Bar / Truss Elements

Dr Sana Zulfiqar
 Use of Symmetry in Structures

• Several types of symmetry

• Reflective or mirror
• Repetitive
• Axial / Axisymmetric
• Cyclic

• Reflective Symmetry
• Means correspondence in size, shape, and position of
loads; material properties; and boundary conditions that
are on opposite sides of a dividing line or plane
• The order of the total stiffness matrix and total set of
stiffness equations can be reduced by using
symmetry
 Example

Solve the plane truss problem

shown in figure
• The truss is composed of eight
elements and five nodes
• A vertical load of 2P is applied
at node 4
• Nodes 1 and 5 are pin supports
• Bar elements 1, 2, 7, and 8
have axial stiffnesses of 2𝐴𝐸
• Bars 3–6 have axial stiffness of
AE
• A and E represent the cross
sectional area and modulus of
elasticity of a bar
 Example

• Identical geometry, material, loading, and boundary conditions

• Loads occurring in the plane of symmetry, half of the total load must be
applied to the reduced structure
• Elements occurring in the plane of symmetry, half of the cross-sectional
area must be used in the reduced structure
• Nodes in the plane of symmetry, the displacement components normal
to the plane of symmetry must be set to zero 𝑢2 = 𝑢3 = 𝑢4 = 0

Plane of
Reflective
Symmetry
 Example

• Start by determining angle 𝜃 as measured from

global 𝑥 to local 𝑥ƴ

𝜃3

− −
𝜃5
𝜃2

 Using following equation and angles, determine [k]

− The angle of element 5

−
with x – axis is 90 because
− − we take angle counter
clockwise and element 5
lies under the x coordinate
 Example

− − − −
− − − −
− − − −
− − − −

−
− −
−
− −
 Example

• Because elements 4 and 5 lie in the plane of

symmetry, half of their original areas have been used
• Assembling the global stiffness matrix
• Applying boundary conditions
 Example

𝑢1 𝑣1 𝑢2 𝑣2 𝑢3 𝑣3 𝑢4 𝑣4

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
+ +1 − − − − −1 0 𝑢1
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 𝑣1
− + − − − 0 0
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
1 1 1 1
− − 0 0 0 0 𝑢2
2 2 2 2
𝐴𝐸 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 𝑣2
𝐾 = − − + 0 0 − −
𝐿 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
1 1 1 1 𝑢3
− 0 0 − 0 0
2 2 2 2
1 1 1 1 1 1 𝑣3
− 0 0 − + 0 −
2 2 2 2 2 2
−1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 𝑢4
1 1 1 1 𝑣4
0 0 0 − 0 − 0 +
2 2 2 2
 Example

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
+ +1 − − − − −1 0
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
− + − − − 0 0
𝑓1𝑥 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 𝑢1 = 0
𝑓1𝑦 1 1 1 1
− − 0 0 0 0 𝑣1 = 0
𝑓2𝑥 2 2 2 2 𝑢2 = 0
𝑓2𝑦 = 0 𝐴𝐸 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
− − + 0 0 − − 𝑣2
= 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
𝑓3𝑥 𝐿 𝑢3 = 0
1 1 1 1
𝑓3𝑦 = 0 − 0 0 − 0 0 𝑣3
2 2 2 2 𝑢4 = 0
𝑓4𝑥 1 1 1 1 1 1
𝑓4𝑦 = −𝑃 − 0 0 − + 0 − 𝑣4
2 2 2 2 2 2
−1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
1 1 1 1
0 0 0 − 0 − 0 +
2 2 2 2
 Example

−
−
− − −

− − −
 Inclined or Skewed Supports
• If a support is inclined, or skewed, at an
angle α from the global x axis, as shown at
node 3 in the plane truss of Figure, the
resulting boundary conditions on the
displacements are not in the global x – y
directions but are in the local x’ y’ directions.
• In the first method, to account for inclined
boundary conditions, we must perform a
transformation of the global displacements
at node 3 only into the local nodal coordinate
system x’ y’, while keeping all other
displacements in the x – y global system.
• Enforce the zero-displacement boundary
condition v3’ in the force/displacement
equations and, finally, solve the equations in
the usual manner.
 Inclined or Skewed Supports
• The transformation used is analogous to that
for transforming a vector from local to global
coordinates.
• For the plane truss, applied to node 3 as
follows:

𝑢3, = 𝑡3 𝑢3
 Inclined or Skewed Supports
• Write the transformation for the entire nodal
displacement vector as
𝑢 , = 𝑇1 𝑢 𝑢 = 𝑇1 𝑇 𝑢,
 Inclined or Skewed Supports
• Only the node 3 global components are
transformed, as indicated by the placement
of the [t3]T matrix. We denote the square
matrix.
• In general, we place a 2x2 matrix in [T1]
wherever the transformation from global to
local displacements is needed (where
skewed supports exist).
Inclined or Skewed Supports

𝑓 = 𝐾 𝑢

𝑇1 𝑓 = 𝑇1 𝐾 𝑢

𝑢 = 𝑇1 𝑇 𝑢,
 Inclined or Skewed Supports

Boundary Conditions:
 Problem

• For the plane truss shown, determine the

displacements and reactions. Let E = 210 GPa, A =
0.0006 m2 for elements 1 and 2, and A = 6 2 x 10-4
m2 for element 3.
Solution
Solution
Solution
Solution
Solution
Solution
Solution
Solution
Solution
 Solution

Applying the boundary conditions into the

global Eq. and eliminating the first,
second, and fourth rows and columns in the
usual manner, we obtain the reduced set of
equations as
Solution
Solution