Finite Element Course

9 Multifreedom constraints

Prof. Raul Durand

 Finite Multifreedom constraints
Elements

Multifreedom constraints
In a finite element analysis, displacement constraints
as u2x = 0 or u3y = 0.01 are called single freedom 2
constraints. In some cases, as is the case of inclined 1
supports, two or more displacements are related. Con-
straints as:
3
u2x = u4x or u2x + 2u2y + u2z = 0
Inclined support
are called multifreedom constraints (MFC).
A multifreedom constraints can be linear or nonlinear.
Rigid body
The constraint is called homogeneous if it is given by
a combination of displacements that is equal to zero
and nonhomogeneous otherwise. Constraints as inclined
supports are examples of homogeneous constraints.
The most common methods to tackle multifreedom con-
straints are:
• Master-slave elimination
• Penalty method Before After

• Lagrange multipliers method Rigid element

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 Finite Penalty Method
Elements

Penalty Method
The Penalty Method is a simple approach were ficticious elements with high stiffness are
added in order to attend multifreedom constraints.
For example, consider the 1D truss system below: subject to the following constraints:
u4 − u2 = 0
u1 = 0
u5 = 0.01

1 2 3 4 5

The first constraint is a multifreedom constraint and will be addressed using the penalty
method. The last two constraints are single freedom constraints and can be managed by
decomposing the stiffness matrix according to prescribed displacements.
The constraint u4 − u2 can be expressed as:
!
h i u
4
1 −1 =0
u2
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 Finite Penalty Method
Elements

Pre-multipliying by [1 − 1]T and introducing a stiffness term K̄ we have:

" # ! !
1 −1 u4 0
K̄ =
−1 1 u2 0

This equation represents the stiffness matrix of a ficticious link element.

The term K̄ is known as the penalty weight. If K̄ → ∞, then the element acts as a rigid
link and u2 → u4 after solving the system of equations.
In practice, K̄ should be chosen to be a large value, for example 108 .
For the given example, the original system of equations for the truss system is written as:

0 0 0
    
K11 K12 u1 f1
K
 21 K22 K23 0 0  u2  f2 
   

 0 K32 K33 K34 0  u3  = f3 
    
 0 0 K43 K44 K45  u4  f4 
    

0 0 0 K54 K55 u5 f5

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 Finite Penalty Method
Elements

After the addition of the rigid link element the system of equations becomes:

0 0 0
    
K11 K12 u1 f1
K
 21 K22 + K̄ K 23 K̄ 0  u  f 
  2  2
 0 K32 K33 K34 0  u3  = f3 
    
 0 K43 K44 + K̄ K45  u4  f4 
    
K̄
0 0 0 K54 K55 u5 f5

In theory, the larger the value of K̄ the results are more accurate. However, the values
of K̄ are limited by the computer and also large values turn the global stiffness matrix
ill-conditioned.

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 Finite Lagrange Multipliers
Elements

Lagrange Multipliers
In mathematical optimization, the Lagrange Multipliers Method (LMM) is used for finding
the extrema of a function subject to constraints.
Let’s consider the optimization problem:
maximize f (x, y)
subject to g(x, y) = 0

If f and g have continuous first derivatives a Lagrange function is defined as:

L(x, y, λ) = f (x, y) − λ g(x, y)
where λ is a new variable called Lagrange multiplier.
The solution of ∇L = 0 provides the extrema of f subject to g. This equation can be
expressed also by the following system:
(
∇ f (x, y) = −λ ∇ g(x, y)
g(x, y) = 0

This method can be extended for functions with n variables subject to m constraints, thus:
∇L(x1 , x2 , . . . , xn , λ1 , λ2 , . . . , λm ) = 0

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 Finite Lagrange Multipliers applied to Finite Elements
Elements

Lagrange Multipliers applied to Finite Elements

The LMM is an exact method and does not require penalty weights.
Using the last example, the same effect as the penalty method can be achieved by appling
an appropriate force pair at nodes 2 and 4. Thus, forces −λ1 and λ1 are the required forces
to keep u4 − u2 = 0:

