Module 3: Element Properties

Lecture 3: Rectangular Elements

18

Rectangular elements are suitable for modelling regular geometries. Sometimes, it is used along with
triangular elements to represent an arbitrary geometry. The simplest element in the rectangular
family is the four node rectangle with sides parallel to x and y axis. Fig. 3.3.1 shows rectangular
elements with varying nodes representing linear, quadratic and cubic variation of function.

Fig. 3.3.1 Rectangular elements

3.3.1 Shape Function for Four Node Element

Shape functions of a rectangular element can be derived using both Cartesian and natural coordinate
systems. A four term polynomial expression for the field variable will be required fora rectangular
element with four nodes having four degrees of freedom. Since there is no complete four term
polynomial in two dimensions, the incomplete, symmetric expression from the Pascal’s triangle may
be chosen to ensure geometric isotropy.

3.3.1.1 Shape function using Cartesian coordinates

For the derivation of interpolation function, the sides of the rectangular element (Fig. 3.3.2) are
assumed to be parallel to the global Cartesian axes. From the Pascal’s triangle, a linear variation may
be assumed to define filed variable to ensure inter-element continuity.
f ( x, y ) = a0 + a1 x + a2 y + a3 xy (3.3.1)
 19

Fig. 3.3.2 Rectangular element in Cartesian coordinate

Applying nodal conditions, the above expression may be written in matrix form as
ïìïf1 ïüï é1 x1 y1 x1 y1 ù ïìa0 ïü
ê ú ïï ïï
ïïf2 ïï ê1 x2 y2 x2 y2 ú ïïa1 ïï
ïí ï = ê úí  (3.3.2)
ïïf3 ïï ê1 x3 y3 x3 y3 úú ïïa2 ïï
ïï ïï êê ï ï
îïf4 ï ë1 x4 y4 x4 y4 úû ïîïa3 ïï
The unknown polynomial coefficients may be obtained from the above equation with the use of
nodal field variables.
-1
ì
ïa ü é1 x1 y1 ù ìïf1 üï
ï 0 ïï
x1 y1
ï ï ê ú ïïï ïïï
ï a1 ï ê1 x2 y2 ú
ïí ï = ê x2 y2
ú ïíf2 ï (3.3.3)
ïïa2 ïï ê1 x3 y3 x3 y3 úú ïïf3 ïï
ïï ïï êê ïï ïï
îïa3 ï ë1 x4 y4 x4 y4 úû ïîf4 ï
Thus, the field variable at any point inside the element can be described in terms of nodal values as
-1
ìïa0 üï é1 x1 y1 x1 y1 ù ïïìf1 ïïü
ïï ï ê ú
ïïa1 ïï ê1 x2 y2 x2 y2 ú
ïï ïï
ïf2 ï
f ( x, y ) = [1 x y xy ]í ï = [1 x y xy ] êê ú í 
ï
ï a2 ïï ê1 x3 y3 x3 y3 úú ïïf3 ïï
ï
ïa ïï ê1 ïï ïï
ï 3
î ï ë x4 y4 x4 y4 úû ïîf4 ï (3.3.4)
ì
ï f1 üï
ï
ï ï
ïf2 ïï
= [ N1 N2 N3 N 4 ]ï
í ï
ï
ïf3 ïï
ï
ïf ïï
ï 4 ï
î
From the above expression, the shape function Nican be derived and will be as follows.
 20

 x  x2   y  y4 
N1    
 x1  x2   y1  y4 
 x  x1   y  y3 
N2    
 x2  x1   y2  y3 
(3.3.5)
 x  x4   y  y2 
N3    
 x3  x4   y3  y2 
 x  x3   y  y1 
N4    
 x4  x3   y4  y1 
Now, substituting the nodal coordinates in terms of (x1, y1) as (–a, –b) at node 1; (x2, y2) as (a, –b) at
node 2; (x3, y3) as (a, b) at node 3 and (x4, y4) as (–a, b) at node 4 the above expression can be re-
written as:
1
N1   x  a  y  b 
4ab
1
N2   x  a  y  b 
4ab
(3.3.6)
1
N3   x  a  y  b 
4ab
1
N4   x  a  y  b 
4ab
Thus, the shape function N can be found from the above expression in Cartesian coordinate system.

