DRAFT

RECTANGLE (2D) CONTINUUM ELEMENT

DERIVATION OF RECTANGLE (2D) CONTINUUM ELEMENT

The next element we develop is the 4--node (2--D) rectangle element for plane--
stress and plane--strain analyses.

4 3

1 2
x
a

There are 8 nodal displacements (4 u’s, 4 v’s). We assume a generalized displace-

ment field containing 8 unknown parameters.

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u(x, y) = a1 + a2 x + a3 y + a 4 xy

v(x, y) = a5 + a6 x + a7 y + a 8 xy

rigid translation constant strain symmetric term

& rigid rotation (completeness requirement)

1
Recall Pascal’s triangle y
x
x2 xy y2

x3 x2 y x y2 y3

Selection of the last term x y over x 2 or y 2 preserves symmetry in the coordinates

and provides:
geometric isotropy
displacement compatibility across element boundaries preserved

Convert to a nodal displacement form of interpolating functions

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4
u(x, y) =  N i(x, y) u i = N iu i
i=1

4
v(x, y) =  N i(x, y) v i = N iv i
i=1

v4 v3

u4 u3

4 3

v1 v2
1 2
u1 u2

If we use the polynomial shown earlier, and substitute for x and y at all corner
nodes, we can write the nodal displacements in terms of the a values as u = C a, and
inverting C to get finally the shape functions as shown below,

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x − y + xy
N1 = 1 − a
b ab 1 3

x − xy
N2 = a
ab 3

4
1

xy
N3 =
ab 3

z
4
y xy
N4 = − y
b ab

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Figure 6: Shape functions

These shape functions are the 2--D Lagrange polynomials of order 1. Note each N i is
non--dimensional

Properties:

4
 Ni = 1
i=1

4
 ∂N
∂x
i
=0
i=1

4
 ∂N
∂y
i
=0
i=1

Suppose we know the temperature at each node of the element, we can use these
some interpolating functions to compute the temperature at a point (x,y) in the element

4
T(x, y) =  Ni(x, y) Ti = N iT i
i=1

Parametric Coordinates
In preparation for later development of isoparametric elements, let’s introduce
parametric coordinates to describe the element geometry and formulation.

Replace x by ξ, such that 0 ≤ ξ ≤ 1.

Replace y by η, such that 0 ≤ η ≤ 1.

x and η = y .
The change of coordinate then takes the following form: ξ = a
b
Thus, x = ξ a, and y = η b.

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Note that x = f(ξ) and not x = f(ξ, η), and similarly y = f(η) and not y = f(ξ, η),

The interpolating functions can be written in parametric form:

4
u(ξ, η) =  Ni(ξ, η) ui = N iu i
i=1

4
v(ξ, η) =  N i(ξ, η) v i = N iv i
i=1

If you examine the following figure and use the element edge equations not adja-
cent to the node, you will get the shape functions in terms of the isoparametric coordi-
nate system.

η
N 1 = (1 − η)(1 −

1−η=0
4 3

1 1−ξ=0
ξ=0

1 η=0 2
ξ

In the isoparametric coordinates, the shape functions are:

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N 1(ξ, η) = (1 − ξ) (1 − η)

N 2(ξ, η) = ξ (1 − η)

N 1(ξ, η) = ξ η

N 1(ξ, η) = η (1 − ξ)

Again, the properties of the shape functions are:

4
 Ni = 1
i=1

4
 ∂N
∂ξ
i
=0
i=1

4
 ∂N
∂η
i
=0
i=1

Strain Computation

In the derivation of elements, we need to compute strains. for example Á x = ∂u.

∂x
Now since we are using isoparametric coordinates we, need to define strains in this
particular system since u(x,y) is now u(ξ, η).

Let’s use the chain rule to compute derivatives:

∂u = ∂x ∂u + ∂y ∂u
∂ξ ∂ξ ∂x ∂ξ ∂y

∂u = ∂x ∂u + ∂y ∂u
∂η ∂η ∂x ∂η ∂y

or

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∂u ∂x ∂y ∂u
∂ξ ∂ξ ∂ξ ∂x
=
∂u ∂x ∂y ∂u
∂η ∂η ∂η ∂y

[J]: Jacobian matrix

Treating these as a set of 2 simultaneous equations and solve for ∂u and ∂u. We
∂x ∂y
can solve when det J > 0.

∂x ∂y
∂ξ ∂ξ a 0
J =
∂x ∂y
∂η ∂η 0 b

because y = y(η) ; y ≠ y(ξ, eta)

1
a 0
−1
[J ] =
0 1
b

Thus,

∂x
1 ∂u = 1
Á x = ∂u = a
∂ξ a  ∂N i
∂ξ i
u
i=1

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We use same approach to compute y--derivatives

∂v ∂x ∂y ∂v
∂ξ ∂ξ ∂ξ ∂x
=
∂v ∂x ∂y ∂v
∂η ∂η ∂η ∂y

[J]

