1

CST SAMPLE PROBLEM

CE255P

50KN/m
Calculate the stresses at the nodes at the
midspan of the simply supported
homogeneous deep beam shown in the
figure using CST elements. Assume:
thickness =25 mm, E= 200,000 MPa,
Poisson’s ratio = 0.30.
600mm

1200mm

Since it is symmetrical, consider only half of the length.

15KN 15KN

1 6
1
2 If u and v are the node displacements along
2 5 horizontal and vertical axis respectively, then from
3 the figure shown at the left it is obvious that
4
u1 = v1 = u2 = v2 = u3 = v3 = u4 = u5 = u6 = 0.
3 4
Prepared by: Dr. Gilford B. Estores
 2

 F4 y    v4 
    v  , where K is 3x3 stiffness matrix.
Then the structural equation is thus given by  F5 y  
 K  5 
F    v6 
 6y  

Solve for stiffness matrix of each element using CST,

First, calculate D.

   
1 v 0   1 0.3 0  2.1978 0.6593 0 
D
E
v 1 0 
200,000
0.3 1 
0   0.6593 2.1978 0  x105 MPa
1 v 
2
1  v  1  (0.30)
2
 1  0.3 
0 0  0 0   0 0 0.7692
 2   2 

Node-element connectivity chart

Element Node 1 Node 2 Node 3 Area (mm2)

1 1 5 6 90,000
2 1 2 5 90,000
3 2 3 5 90,000
4 3 4 5 90,000

Nodal Coordinates

Node x y
1 0 600
2 0 300
3 0 0

Prepared by: Dr. Gilford B. Estores

 3

4 600 0
5 600 300
6 600 600

Compute strain-displacement and stiffness matrices for each element. Use the following formulas

b1 0 b2 0 b3 0
1 
B 0 c1 0 c2 0 c3 
2A 
c1 b1 c2 b2 c3 b3 

but b1  y 2  y3 b2  y3  y1 b3  y1  y2

c1  x3  x2 c2  x1  x3 c3  x2  x1

k e  At[ B e ]T D[ B e ]

Consider element 1,

Actual nodes 1-5-6 can be transformed into nodes 1-2-3 respectively following a counter clockwise
direction,

b1 = -300 b2 = 0 b3 = 300 c1 = 0 c2 = -600 c3 = 600

 300 0 0 0 300 0 
B (1)

1  0 0 0  600 0 600
180,000 
 0  300  600 0 600 300

Prepared by: Dr. Gilford B. Estores

 4

 300 0 0 
 0 0  300
 2.1978 0.6593 0   300 0 0 0 300 0 
 1   0 0  600 
2

k  90,000(25)
1
   5
0  600 0 600
 0.6593 2.1978 0  x10  0 0
 180,000   0  600 0  
0.7692  0  300  600 0 600 300
600  
0 0
 300 0
 
 0 600 300 
By Matlab,

>>D=[2.1978 0.6593 0;0.6593 2.1978 0;0 0 0.7692]*1e5;

>> B1=(1/180000)*[-300 0 0 0 300 0;0 0 0 -600 0 600;0 -300 -600 0 600 300];

>> A=90000; t=25;

>> k1=A*t*B1'*D*B1

Thus,

 1.3736 0 0 0.8242  1.3736  0.8242

 0 0.4808 0.9615 0  0.9615  0.4808

 0 0.9615 1.9231 0  1.9231  0.9615
k (1)   x10
6

 0.8242 0 0 5.4945  0.8242 5.4945 

  1.3736  0.9615  1.923  0.8242 3.2967 1.7857 
 
 0.8242  0.4808  0.9615  5.4945 1.7857 5.9753 

Consider element 2,

Actual nodes 1-2-5 can be transformed into nodes 1-2-3 respectively following a counter clockwise
direction,

Prepared by: Dr. Gilford B. Estores

 5

b1 = 0 b2 = -300 b3 = 300 c1 =600 c2 = -600 c3 =0

 0 0  300 0 300 0 
B ( 2)

1  0 600 0  600 0 0 
180,000 
600 0  600  300 0 300

 0 0 600 
 0 600 0 
 2.1978 0.6593 0   0 0  300 0 300 0 
 1   300 0  600 
2

k  90,000(25)
2
   5
0  x10  0 600 0  600 0 0 
 0.6593 2.1978
 180, 000   0  600  300  0 0.7692 600 0  600  300 0 300
0 
0
 300 0
 
 0 0 300 
By Matlab,

>>D=[2.1978 0.6593 0;0.6593 2.1978 0;0 0 0.7692]*1e5;

