FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS IN

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
Coordinate systems
Global coordinate system
Local coordinate system

Global coordinate system
Coordinate system for entire
continuum
A common origin for all elements
Nodes identified wrt that origin
Global coordinate system
Coordinate system for entire
continuum
A common origin for all elements
Nodes identified wrt that origin
Global coordinate system
2
3
4
5 6
7 8
1 (x
1
, y
1
)
9 (x
9
, y
9
)
x
y
O
Local coordinate system
Coordinate system for a specific
element
A specific origin identified for the
element
Nodes identified wrt that origin
Local coordinate system
A point inside an element
Specified by a set of
dimensionless numbers
Magnitudes < 1
Local coordinate system
Two types
Natural coordinate system
rst coordinate system
Natural coordinate system
A point inside an element
Specified by n + 1 coordinates
n dimension of the element
Natural coordinate system
1D element, n = 1
natural coordinates L
1
, L
2
2D element, n = 2
natural coordinates L
1
, L
2
, L
3
3D element, n = 3
natural coordinates L
1
, L
2
, L
3
, L
4

Natural coordinate system
One of the natural coordinates
has unit magnitude at primary
external node and others have
zero values


rst coordinate system
A point inside an element
Specified by n coordinates
n dimension of the element
Origin centre of element
rst coordinate system
1D element, n = 1
coordinate r

2D element, n = 2
coordinates r, s

3D element, n = 3
coordinates r, s, t


1D element
1 (1, 0) 2 (0, 1)
x
l
x
1
P (L
1
, L
2
)
x
2
l
2

l
1

1D element
1 (1, 0)
2 (0, 1)
x
x
1
P (L
1
, L
2
)
x
2
l
2

l
1

Coordinates for a point,
L
i
= l
i
/ l
l
i

length of the sub element
between the point P and the
node other than node i
1D element
1 (1, 0)
2 (0, 1)
x
x
1
P (L
1
, L
2
)
x
2
l
2

l
1

Any point P defined using
coordinates,
L
1
= l
1
/ l
L
2
= l
2
/ l

(1)
1D element
1 (1, 0)
2 (0, 1)
x
x
1
P (L
1
, L
2
)
x
2
l
2

l
1

Natural coordinates at
nodes,
Node 1, L
1
= 1, L
2
= 0
Node 2, L
1
= 0, L
2
= 1


1D element
1 (1, 0)
2 (0, 1)
x
x
1
P (L
1
, L
2
)
x
2
l
2

l
1

L
1
+ L
2
= 1
Derive using
L
1
= l
1
/ l; L
2
= l
2
/ l

(2)
Relation between natural coordinates
1D element
1 (1, 0)
2 (0, 1)
x
x
1
P (L
1
, L
2
)
x
2
l
2

l
1

Consider the term,
x
1
L
1
+ x
2
L
2

Simplify using l
1
= x
2
x; l
2
= x

x
1

x
1
L
1
+ x
2
L
2
= x

(3)
1D element
Relation between cartesian
and natural coordinate
systems
Combine equations (2) & (3) to matrix form:


1 (1, 0)
2 (0, 1)
x
x
1
P (L
1
, L
2
)
x
2
l
2

l
1

)
`

=
)
`

2
1
2 1
1 1 1
L
L
x x x
(4)
1D element
Relation between cartesian
and natural coordinate
systems
Inversing eqn. (4)


1 (1, 0)
2 (0, 1)
x
x
1
P (L
1
, L
2
)
x
2
l
2

l
1

)
`

=
)
`

x x
x
l
L
L 1
1
1
1
1
2
2
1
(5)
1D element
Differentiation using
natural coordinates


1 (1, 0)
2 (0, 1)
x
x
1
P (L
1
, L
2
)
x
2
l
2

l
1

=
c
c
c
c
=
c
c
c
c
+
c
c
c
c
=
c
c
2
1
2
2
1
1
i
i
i
x
L
L
f
x
L
L
f
x
L
L
f
x
f
1D element
Differentiation using
natural coordinates
Substituting L
1
and L
2
from Eqn. (5)



|
|
.
|

\
|
c
c

c
c
=
c
c
1 2
1
L
f
L
f
l x
f
1 (1, 0)
2 (0, 1)
x
x
1
P (L
1
, L
2
)
x
2
l
2

l
1

(6)
l x L l x L 1 1
2 1
= c c = c c
1D element
Integration using natural
coordinates


1 (1, 0)
2 (0, 1)
x
x
1
P (L
1
, L
2
)
x
2
l
2

l
1

l
q p
q p
dl L L
q
l
p
)! 1 (
! !
2 1
+ +
=
}
(7)
Homework
1 2
x
x
1
=1
P
Find the natural coordinates of the
point P for the element shown below
x
2
=5 x=4
Answer
L1 =
L2 = 3/4
Homework
Find
}
2
0
2
3
1
dl L L
Answer
p = 3
q = 1
l = 2
Ans. = 1/10
2D element
1
x
x
1
,y
1
P (L
1
, L
2
, L
3
) 2
x
2
,y
2
3
x
3
,y
3
A
1
A
3
A
2
y
Triangular coordinate system
x
3
,y
3
2D element
Coordinates for a point,
L
i
= A
i
/ A
A
i