3.3.1.2 Shape function using natural coordinates

The derivation of interpolation function in terms of Cartesian coordinate system is algebraically
complex as seen from earlier section. However, the complexity can be reduced by the use of natural
coordinate system, where the natural coordinates will vary from -1 to +1 in place of –a to +a or –b to
+b. The transformation of Cartesian coordinates to Natural coordinates are shown in Fig. 3.3.3.
 21

Fig. 3.3.3Four node rectangular element

From the figure, the relation between two coordinate systems can be expressed as
xx y y
 and   (3.3.7)
a b
Here,2a and 2bare the width and height of the rectangle. The coordinate of the center of the
rectangle can be written as follows:
x1  x2 y y
x and y  1 4 (3.3.8)
2 2
Thus, from eq. (3.3.7) and eq.(3.3.8), the nodal values in natural coordinate systems can be derived
which is shown in Fig. 3.3.4(b). With the above relations variations of x & h will be from -1 to +1.
Now the interpolation function can be derived in a similar fashion as done in section 3.3.1.1. The
filed variable can be written in natural coordinate system ensuring inter-element continuity as:
f (x , h ) = a0 + a1x + a2h + a3xh (3.3.9)
The coordinates of four nodes of the element in two different systems are shown in Table 3.3.1 for
ready reference for the derivation purpose. Applying the nodal values in the above expression one
can get
ì
ï f ü é1 -1 -1 1 ù ì ïa0 ü
ïï 1 ïïï ê úï
ï
ï
ïf2 ï ê1 1 -1 -1ú ïïa1 ïï
ï
í ï = êê úï ï (3.3.10)
ïf ï 1 1 1 1 úíïa ï
ï
ï
3ï
ï ê úïï
2ï
ï
ï
ïf ïï ê1 -1 1 -1ú ïa ï
î  ë
4 û î ï
ï 3
 22

Table 3.3.1 Cartesian and natural coordinates for four node element

Node Cartesian Coordinate Natural Coordinate

x y ξ η
1 x1 y1 -1 -1
2 x2 y2 1 -1
3 x3 y3 1 1
4 x4 y4 -1 1

Thus, the unknown polynomial coefficients can be found as

-1
ïìïa0 ïïü é1 -1 -1 1 ù ïìïf1 ïüï é1 1 1 1 ùï ìf1 ïü
ïï ïï êê ú ï ï ê úïï ï
ï
ï a1 ï = ê1 1 -1 -1úú ïïf2 ïï = 1 êê-1 1 1 -1ú ïïf2 ïï
úí  (3.3.11)
í  ê í 
ïïa2 ïï 1 1
ê 1 1 úú ïïf3 ï
ï 4 êê-1 -1 1 1 úú ï
ïf3 ïï
ïï ïï ê ï
ú ï ï ï ê 1 -1 ú ï ï
îïa3 ï ë1 -1 1 -1û ïîf4  ï ë 1 -1û îïf4 ï
ï ï
The field variable can be written as follows using eq.(3.3.9) and eq.(3.3.11).
ìa0 ïü
ï é1 1 1 1 ùï ìf1 ïü
ï
ï ï
ï ê úï ï
ïa1 ï 1 ê-1 1 1 -1ú ïf2 ï ï ï
f (x , h ) = [1 x h xh ]ïí ï  = [1 x h xh ] êê ú íï ï 
ï
ïa2 ïï 4 ê-1 -1 1 1 úú ï ï f3 ï
ï
ï
ï ï ï ê 1 -1 1 -1ú ï ï ï
îïa3 ï ë ûîïf4 ïï

(3.3.12)
ì
ï f1 üï
ï
ï ï
ïf2 ïï
= [ N1 N 2 N 3 N 4 ]ï í ï
ï
ïf3 ïï
ï
ïf ïï
ï
î 4 ï
Where,Niare the interpolation function of the element in natural coordinate system and can be found
as:

ìï (1- x )(1- h ) üï
ïï ïï
ïï 4 ïï
ï ï
ïìï N1 ïüï ïï (1 + x )(1- h )ïï
ïï ïï ïï ïï
ï N2 ï ï 4 ï
Ni = í  = í  (3.3.13)
ïï N 3 ïï ïï(1 + x )(1 + h )ïï
ïï ïï ïï ïï
îï N 4 ï ïï 4 ï
ïï 1- x 1 + h ïïï
ïï ( )( )ï
ïï
ïîï 4 ï
 23

3.3.2 Shape Function for Eight Node Element

The shape function of eight node rectangular element can be derived in similar fashion as done in
case of four node element. The only difference will be on choosing of polynomial as this element is
of quadratic in nature. The derivation will be algebraically complex in case of using Cartesian
coordinate system. However, use of the natural coordinate system will make the process simpler as
the natural coordinates vary from -1 to +1 in the element.The variation of filed variable ϕ can be
expressed in natural coordinate system by the following polynomial.
f (x , h ) = a0 + a1x + a2 h + a3x 2 + a4 xh + a5h 2 + a6 x 2 h + a7 xh 2 (3.3.14)
It may be noted that the cubic terms ξ3 and η3are omitted and geometric invariance is ensured by
choosing the above expression. Fig. 3.3.4 shows the natural nodal coordinates of the eight node
rectangle element in natural coordinate system.