>> B2=(1/180000)*[ 0 0 -300 0 300 0;0 600 0 -600 0 0;600 0 -600 -300 0 300];

>> A=90000; t=25;

>> k2=A*t*B2'*D*B2

Thus,

 1.9231 0  1.9231  0.9615 0 0.9615 

 0 5.4945  0.8242 5.4945 0.8242 0 
 
  1.9231  0.8242 3.2967 1.7857  1.3736  0.9615
k ( 2)   x10
6

 0.9615 5.4945 1.7857 5.9753  0.8242  0.4808

 0 0.8242  1.3736  0.8242 1.3736 0 
 
 0.9615 0  0.9615  0.4808 0 0.4808 

Prepared by: Dr. Gilford B. Estores

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Consider element 3,

Actual nodes 2-3-5 can be transformed into nodes 1-2-3 respectively following a counter clockwise
direction,

b1 = -300 b2 =0 b3 = 300 c1 =600 c2 = -600 c3 =0

 300 0 0 0 300 0 
B ( 3)

1  0 600 0  600 0 0 
180,000 
 600  300  600 0 0 300

 300 0 600 
 0 600  300
 2.1978 0.6593 0   300 0 0 0 300 0 
 1   0 0  600 
2

k  90,000(25)
3
   5
0  600 0 0 
 0.6593 2.1978 0  x10  0 600
 180,000   0  600 0  
0.7692  600  300  600 0 0 300
0 
0 0
 300 0
 
 0 0 300 
By Matlab,

>>D=[2.1978 0.6593 0;0.6593 2.1978 0;0 0 0.7692]*1e5;

>> B3=(1/180000)*[ -300 0 0 0 300 0;0 600 0 -600 0 0;600 -300 -600 0 0 300];

>> A=90000; t=25;

>> k3=A*t*B3'*D*B3

Thus,

Prepared by: Dr. Gilford B. Estores

 7

 3.2967  1.7857  1.9231 0.8242  1.3736 0.9615 

 1.7857 5.9753 0.9615  5.4945 0.8242  0.4808

  1.9231 0.9615 1.9231 0 0  0.9615
k ( 3)   x10
6

 0.8242  5.4945 0 5.4945  0.8242 0 

 1.3736 0.8242 0  0.8242 1.3736 0 
 
 0.9615  0.4808  0.9615 0 0 0.4808 

Consider element 4,

Actual nodes 3-4-5 can be transformed into nodes 1-2-3 respectively following a counter clockwise
direction,

b1 = -300 b2 =300 b3 = 0 c1 =0 c2 = -600 c3 =600

 300 0 300 0 0 0 
B ( 4)

1  0 0 0  600 0 600
180,000 
 0  300  600 300 600 0 

 300 0 0 
 0 0  300
 2.1978 0.6593 0   300 0 300 0 0 0 
 1   300 0  600 
2

k  90,000(25)
4
   5
0  600 0 600
 0.6593 2.1978 0  x10  0 0
 180,000   0  600 300  
0.7692  0  300  600 300 600 0 
600  
0 0
 0 0
 
 0 600 0 
By Matlab,

>>D=[2.1978 0.6593 0;0.6593 2.1978 0;0 0 0.7692]*1e5;

>> B4=(1/180000)*[ -300 0 300 0 0 0;0 0 0 -600 0 600;0 -300 -600 300 600 0];

>> A=90000; t=25;

Prepared by: Dr. Gilford B. Estores
 8

>> k4=A*t*B4'*D*B4

Thus,

 1.3736 0  1.3736 0.8242 0  0.8242

 0 0.4808 0.9615  0.4808  0.9615 0 
 
 1.3736 0.9615 3.2967  1.7857  1.9231 0.8242 
k ( 4)   x10
6

 0.8242  0.4808  1.7857 5.9753 0.9615  5.4945

 0  0.9615  1.9231 0.9615 1.9231 0 
 
 0.8242 0 0.8242  5.4945 0 5.4945 

Assemble the global stiffness matrix corresponding to the nonzero degrees of freedom,

3.915  3.6 0 
K  15.2625x10   3.6 3.6  0.315  0.315  3.6  3.6 
 5

 0  3.6 3.915

 0.5975  0.5494 0 
K   0.5494 1.1950  0.5494 x10 7

 0  0.5494 0.5975 

Substitute K to the structural equation and solve for the displacement

1
v4    0.5975  0.5494 0    0 
    7  
v5     0.5494 1.1950  0.5494 x10   0 
v    0  0.5494 0.5975    15,000
 6    

where F4y = F5y = 0, F6y = - (1/2) (50N/mm) (600mm) = -15,000 N

By Matlab,

Prepared by: Dr. Gilford B. Estores

 9

>> F=[0;0;-15000];