area of the sub element
bounded by the point P and the
node other than node i
A Area of the triangle
1
x
1
,y
1
P (L
1
, L
2
, L
3
)
2 x
2
,y
2
3
A
1
A
3
A
2
2D element
Any point P defined using
coordinates,
L
1
= A
1
/ A
L
2
= A
2
/ A
L
3
= A
3
/ A


x
3
,y
3
1
x
1
,y
1
P (L
1
, L
2
, L
3
)
2 x
2
,y
2
3
A
1
A
2
A
3
(1)
x
3
,y
3
1
x
1
,y
1
P (L
1
, L
2
, L
3
)
2 x
2
,y
2
3
A
1
A
3
A
2
2D element
Area of the triangle
3 3
2 2
1 1
1
1
1
2
1
y x
y x
y x
A =
2D element
Area of subtriangle 1
3 3
2 2 1
1
1
1
2
1
y x
y x
y x
A =
2D element
Area of subtriangle 2
3 3
1 1
2
1
1
1
2
1
y x
y x
y x
A =
2D element
Area of subtriangle 3
y x
y x
y x
A
1
1
1
2
1
2 2
1 1
3
=
2D element
Natural coordinates at
primary nodes,
Node 1, L
1
= 1, L
2
= 0, L
3
= 0
Node 2, L
1
= 0, L
2
= 1, L
3
= 0
Node 3, L
1
= 0, L
2
= 0, L
3
= 1


x
3
,y
3
1
x
1
,y
1
P (L
1
, L
2
, L
3
)
2 x
2
,y
2
3
A
1
A
3
A
2
2D element
Natural coordinates at
secondary nodes,
Node 4, L
1
= 1/2, L
2
= 1/2, L
3
= 0
Node 5, L
1
= 0, L
2
= 1/2, L
3
= 1/2
Node 6, L
1
= 1/2, L
2
= 0, L
3
= 1/2


1
2
3
4
5
6
2D element
L
1
+ L
2
+ L
3
= 1
(2)
x
3
,y
3
1
x
1
,y
1
P (L
1
, L
2
, L
3
)
2 x
2
,y
2
3
Relation between natural coordinates
2D element
Relation between cartesian
and natural coordinate
systems

(
(
(

3
2
1
3 2 1
3 2 1
1 1 1
1
L
L
L
y y y
x x x
y
x
x
3
,y
3
1
x
1
,y
1
P (L
1
, L
2
, L
3
)
2 x
2
,y
2
3
(3)
1D element
Relation between cartesian
and natural coordinate
systems
Inversing eqn. (3)

(
(
(

y
x
x x y y y x y x
x x y y y x y x
x x y y y x y x
A
L
L
L
1
) (
) (
) (
2
1
1 2 2 1 1 2 2 1
3 1 1 3 3 1 1 3
2 3 3 2 2 3 3 2
3
2
1
2D element
x
3
,y
3
1
x
1
,y
1
P (L
1
, L
2
, L
3
)
2 x
2
,y
2
3
(4)
2D element
Differentiation using
natural coordinates

=
c
c
c
c
=
c
c
c
c
+
c
c
c
c
+
c
c
c
c
=
c
c
3
1
3
3
2
2
1
1
i
i
i
x
L
L
f
x
L
L
f
x
L
L
f
x
L
L
f
x
f
x
3
,y
3
1
x
1
,y
1
P (L
1
, L
2
, L
3
)
2 x
2
,y
2
3
2D element
Differentiation using natural
coordinates
Substituting L
1
, L
2
and L
3
from Eqn. (4)
cL
1
/cx = (y
2
y
3
)/2A

=
c
c
=
c
c
c
c
+
c
c
+
c
c
=
c
c
3
1
3
3
2
2
1
1
2
2 2 2
i
i
i
L
f
A
b
x
f
L
f
A
b
L
f
A
b
L
f
A
b
x
f
x
3
,y
3
1
x
1
,y
1
P (L
1
, L
2
, L
3
)
2 x
2
,y
2
3
b
1
= y
2
y
3
b
2
= y
3
y
1
b
3
= y
1
y
2

2D element
Differentiation using natural
coordinates
Substituting L
1
, L
2
and L
3
from Eqn. (4)
cL
1
/cy = (x
3
x
2
)/2A

=
c
c
=
c
c
c
c
+
c
c
+
c
c
=
c
c
3
1
3
3
2
2
1
1
2
2 2 2
i
i
i
L
f
A
a
y
f
L
f
A
a
L
f
A
a
L
f
A
a
y
f
x
3
,y
3
1
x
1
,y
1
P (L
1
, L
2
, L
3
)
2 x
2
,y
2
3
a
1
= x
3
x
2
a
2
= x
1
x
3
a
3
= x
2
x
1

2D element
Integration using natural
coordinates


A
r q p
r q p
dA L L L
r q
A
p
2
)! 2 (
! ! !
3
2 1
+ + +
=
}
x
3
,y
3
1
x
1
,y
1
P (L
1
, L
2
, L
3
)
2 x
2
,y
2
3
Homework
Find the natural coordinates of the
point P for the element shown below
1
x
(1

,1)

P
(2,3)
2
(3,2)

3
(2,4)

y
Answer
A = 5/2
A1 =
A2 =
A3 = 3/2
L1 = 1/5
L2 = 1/5
L3 = 3/5
Homework
If A = 5 units, find
}
A
dA L L L
3
2
2
4
1
Answer
p = 4
q = 2
r = 1
A = 5
Ans. = 1/756