4
Á y = ∂v = 1 ∂v = 1
∂y b ∂η b
 ∂N i
∂η i
v
i=1

and for shear strain,

4 4
γ xy = ∂u + ∂v = 1
∂y ∂x b
 ∂N i
∂η i
u + 1
a  ∂N i
∂ξ i
v
i=1 i=1

Summarizing,

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3×1 3×8 8×1

Áx 1 ∂N 1 0 1 ∂N 2 0 1 ∂N 3 0 1 ∂N 4 0 u1
a ∂ξ a ∂ξ a ∂ξ a ∂ξ

v1

Áy = 0 1 ∂N 1 0 1 ∂N 2 0 1 ∂N 3 0 1 ∂N 4 u2
b ∂η b ∂η b ∂η b ∂η
v2 =

γ xy 1 ∂N 1 1 ∂N 1 1 ∂N 2 1 ∂N 2 1 ∂N 3 1 ∂N 3 1 ∂N 4 1 ∂N 4 u3
b ∂η a ∂ξ b ∂η a ∂ξ b ∂η a ∂ξ b ∂η a ∂ξ

v3

u4

v4

Strain Variation Over Element

Recall that the interpolating polynomial looks like

u(x, y) = a1 + a2 x + a3 y + a 4 xy

v(x, y) = a5 + a6 x + a7 y + a 8 xy

and switching to parametric coordinate systems does not change the order of the
polynomial. Let’s examine the strain variation,

Á x = ∂u = a 2 + a 4 y constant in x and linear in

∂x

Á y = ∂v = a 7 y + a8 x constant in y and linear in

∂y

γ xy = ∂u + ∂v = a 3 + a4 x + a6 + a8 y linear in x,
∂y ∂x

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This element because the variation of Á x is linear in y, behaves much better for
bending problems.

Stiffness Computation

From virtual work:

[K ]8×8 = [B ] T
8×3 [ D ] 3×3 [B ]3×8 dV e
Ve

Using x-y coordinate system,

x=a y=b

K 
8×8
=t   B(x, y) T
8×3
D 
3×3
 B(x, y) 
3×8
dx dy
x=0 y=0

Change (x,y) to (ξ , η)

x=a ξ y=a η

dx = a dξ dy = a dη

Integration limits:

0→a becomes 0→1

0→b becomes 0→1

Substituting,

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1 1

[K ] 8×8 = abt  [B(ξ, η)] T

8×3
[D ] 3×3 [ B(ξ, η) ]3×8 dξ dη
0 0

K
8×8

In other words,

[K ] 8×8 = volume of element × K

8×8

the implication is that once you calculate K in symbolic form in terms of B and D,
the computations will be very efficient. The D matrix for plane stress is

1 ν 0

E ν 1 0
[D ] =
(1 − ν 2)
(1 − ν)
0 0
2

and D matrix for plane strain is

1−ν ν 0

[D ] = E ν 1−ν 0
(1 + ν)(1 − 2ν)
(1 − 2ν)
0 0
2

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Improved Rectangular Elements

8 -- node PSR 8
9 -- node PSR 9
You can start by assuming a polynomial for the element.

a a
4 7 3
b
6 PSR − 8
8
b

1 5 2

u = a 1 + a 2x + a 3y + a 4x 2+a 5xy + a 6y 2 + a 7x 2y + a 8xy 2

v = a 9 + a 10x + a 11y + a 12x 2+a 13xy + a 14y 2 + a 15x 2y + a 16xy 2

a1
u(x, y) = 1 x y x 2 xy y 2 x 2y xy 2
a2
a3
a4
a5
a6
a7
a8

Similarly,

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a9
V(x, y) = 1 x y x 2 xy y 2 x 2y xy 2
a 10
a 11
a 12
a 13
a 14
a 15
a 16

Now apply u,v at nodal points

u(− a, − b) = u 1 = a 1 − a2a − a3b + a 4a2 + a5ab + a 6b2 + a7(− b)(a2) − ab 2a8

Similarly we obtain u 2 , u 3 and so on.

u1 a1

u2 a2

u3 a3

u4 a4
C
u5
= a5

u6 a6

u7 a7

u8 a8

u~r = [C ] ~a
−1 ~
a = [C ]
~
ur

u(x, y) = N 1x8[ C ] 8x8 u

~
e

[ N ] 1x8 Shape Function Matrix

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Shape Functions PSR--9

In addition to the selection of polynomial parts for PSR--8, we choose x 2y 2

∴u(x, y) = a 1 + a 2x + a 3y + a 4x 2+a 5xy + a 6y 2 + a 7x 2y + a8xy 2 + a 9x 2y2

Similarly for N(x,y)

u(x, y) = N{a }

{u e} = [C ]{a }

−1
u(x, y) = N[ C ] {u e}

1 −a −b a2 ab b2 − a 2b − a 2b a 2b

1 a −b a2 − ab b 2 − a 2b a 2b a 2b

1 a b a2 ab b2 a 2b a 2b a 2b
[C ] =
1 −a b a2 − ab b 2 a 2b − a 2b a 2b

1 0 −b 0 0 b2 0 0 0

1 a 0 a2 0 0 0 0 0

1 0 b 0 0 b2 0 0 0

1 −a 0 a2 0 0 0 0 0

1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Inverting [C ] using ,
−1
[ N ] = N[C ]

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In explicit form,

xy(a − x)(b − y)
N1 =
4a 2b 2

− xy(a + x)(b − y)
N2 =
4a 2b 2

xy(a + x)(b + y)
N3 =
4a 2b 2

− xy(a − x)(b + y)
N4 =
4a 2b 2

− (a 2 − x 2)y(b − y)
N5 =
2a 2b 2

x(a + x)(b 2 − y 2)
N6 =
2a 2b 2

(a 2 − x 2)y(b + y)
N7 =
2a 2b 2

− x(a − x)(b 2 − y 2)
N8 =
2a 2b 2

(a 2 − x 2)(b 2 − y 2)
N9 =
a 2b 2

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