The nodal field variables can be obtained from the above expression after putting the coordinates at
nodes.
ïìïf1 ïüï é1 -1 -1 1 1 1 -1 -1ù ïìa0 ï
ü
ïï ïï êê úïï ï
ï
ïïf2 ïï ê1 1 -1 1 -1 1 -1 1 ú ï a ï
úïï 1ï
ï
ïïf ïï ê1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ï
1 úú ïa2 ï
ï
ïï 3 ïï ê ï
ï ï
ï
ïf4 ï ê1 -1 1 1 -1 ú
1 1 -1ú ïa3 ï
ï
{fi } = ïí ï = êê í ï  = [ A]{ai } (3.3.15)
ïïf5 ïï ê1 0 -1 0 0 1 0 0 úú ï
ïa4 ï
ï
ïï ïï ê úï ï
ïïf6 ïï ê1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 ú ïa5 ï
ï ï
ïï ïï ê úïï ï
ï
ïïf7 ïï ê1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 úï ïa ï
6ï
ê
ïïf ïï ê1 -1 0 1 0 úï ï
ï ï
ïî 8 ï ë 0 0 îa7 ï
0 ûú ï
ï ï


Fig. 3.3.4 Natural coordinates of eight node rectangular element

Replacing the unknown coefficient αi in eq.(3.3.14) from eq.(3.3.15), the following relations will be
obtained.
 24

f (x , h ) = éëê1 x h x 2 xh h 2 x 2h xh 2 ùúû [ A] {fi }

-1

é-1 -1 -1 -1 2 2 ùï
2 2 ìf1 ïü
ê úï ï ï
ï
ê0 0 0 0 0 -2 ú ï
2 0 f2 ï
ê úï ï
ï ï
ê0
ê 0 0 0 -2 0 2 0 úú ïïïf3 ï
ïï
ê ú ï ï
1 1 1 1 1 -2 0 -2 0 ú ï f4 ï
= êëé1 x h x 2 xh h 2 x 2 h xh 2 úûù êê ú í ï
ï
4 ê 1 -1 1 -1 0 0 0 0 ú ïïf5 ï ï
ê ú ïf ï
ê1 1 1 1 0 - 2 0 -2 ú ïï 6ï
ï
ê úï ï
ï ï
ê-1 -1 1 1 2 0 -2 0 ú ï ï f7 ïï
ê úï ï ï
ï
êë-1 1 1 -1 0 - 2 0 ïîf8 ï
2 úû ï ï

ì
ï f1 ü
ï
ï
ï ï
ï
ï
ïf 2ï
ï
ï
ï ï
ï
ï
ïf 3 ï
ï
ï
ïf4 ïï
= [ N1 N2 N3 N4 N5 N6 N7 N8 ]ï
í ï 
ï
ïf5 ïï
ï
ï ï
ï
ïf 6ï
ï
ï ï
ï
ï
ïf 7ï
ï
ï
ï ï
ïf8 ï
ï
î ï
ï
 (3.3.16)
Thus, the interpolation function will become

(1- x )(1- h )(-x - h -1) (1 + x )(1- h )(x - h -1)

N1 = ; N2 ;
4 4
(1 + x )(1 + h )(x + h -1) (1- x )(1 + h )(-x + h -1)
N3 = ; N4 = ;
4 4
(1 + x )(1 - x )(1- h ) (1 + x )(1 + h )( h )
1 -
N5 = ; N6 = ;
2 2
(1 + x )(1- x )(1 + h ) (1- x )(1 + h )(1- h )
N7 = ; N8 =
2 2 (3.3.17)

The shape functions of rectangular elements with higher nodes can be derived in similar manner
using appropriate polynomial satisfying all necessary criteria. However, difficulty arises due to the
inversion of large size of the matrix because of higher degree of polynomial chosen. In next lecture,
the shape functions of rectangular element with higher nodes will be derived in a much simpler way.