0 0 0
    
K11 K12 u1 f1
K
 21 K 22 K 23 0 0  u  f − λ 
2
   2 1
0 K K K 0 u = f
    
 32 33 34   3  3 
 0 0 K43 K44 K45  u4  f4 + λ1 
    

0 0 0 K54 K55 u5 f5

Since λ1 is unknown, the system can be rewritten as:

   
u f
0 0 0 0  1  1
 
K11 K12
K K22 K23 0 0 1  2  f2 
u
 21  u  f 
 0 K32 K33 K34 0 0   3 =  3
    
 u4  f4 
 0 0 K43 K44 K45 −1 

  
u5  f5 
0 0 0 K54 K55 0
λ1 0

To equate the number of equations and unknowns, the equation u4 − u2 = 0 can be added
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 Finite Lagrange Multipliers applied to Finite Elements
Elements

to the system, leading to:

0 0 0 0
    
K11 K12 u1 f1
K21 K22 K23
 0 0 1  u2  f2 
   
 0 K32 K33 K34 0 0 u3  f3 
   
  =  

 0 0 K43 K44 K45 −1 u4  f4 

 0 0 0 K54 K55 0  u5  f5 
    

0 1 0 −1 0 0 λ1 0

Remaining boundary conditions can also be added:

0 0 0 0 1 0
    
K11 K12 u1 f1
K
 21 K22 K23 0 0 1 0 0 u2   f2 
   
 0 K32 K33 K34 0 0 0 0 u3   f3 
    
 0 0 K43 K44 K45 −1 0 0
    
 u4  =  f4 
   
 0 0 0 K54 K55 0 0 1 u5   f5 

   
 
 0 1 0 −1 0 0 0 0 λ1   0 
    
 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 λ2   0 
    

0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 λ3 0.01

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 Finite Lagrange Multipliers applied to Finite Elements
Elements

The Lagrange Multipliers method can be stated from a variational point of view. The
equilibrium problem can be stated as the minimization of the total potential energy of
an structure subject to some displacement constraints. Hence, the Lagrangian function is
written as:

L(u, λ) = Π − λ · (AU − b)
= 12 UT KU − UT F + λ · (AU − b)

where A is a matrix containing the coefficients of the constraints equations, b is a vector

with the right-hand-side values of the constraints and λ is a vector containing the Lagrange
Multipliers.
After minimization of the above matrix equation the following system is obtained:
" # ! !
K AT U F
=
A 0 λ b

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 Finite Lagrange Multipliers applied to Finite Elements
Elements

Remarks
The Lagrange Multipliers method introduces additional unknows to the system of equations.
The augmented matrix contains diagonal terms equal to zero and becomes indefinite. This
could cause problems in solvers that rely on positive definiteness.
The LMM requires that constraints were not linear dependent. For example, a constraint
cannot be specified twice and one constraint cannot be obtained by linear combination of
other constraints.
Finally, the LMM can be extended to nonlinear constraints.

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 Finite Exercises
Elements

Exercises
1. The system below is subject to the following constraints:

u2 + 2u3 + u4 = 0.01, u1 = 0 and u5 = −0.01

Assemble the finite element equations using the Penalty Method and the LMM. Con-
L = 1 kN/m.
sider EA

1 2 3 4 5

2. Find all nodal displacemets in the truss using the Penalty Method and the LMM
Consider EA = 600 kN, P = 10 kN and α = 30◦ . The lenghs for elements 1, 2 and 3
are 5 m, 4 m and 3 m, respectively. Choose the penalty weight value. Compare the
results.

2 2

1
3
1

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 Finite Suggested bibliography
Elements

Suggested bibliography
1. C.A. Felippa, Introduction to Finite Element Methods, Lecture notes, Colorado, 2001.
2. H.L. Soriano, Elementos Finitos: Formulação e Aplicação na Estática e Dinâmica das
Estruturas, Ciência Moderna, 2009.

Somewhere,
something incredible is waiting to be known.
Carl Sagan

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