CEE 371 Direct Stiffness Procedure, page 1 of 2

A PROCEDURE FOR THE DIRECT STIFFNESS METHOD

The Direct Stiffness Method is by far the most widespread approach for computerized
structural analysis. The following direct stiffness procedure, representative of computer
implementation in finite element programs, emphasizes three aspects:
A formalized use of matrices to organize calculations
A systematic, element-by-element treatment of structures
The assembly of the global arrays by addition, which is based on node-by-node
equilibrium
1. Create an idealization or model of the structure in terms of geometry, boundary
conditions, constitutive behavior, and kinematic behavior.
2. Establish a global (overall, structural) coordinate system. Discretize the structural model
into elements interconnected at nodes. Number all nodes and elements (essentially
providing each with indices, names, or labels).
[For convenience in illustrative and hand-calculated examples, we may wish to number
the free nodes prior to the restrained nodes.]
3. Determine the total number of nodal DOF, N, and the degree of kinematic indeterminacy,
n. Then the number of supported or restrained degrees of freedom is s = N n. Number
both the free and restrained DOF. Set up a null (zero, empty) N x N global stiffness
matrix [K] and a null N x 1 global load vector {P} with the proper number of entries and
partitions to distinguish free and supported DOF. These are represented in the global
equilibrium (stiffness) equations as:
{ } [ ] { } partitioned to give
1 1
ff fs f f
sf ss s s
K K P
P K
K K P
N N N N
1

' ; ' ; 1

]

in which the subscript f indicates free, subscript s indicates supported, [K
ff
] is n x n,
[K
sf
] is s x n, etc.
[Again for convenience, one procedure for numbering DOF is to start from node 1 and
go through the nodes in ascending order, numbering the free DOF sequentially 1 through
n. Then cycle through the nodes again, numbering the supported DOF sequentially from
n + 1 to N.]
4. Begin to assemble the global external load vector by adding the values of the nodal
(concentrated) loads to the appropriate locations in {P}.
5. Assemble the global stiffness matrix [K] by performing the following steps for each
element:
(a) Evaluate the element stiffness [k '] in local (element) coordinates and, if there are
loads applied to the element between nodes, evaluate the element reversed fixed-end
forces {F
F
'} in local (element) coordinates.
(b) Transform to global coordinates to obtain [k] and {F
F
}:
CEE 371 Direct Stiffness Procedure, page 2 of 2
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] { } [ ] { }
' '
T T
F F
k k F F
(c) Assemble contributions to [K] and {P} by adding the elements of [k] and {F
F
} to
appropriate locations in the respective global arrays.
6. Noting that {
s
} is generally zero, solve the equilibrium equations for the unknown nodal
displacements, symbolically

(although inversion is never used instead of more efficient
solution methods that take into account the sparsity and symmetry of [K
ff
]), and then use
{
f
} to solve for the reactions at the supports

.
[It is possible to generalize this to cases where the displacements at some supports is
non-zero.]
7. Determine the forces within elements by performing the following for each element:
(a) From the global nodal displacement vector {}, select those nodal displacements that
occur at the nodes of the element
(b) Transform to obtain { } [ ] { }

.
(c) Find internal element end forces from the element equilibrium (stiffness)
equations:
{ } [ ] { } { }
'
F
F k F