CEN-545

Finite Element Method

Higher order elements

Reading assignment:

Lecture notes

Summary:

• Properties of shape functions

• Higher order elements in 1D
• Higher order triangular elements (using area coordinates)
• Higher order rectangular elements
Lagrange family
Serendipity family
Recall that the finite element shape functions need to satisfy the
following properties

1. Kronecker delta property

ì 1 at node i
Ni = í
î0 at all other nodes
Inside an element
u = N 1u1 + N 2 u 2 + ...
At node 1, N1=1, N2=N3=…=0, hence

u node 1 = u1

Facilitates the imposition of boundary conditions

2. Polynomial completeness

If u » a1 + a 2 x + a 3 y
Then
åN
i
i =1

åN x
i
i i =x

åN y
i
i i =y
Higher order elements in 1D

2-noded (linear) element:

x - x2
N1 =
x1 x2 x1 - x 2
x x - x1
N2 =
1 2 x 2 - x1

In “local” coordinate system (shifted to center of element)

a-x
N1 =
x 2a
a+x
1 2 N2 =
a a 2a
3-noded (quadratic) element: (x - x2 )(x - x3 )
N1 =
x1 x3 x2 (x1 - x2 )(x1 - x3 )
x (x - x1 )(x - x3 )
N2 =
1 3 2 (x2 - x1 )(x2 - x3 )
(x - x1 )(x - x2 )
N3 =
(x3 - x1 )(x3 - x2 )
In “local” coordinate system (shifted to center of element)
x1 = -a ; x 2 = 0 ; x3 = a
x
x(a - x )
N1 = -
1 3 2 2a 2
a a x(a + x )
N2 =
2a 2
a2 - x2
N3 =
a2
 (x - x2 )(x - x3 )(x - x4 )
N1 =
4-noded (cubic) element: (x1 - x2 )(x1 - x3 )(x1 - x4 )
(x - x1 )(x - x3 )(x - x4 )
x1 x3 x4 x2 N2 =
(x2 - x1 )(x2 - x3 )(x2 - x4 )
x (x - x1 )(x - x2 )(x - x4 )
1 3 4 2 N =
3
(x3 - x1 )(x3 - x2 )(x3 - x4 )
(x - x1 )(x - x2 )(x - x3 )
N4 =
(x4 - x1 )(x4 - x2 )(x4 - x3 )
In “local” coordinate system (shifted to center of element)
9
N1 = - ( x - a )( x - a / 3)( x + a / 3)
2a/3 2a/3 2a/3 x 16a 3

9
N2 = ( x + a )( x - a / 3)( x + a / 3)
1 3 4 2 16a 3
a a
27
N3 = 3
(a - x)(a / 3 - x)(a + x)
16a
27
N4 = - 3
( x - a )( x - a / 3)( x + a / 3)
16a
Polynomial completeness

1 Convergence
rate (displacement)
x 2 node; k=1; p=2
x2
3 node; k=2; p=3
x3 4 node; k=3; p=4
x4
!
Recall that the convergence in displacements
u - uh 0
£ Ch p ; p = k + 1
k=order of complete polynomial
Triangular elements

Area coordinates (L1, L2, L3)

1
Total area of the triangle A=A1+A2+A3

y P A2 At any point P(x,y) inside

A3 the triangle, we define
A1 A1
3 L1 =
A
2 A2
L2 =
A
x
A3
L3 =
A
Note: Only 2 of the three area coordinates are independent, since
L1+L2+L3=1
 y P A2
A3
A1
3
ai + bi x + ci y 2
Li =
2A x

é1 x 1 y1 ù
1
A = area of triangle = det êê1 x 2 y 2 úú
2
êë1 x 3 y 3 úû
a1 = x 2 y 3 - x3 y 2 b1 = y 2 - y 3 c1 = x3 - x 2
a 2 = x3 y1 - x1 y 3 b2 = y 3 - y1 c 2 = x1 - x3
a3 = x1 y 2 - x 2 y1 b3 = y1 - y 2 c3 = x 2 - x1
Check that

