on opposite sides of
a dividing line or plane (pg.# 92).
Impose some known kinematic 5 kip
constraints.
The constraints eliminate DOFs for the
particular loading considered.
y
These constraints are implemented as
boundary conditions.
x

MECH 420: Finite Element Applications

 Lecture 4: Use of Symmetry & Skewed Supports.

P. 3.20 now involves only one truss element.

Repeating Steps 5 & 6 for the revised P. 3.20:
d1x = d1 y = d 2 x = 0.0 F2 y = 5.0 kip
AE kip
= 35.36
C (1)2 (1)
C S (1)
C (1)2
C S
(1) (1)
L1 in

AE C (1) S (1) S (1)2 C (1) S (1) S (1)2
k (1)
=
L1 C (1)2 C (1) S C (1)2 C (1) S (1)
(1) (1) C (1) = 0.707
C S S (1)2 C (1) S (1) S (1)2 S (1) = 0.707

F1x 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 d1x

F1 y kip 0.5 0.5 0.5 d1 y
= 35.36
F2 x in 0.5 0.5 d 2 x
F2 y SYM 0.5 d 2 y

5.0 kip = 35.36

kip
in
( d2 y ) d 2 y = 0.283 in

MECH 420: Finite Element Applications

 Lecture 4: Use of Symmetry & Skewed Supports.

Step 7: recovery.
Recovering the internal stress in element 1.
Regardless of solution scheme used (whether we applied symmetry or
not) we recover the element stress (or any other elemental value) based on
the element node displacements.

The element state

vector.
d1x
(1) d
d1x
[ 1 +1] 0 0 C (1) S (1) d1 y

(1)
E E C S 0 0
x (1) = [ 1 +1] =
2L d 2 x 2L 2x

d
2 y
0.0

lbf (1) 0.0
x (1) = 7071 2 C (1)
S (1)
C (1)
S = 1414 psi
in 0.0
0.283

MECH 420: Finite Element Applications

 Lecture 4: Use of Symmetry & Skewed Supports.

Examples of symmetry in Structures (& loads).

Symmetry in structure and in the applied Symmetry in structure but no symmetry in

loading. the applied loading.

MECH 420: Finite Element Applications

 Lecture 4: Use of Symmetry & Skewed Supports.

3.9 Inclined, or Skewed, Supports.

Boundary conditions can usually be simply defined in a particular
frame of reference.
Use a prime, (), notation to indicate some alternative reference
frame. d3y = 0.0

G F3x
F3 =
F3y

Boundary loads likely defined

easily in terms of reference F3y is whatever it needs to be
frame aligned with support to enforce the roller type
constraint.
(consider a frictionless case)

MECH 420: Finite Element Applications

 Lecture 4: Use of Symmetry & Skewed Supports.

For the displacement vectors at node 3:

d 3 x c s d 3 x
d = d
3y s c 3y
d3 x d 3x
d = R d
3y 3y

For the assembled system:

d1x d1x
d d
1y I 0 0
1y

d2 x d2 x
d = 0 I 0
d2 y
2 y 0 0 R
d3 x d3x

d3 y T3 d3 y

MECH 420: Finite Element Applications

 Lecture 4: Use of Symmetry & Skewed Supports.

T3 F = K (T3 D )
F = T3T KT3 D
F1x d1x
F d
1y
1y
F2 x d2 x
F = T3 KT3 d
T

2y 2y
F3x d3x

F
3y d3 y

An alternative is to introduce a very short and stiff boundary

elements

MECH 420: Finite Element Applications

 Lecture 4: Use of Symmetry & Skewed Supports.

The boundary element mimics the behaviour of the roller

support.
Example 3.9 pg.# 98-100 (alternative method).

(1)
EA N
( EA) (1)
= 1.26 10 N
8
L1 = 1.000 m = 1.26 108
L m
(2)
EA N
( EA) (2)
= 1.26 10 N
8
L2 = 1.000 m = 1.26 108 2
L m
(3)
EA N
( EA) (3)
= 1.78 10 N
8
L3 = 1.414 m = 1.26 108 4
L m 45D
(4)
EA N
( EA) (4)
= 1.78 10 N
8
L4 = 0.100 m = 1.78 109
L m

(1) = 90D
(2) = 0D
(3) = 45D
(4) = 45D

MECH 420: Finite Element Applications

 Lecture 4: Use of Symmetry & Skewed Supports.

0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
0 1 0 0 0
N 0 1 8 N 0
k (1) = 1.26 108 k (2) = 1.26 10
m 0 0 0 0 m 1 0 1 0

0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0

0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5

0.5 0.5 0.5 N 0.5 0.5 0.5
k (3) = 1.26 108 N k (4) = 1.78 109
m 0.5 0.5 m 0.5 0.5

0.5 0.5

MECH 420: Finite Element Applications

 Lecture 4: Use of Symmetry & Skewed Supports.

Assembling the global stiffness matrix is easier if we consider

how many homogeneous BC we have.
Nodes 1 and 4 are locked and node 2 only moves in the
horizontal, x, direction.
d1x = 0
d1 y = 0

d2 x

d2 y = 0
k=
d3 x

d3 y
d4 x = 0

d 4 y = 0

MECH 420: Finite Element Applications