>> K=[3.915 -3.6 0;-3.6 7.83 -3.6;0 -3.6 3.915]*15.2625e5

>> d=inv(K)*F

d=

-6.8718e-003

-7.4731e-003

-9.3821e-003

Thus,

v4   0.0068718
   
v5     0.0074731mm
v    0.0093821
 6  

Solve for Stress of each element. Use   DB ,

Consider element 1
 0 
 0 
1
 x  2.1978 0.6593 0    300 0 0 0 300 0   
     
 
0  x105    0  600 0 600 
1 0
 y   0.6593 2.1978 0 0
 0.0074731

 xy   0  180,000  
  0 0.7692  0  300  600 0 600 300
 0 
 
 0.0093821
By Matlab,

>>D=[2.1978 0.6593 0;0.6593 2.1978 0;0 0 0.7692]*1e5;

>> B1=[-300 0 0 0 300 0;0 0 0 -600 0 600;0 -300 -600 0 600 300]/180000;
Prepared by: Dr. Gilford B. Estores
 10

>>d1=[0;0;0;-0.0074731;0;-0.0093821];

>>Stress1=D*B1*d1

Stress1 =

-4.1953e-001

-1.3985e+000

-1.2028e+000

1
 x   0.41953
   
 y     1.3985  MPa. Thus, the stress at node 6 along y-axis is -1.3985 MPa.
    1.2028 
 xy   

Consider element 2
 0 
 0 
300 0   
2
 x  2.1978 0.6593 0   0 0  300 0
  0.6593 2.1978  x105  1   0 600  0 

    0  0  600 0 0  
180,000   
y
 xy   0   0 
  0 0.7692 600 0  600  300 0 300
 0 
 
 0.0074731
By Matlab,

>>D=[2.1978 0.6593 0;0.6593 2.1978 0;0 0 0.7692]*1e5;

>> B2=[0 0 -300 0 300 0;0 -600 0 -600 0 0;600 0 -600 -300 0 300]/180000;

>> d2=[0;0;0;0;0;-0.0074731];

>>Stress2=D*B2*d2
Prepared by: Dr. Gilford B. Estores
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Stress2 =

-9.5805e-001

2
 x   0 
   
 y    0  MPa
   0.95805
 xy   

Consider element 3
 0 
 0 
 x 
3
2.1978 0.6593 0   300 0 0 0 300 0   
     
 
0  x10 5    0 0  
1 0
 y   0.6593 2.1978 600 0  600 0 
 xy   180,000   0 
   0 0 0.7692  600  300  600 0 0 300
 0 
 
 0.0074731
By Matlab,

>>D=[2.1978 0.6593 0;0.6593 2.1978 0;0 0 0.7692]*1e5;

>> B3=[-300 0 0 0 300 0;0 600 0 -600 0 0;600 -300 -600 0 0 300]/180000;

>> d3=[0;0;0;0;0;-0.0074731];

>>Stress3=D*B3*d3

Stress3 =

Prepared by: Dr. Gilford B. Estores

 12

-9.5805e-001

3
 x   0 
   
 y    0  MPa
   0.95805
 xy   

Consider element 4
 0 
 0 
 x 
4
2.1978 0.6593 0   300 0 300 0 0 0   
     
 
0  x105    0  600 0 600 
1 0
 y   0.6593 2.1978 0 0
 0.0068718

 xy   0  180,000  
  0 0.7692  0  300  600 300 600 0 
 0 
 
  0.0074731
By Matlab,

>>D=[2.1978 0.6593 0;0.6593 2.1978 0;0 0 0.7692]*1e5;

>> B4=[-300 0 300 0 0 0;0 0 0 -600 0 600;0 -300 -600 300 600 0]/180000;

>> d4=[0;0;0;-0.0068718;0;-0.0074731];

>>Stress4=D*B4*d4

Stress4 =

-1.3215e-001

-4.4051e-001

-8.8096e-001
Prepared by: Dr. Gilford B. Estores
 13

4
 x   0.13215
   
 y     0.44051 MPa Thus, the stress at node 4 along y-axis is -0.44051 MPa.
   0.88096
 xy   

The stress at node 5 is the average of the stresses at elements 1, 2, 3, and 4, then

  1.3985  0  0  0.44051 / 4  0.4597525MPa

Prepared by: Dr. Gilford B. Estores