L1 + L2 + L3 = 1
L1 x1 + L2 x2 + L3 x3 = x
L1 y1 + L2 y 2 + L3 y3 = y
 1
L1= constant
P’
y P
A1
3
2
x

Lines parallel to the base of the triangle are lines of constant ‘L’
 L1= 1
1

y P L1= 0
A1
3
2 L2= 0
L3= 1
x L =1
2
L3= 0

We will develop the shape functions of triangular elements in

terms of the area coordinates
For a 3-noded triangle

N1 = L1
N 2 = L2
N 3 = L3
 For a 6-noded triangle

L2= 0 L1= 1
1
L2= 1/2 L1= 1/2
6
4
y L1= 0
L2= 1
3
5
2
x
L3= 0 L3= 1/2 L3= 1
How to write down the expression for N1?
Realize the N1 must be zero along edge 2-3 (i.e., L1=0) and at
nodes 4&6 (which lie on L1=1/2)

N1 = c(L1 - 0 )(L1 - 1 / 2 )
Determine the constant ‘c’ from the condition that N1=1 at
node 1 (i.e., L1=1)

N1 ( at L1 = 1) = c(1)(1 - 1 / 2 ) = 1
Þc=2
\ N1 = 2 L1 (L1 - 1 / 2 )
N1 = 2 L1 ( L1 - 1 / 2)
N 2 = 2 L2 ( L2 - 1 / 2)
N 3 = 2 L3 ( L3 - 1 / 2)
N 4 = 4 L1 L2
N 5 = 4 L3 L2
N 6 = 4 L3 L1
 For a 10-noded triangle

L2= 0 L1= 1
L2= 1/3 1 L1= 2/3
9
L2= 2/3 4 L1= 1/3
8
y 10 L1= 0
L2= 1 5
3
7
2 6
x
L3= 0 L3= 1/3 L3= 2/3 L3= 1
 9
N1 = L1 ( L1 - 1 / 3)( L1 - 2 / 3)
2
9
N2 = L2 ( L2 - 1 / 3)( L2 - 2 / 3)
2
9
N3 = L3 ( L3 - 1 / 3)( L3 - 2 / 3)
2
27
N4 = L1 L2 ( L1 - 1 / 3)
2
27
N5 = L1 L2 ( L2 - 1 / 3)
2
27
N6 = L2 L3 ( L2 - 1 / 3)
2
27
N7 = L2 L3 ( L3 - 1 / 3)
2
:
N 10 = 27 L1 L2 L3
 NOTES:
1. Polynomial completeness
1 Convergence
rate (displacement)
x y 3 node; k=1; p=2
x2 xy y2 6 node; k=2; p=3
x3 x2 y xy 2 y 3 10 node; k=3; p=4
!
2. Integration on triangular domain
k! m! n!
ò
k m n
1. L1 L2 L3 dA = 2 A
1 A (2 + k + m + n)!
k! m!
2. ò
k m
l1-2 L1 L2 dS = l1- 2
1- 2 edge (1 + k + m)!
y

3
2
x
 3. Computation of derivatives of shape functions: use chain rule
e.g.,
¶N i ¶N i ¶L1 ¶N i ¶L2 ¶N i ¶L3
= + +
¶x ¶L1 ¶x ¶L2 ¶x ¶L3 ¶x
¶L1 b1 ¶L2 b2 ¶L3 b3
But = ; = ; =
¶x 2 A ¶x 2 A ¶x 2A

e.g., for the 6-noded triangle

N 4 = 4 L1 L2
¶N 4 b b
\ = 4 L1 2 + 4 L2 1
¶x 2A 2A
Rectangular elements
Lagrange family
Serendipity family

