Natural or Intrinsic

Coordinates
 L

O P
1 2
x1 L2 L1

x = ξ 1x1 + ξ 2x2

x2 = x1 + L
Natural coordinates: ξ 1 = L1 / L
ξ 2 = L2 / L

L1 + L2 = L
Not independent: ξ1 + ξ2 = 1
 L

1 2

ξ 1 = L1 / L
1

ξ 2 = L2 / L
1
 x = ξ 1x1 + ξ 2x2
e.g.
ξ 1 = ξ 2 = 1/2
x = (x1 + x2)/2

1   1 1   ξ 1 
 =   
 x   x 1 x 2  ξ 2 
 ξ 1  1  x 2 − 1 1 
 =    
ξ 2  L  − x 1 1   x 
φ is an arbitrary variable. For example, it
could be displacement u.

φ 1 
{ φ} = [ N]  
φ 2 
[ N] = [ ξ 1 ξ 2 ]

N1 = ξ1
N2 = ξ2
 L

O 3
1 2
x1 L/2 L/2
 3
1 2

N1 = ξ 1 (2 ξ 1 -1)
3
1 2

3
N2 = ξ 2 (2 ξ 2 -1)
1 2

1
3 N3 = 4 ξ 1 ξ 2
2

φ = a1 ξ 12 + a2 ξ 22 + a3 ξ 1 ξ 2
Write N1 directly:

ξ1
3
1 2

(2 ξ 1 -1)
N1 = ξ 1 (2 ξ 1 -1)
ξ 1 = 1 at node 1 (2 ξ 1 -1) = 1 at node 1
ξ 1 = 1/2 at node 2 (2 ξ 1 -1) = 0 at node 2
ξ 1 = 0 at node 3 (2 ξ 1 -1) = -1 at node 3
 N1 = ξ 1 - N3/2
N2 = ξ 2 - N3/2
N1 + N2 + N3 = ξ 1 + ξ 2 =1
φ=u
u = ξ 1u 1 + ξ 2 u 2
∂u
εx =
∂x
∂ u ∂ u ∂ ξ1 ∂ u ∂ ξ 2
= +
∂ x ∂ ξ1 ∂ x ∂ ξ 2 ∂ x
∂u
= u1
∂ ξ1
∂u
= u2
∂ ξ2
1   1 1   ξ 1 
 =  ξ 
x
   1 x x 2 2

 ξ 1  1  x 2 − 1 1 
 =   
ξ
 2 L −
 1x 1  x
∂ ξ1 ∂  x2 − x  1
=   = −
∂x ∂x L  L
∂ ξ2 ∂  x − x1  1
=  =
∂x ∂x L  L

 1 1
ε x = u1  −  + u 2  
 L L
[ k ] = ∫ AE [ B] T [ B] dL
L

k! l!
∫ ξ 1 ξ 2 dL = L
k l

L
( 1 + k + l )!
0! = 1
Natural Coordinates for a Triangular Element
(Area Coordinates)

3
y

side 2 side 1

A2 A1

A3
2

side 3
1

x
ξ i = A1/A
ξ j = A2/A
ξ m= A3/A

ξi + ξj + ξj = 1
Natural Coordinates for a Triangular Element
(Area Coordinates)

ξ
i =0 ξm = 1
ξ
i =0 ξ m = 0.75
.25 3 or m
ξ ξ m = 0.5
i =0
.5
ξ m = 0.25
ξ
i =0
.75 2 or j ξm = 0
ξ
i =1 1 or i

ξj
ξj

=
ξj

1
=
ξj

0.
=
=

75
0.
ξj

0.

5
=

25
0
Natural Coordinates for a Triangular Element
(Area Coordinates)

Centroid:
ξ i = ξ j= ξ m = 1/3
1   1 1 1  ξ 1 
    
x =  x i xj x m  ξ 2 
y   y yj y m  ξ 3 
   i
1 1 1 
 
[ A] =  x i xj xm 
y i yj y m 

ξ 1  1 
  −1  
ξ 2  = [ A ]  x 
ξ  y 
 3  
  αi βi γi 
1 
[ A ] −1 =  αj βj γ j 
2A
α m βm γ m 

2A = ( x j − x 1 ) ( y m − y i ) + ( x m − x 1 )( y 2 − y i )

If i-j-m counterclockwise!
α i = x j y m − y jx m α j = xm y i − y m xi αm = xi y j − y i x j
βi = y j − y m β j = ym − yi βm = y i − y j
γ i = xm − x j γ j = x i − xm γ m = x j − xi
Shape Functions
ξ i = Ni
ξ j = Nj
ξ m = Nm

φ = N i φ i + Nj φ j + N m φ m
 Derivatives by the chain rule.