Lagrange family

4-noded rectangle In local coordinate system

y
2 1 ( a + x )(b + y)
a a N1 =
b 4ab
( a - x )(b + y)
x N2 =
b 4ab
4 ( a - x )(b - y)
3 N3 =
4ab
( a + x )(b - y)
N4 =
4ab
9-noded quadratic
Corner nodes
é x(a + x) ù é y (b + y ) ù é x(a - x) ù é y (b + y ) ù
y 5 N1 = ê
ë 2 a 2 ú
ûëê 2 b 2 ú
û
N 2 = ê
ë
-
2a 2 úû êë 2b 2 úû
2 a a 1
é x(a - x) ù é y (b - y ) ù é x(a + x) ù é y (b - y ) ù
N 3 = ê- ú ê - ú N = ê ú ê -
b 2b 2 úû
2 2 4 2
ë 2 a ûë 2b û ë 2 a ûë
9 8
6 x
b Midside nodes
7 é a 2 - x 2 ù é y (b + y ) ù é x(a - x) ù é b - y ù
2 2
3 4 N5 = ê úê ú N 6 = ê- ê ú
ë a 2
ûë 2b 2
û ë 2a 2 úû ë b 2 û
é a 2 - x 2 ù é y (b - y ) ù é x(a + x) ù é b - y ù
2 2
N7 = ê ú ê- ú N8 = ê ê ú
ë 2a úû ë b
2 2 2 2
ë a ûë 2 b û û

Center node
é a2 - x2 ùé b2 - y 2 ù
N9 = ê 2 úê 2 ú
ë a ûë b û
 NOTES:
1. Polynomial completeness
Convergence
1 rate (displacement)
x y 4 node; p=2
x2 xy y2 9 node; p=3
x3 x2 y xy 2 y 3
x4 x3 y x 2 y 2 xy 3 y 4
x 5 x 4 y x 3 y 2 x 2 y 3 xy 4 y 5

Lagrange shape functions contain higher order terms but miss

out lower order terms
Serendipity family

4-noded same as Lagrange

8-noded rectangle: how to generate the shape functions?
First generate the shape functions of the
y 5 midside nodes as appropriate products of
2 a a 1
1D shape functions, e.g.,
b
8
x N = é a - x ù é (b + y ) ù ; N = é (a + x) ù é b - y ù
2 2 2 2
6
5 ê úê úû 8 êë 2a úû ê b 2 ú
b 7 ë a 2
û ë 2b ë û
3 4 Then go to the corner nodes. At each corner
node, first assume a bilinear shape function as in
a 4-noded element and then modify:
ˆ (a + x)(b + y )
“bilinear” shape fn at node 1: N1 = 4ab
actual shape fn at node 1: ˆ N5 N8
N1 = N1 - -
2 2
8-noded rectangle
Midside nodes
y 5
2 a a 1 é a 2 - x 2 ù é (b + y ) ù é (a - x) ù é b - y ù
2 2
N5 = ê úê ú N6 = ê úû ê b 2 ú
b ë a 2
û ë 2 b û ë 2 a ë û
8
6 x é a 2 - x 2 ù é (b - y ) ù é (a + x) ù é b - y ù
2 2
N7 = ê úê ú N8 = ê ê ú
b ë 2a úû ë b
2 2
7 ë a û ë 2b û û
3 4

Corner nodes

(a + x)(b + y ) N 5 N 8 (a - x)(b + y ) N 5 N 6
N1 = - - N2 = - -
4ab 2 2 4ab 2 2
(a - x)(b - y ) N6 N 7 (a + x)(b - y ) N8 N 7
N3 = - - N4 = - -
4ab 2 2 4ab 2 2
 NOTES:
1. Polynomial completeness
Convergence
1 rate (displacement)
x y 4 node; p=2
x2 xy y2 8 node; p=3
x3 x2 y xy 2 y 3 12 node; p=4
x4 x3 y x 2 y 2 xy 3 y 4
5 4 3 2 2 3 4 5
16 node; p=4
x x y x y x y xy y

More even distribution of polynomial terms than Lagrange

shape functions but ‘p’ cannot exceed 4!