∂ φ ∂ φ ∂ ξ1 ∂ φ ∂ ξ 2 ∂ φ ∂ ξ3
= + +
∂ x ∂ ξ1 ∂ x ∂ ξ 2 ∂ x ∂ ξ 3 ∂ x
∂ φ ∂ φ ∂ ξ1 ∂ φ ∂ ξ 2 ∂ φ ∂ ξ3
= + +
∂ y ∂ ξ1 ∂ y ∂ ξ 2 ∂ y ∂ ξ 3 ∂ y
∂ ξ1 βi ∂ ξ2 βj ∂ ξ 3 βm
= = =
∂ x 2A ∂x 2A ∂x 2A
∂ ξ1 γi ∂ ξ2 γi ∂ ξ3 γi
= = =
∂ y 2A ∂y 2A ∂y 2A
∂φ
= φi
∂ ξi
∂φ
= φj
∂ ξj
∂φ
= φm
∂ ξm
ξ 1  1 
  −1  
ξ
 2 = [ A ] x
ξ  y 
 3  
 α i βi γ i 
[ A] −1 = 1  α j β j γ j 
2A
α m β m γ m 
1
ξ1 = ( α i + βi x + γ i y)
2A
∂ ξ1 ∂  α i + βi x + γ i y  βi
=  =
∂x ∂x 2A  2A
 l! n! p!
∫∫A ξ ξ ξ dA = 2 A (2 + l + n + p)!
l n p
i j m

Centroidal Coordinates:

∫∫ x y dA = C
r s
r +s (
Ax y +x y +x y
r
1
s
1
r
2
s
2
r
2
s
2 )
A

r+s 1 2 3 4 5
Cr+s 0 1/12 1/30 1/30 2/105
Pascal’s Triangle: Degree of polynomial

0
1
1
x y
2
x2
xy y 2

3
x3
x y
2
xy 2
y 3

4
x4
x y
3
x y
2 2
xy 3
y4

5
x5 x4 y x3 y2 x2 y3 x y4 y5
Degree of polynomial Number of terms
p n

1 3

2 6

3 10

4 15
 n
φ = ∑ a i ξ 1q ξ r2 ξ s3
i =1

q+r+s =p

Quadratic Triangle
n=6
p=2

n=
( p + 1)( p + 2 )
2
φ = a 1 ξ 12 + a 2 ξ 22 + a 3 ξ 23 + a 4 ξ 1 ξ 2 + a 5 ξ 2 ξ 3 + a 6 ξ 3 ξ 1

Equivalent to :
φ = b 1 + b 2 x + b 3 y + b 4 x 2 + d 5 xy + b 6 y 2
 Nodal Numbering Schemes:
3
3

6 5

2
1 1 4 2
3

8
7

9
6
10

2
1 4 5
Quadratic Triangle
φ = a 1 ξ 12 + a 2 ξ 22 + a 3 ξ 23 + a 4 ξ 1 ξ 2 + a 5 ξ 2 ξ 3 + a 6 ξ 3 ξ 1

Node ξ1 ξ2 ξ3

1 1 0 0
2 0 1 0
3 0 0 1
4 1/2 1/2 0
5 0 1/2 1/2
6 1/2 0 1/2
Shape Functions

Ni 1 2 3 4 5 6
_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

1 1 0 0 0 0 0
2 0 1 0 0 0 0
3 0 0 1 0 0 0
4 0 0 0 1 0 0
5 0 0 0 0 1 0
6 0 0 0 0 0 1
Can we write shape functions directly?
ξ 1 = 1 at node 1
ξ 1 = 0 at node 2
ξ 1 = 0 at node 3 N1 = ξ 1 ( 2ξ 1-1 )
ξ 1 = 1/2 at node 4
ξ 1 = 0 at node 5
ξ 1 = 1/2 at node 6
ξ 2 = 0 at node 1
ξ 2 = 1 at node 2
ξ 2 = 0 at node 3 N2 = ξ 2 ( 2ξ 2-1 )
ξ 2 = 1/2 at node 4
ξ 2 = 1/2 at node 5
ξ 2 = 0 at node 6
ξ 3 = 0 at node 1
ξ 3 = 0 at node 2
ξ 3 = 1 at node 3 N3 = ξ 3 ( 2ξ 3-1 )
ξ 3 = 1 at node 4
ξ 3 = 1/2 at node 5
ξ 3 = 1/2 at node 6
ξ 1 = 1 at node 1 ξ 2 = 0 at node 1 ξ 3 = 0 at node 1
ξ 1 = 0 at node 2 ξ 2 = 1 at node 2 ξ 3 = 0 at node 2
ξ 1 = 0 at node 3 ξ 2 = 0 at node 3 ξ 3 = 1 at node 3
ξ 1 = 1/2 at node 4 ξ 2 = 1/2 at node 4 ξ 3 = 0 at node 4
ξ 1 = 0 at node 5 ξ 2 = 1/2 at node 5 ξ 3 = 1/2 at node 5
ξ 1 = 1/2 at node 6 ξ 2 = 0 at node 6 ξ 3 = 1/2 at node 6

N4 = 4 ξ 1 ξ 2
N5 = 4 ξ 2 ξ 3
N6 = 4 ξ 3 ξ 1
 ∂u 6
∂N i
εX = =∑ ui
∂x i =1 ∂x
∂N i 3
∂N i ∂ξ j
=∑
∂x i = 1 ∂ ξ j ∂x
Cubic Element ξ i = 1, 0, 1/3, 2/3

N1 = 1/2 ξ 1(3 ξ 1 -1)(3 ξ 1 -2)

N2 = 1/2 ξ 2(3 ξ 2 -1)(3 ξ 2 -2)
N3 = 1/2 ξ 2(3 ξ 2 -1)(3 ξ 2 -2)
N4 = 9/2 ξ 1 ξ 2(3 ξ 1-1)
N5 = 9/2 ξ 2 ξ 1(3 ξ 2-1)
N6 = 9/2 ξ 2 ξ 1(3 ξ 1-1)
N7 = 9/2 ξ 2 ξ 3(3 ξ 2-1)
N8 = 9/2 ξ 2 ξ 3(3 ξ 3-1)
N9 = 9/2 ξ 1 ξ 3(3 ξ 1-1)
N10 = 27 ξ 1 ξ 2 ξ 3