Exercise A FEA Example by Hand

Finite Element Analysis in Practice Steps for Exercises 4.00 07/11/2005 13

Exercise A
FEA Example by Hand
Truss Elements
Objective: Construct and analyze a system of three trusses supporting a vertical load.

Geometry: L = 10 feet
Cross-sectional area = 2 in
2

= 45



Loads: F = 10,000 pounds

Constraints: Fully fixed at nodes 2, 3 and 4.
Constrain translation in the Z direction at point 1.

Elements: Truss

Material: Modulus of elasticity = 30e6 psi
Exercise A FEA Example by Hand
Finite Element Analysis in Practice Steps for Exercises 4.00 07/11/2005 14
Exercise A FEA Example by Hand
Finite Element Analysis in Practice Steps for Exercises 4.00 07/11/2005 15
Solution
Building the Model
Start ALGOR from the Windows taskbar.


"Start: Programs: ALGOR V17:
FEMPRO"
Press the Windows "Start" button. Select the
"Programs" pull-out menu and then select the
"ALGOR V17" pull-out menu. Select the
"FEMPRO" command.
"New" Select the "New" icon at the left side of the dialog.
"New" Press the "New" button.

Exercise A Type "Exercise A" in the "File name:" field in the
"Save As" dialog. Note the default folder location
where the analysis files will be created. This location
can be changed by navigating to an alternate working
folder if desired.
"Save" Press the "Save" button.

"Geometry: Elements: Line" Access the GEOMETRY pull-down menu and select
the "Elements" pull-out menu. Select the "Line"
command.
120<Enter> Type "120" in the "Y:" field in the "Vertex" section
of the "Define Geometry" dialog and press <Enter> to
define the point (0,120,0) as the first vertex.
<Enter> Press <Enter> to define the origin as the next vertex.
120<Enter> Type "120" in the "X:" field in the "Vertex" section
of the "Define Geometry" dialog and press <Enter> to
define the point (120,0,0) as the next vertex.
<Esc> Press <Esc> to begin a new line.
<Enter> Press <Enter> to define the origin as the first vertex.
120<Tab>120<Enter> Type "120" in the "X:" field in the "Vertex" section
of the "Define Geometry" dialog, press <Tab>, type
"120" and press <Enter> to define the point
(120,120,0) as the final coordinate.

Mouse Press the button in the upper right corner of the
"Define Geometry" dialog to close it.

"View: Orientation: XY Top" Access the VIEW pull-down menu and select the
"Orientation" pull-out menu. Select the "XY Top"
command.

Defining the Element and Material Data

Mouse Right click on the "Element Type" heading for Part 1
in the tree view.
"Truss" Select the "Truss" command.
Exercise A FEA Example by Hand
Finite Element Analysis in Practice Steps for Exercises 4.00 07/11/2005 16

Mouse Right click on the "Element Definition" heading for
Part 1 in the tree view.

"Modify Element Definition" Select the "Modify Element Definition" command.
2 Type "2" in the "Cross-Sectional Area" field.

"OK" Press the "OK" button.

Mouse Right click on the "Material" heading for Part 1 in the
tree view.

"Modify Material" Select the "Modify Material" command.

"Edit Properties" Press the "Edit Properties" button.
30e6 Type "30e6" in the "Modulus of Elasticity" field.

"OK" Press the "OK" button.

"OK" Press the "OK" button.

Adding Loads and Constraints

"Selection: Select: Vertices" Access the SELECTION pull-down menu and choose
the "Select" pull-out menu. Select the "Vertices"
command.

Mouse Click on the vertex at point 1.

Mouse Right click in the display area.

"Add: Nodal Force" Select the "Add" pull-out menu and select the "Nodal
Force" command.
-10000 Type "-10000" in the "Magnitude" field.

"Y" Select the "Y" radio button in the "Direction" section.

"OK" Press the "OK" button.

Mouse Right click in the display area.

"Add: Nodal Boundary Condition" Select the "Add" pull-out menu and select the "Nodal
Boundary Condition" command.

Mouse Activate the "Tz" checkbox in the "Constrained
DOFs" section.

"OK" Press the "OK" button.

Mouse Click on the vertex at point 2.

<Ctrl>Mouse Holding down the <Ctrl> key, click on the vertices at
points 3 and 4.

Mouse Right click in the display area.

"Add: Nodal Boundary Conditions" Select the "Add" pull-out menu and select the "Nodal
Boundary Conditions" command.

"Fixed" Press the "Fixed" button in the "Predefined" section.

"OK" Press the "OK" button.

Running the Analysis

"Analysis:
Perform Analysis"
Access the ANALYSIS pull-down menu and select the
"Perform Analysis" command to run the analysis.
At the completion of the analysis, FEMPRO will
automatically transfer to the Results environment.

Exercise A FEA Example by Hand
Finite Element Analysis in Practice Steps for Exercises 4.00 07/11/2005 17
Viewing the Results

"Results: Displacement: X" Access the RESULTS pull-down menu and select the
"Displacement" pull-out menu. Select the "X"
command. The maximum displacement in the X
direction is about 0.00414 inches.

"Results: Displacement: Y" Access the RESULTS pull-down menu and select the
"Displacement" pull-out menu. Select the "Y"
command. The maximum displacement in the Y
direction is about -0.01585 inches.

"Results: Stress: Beam and Truss:
Axial Stress (Local 1 Direction)"
Access the RESULTS pull-down menu and select the
"Stress" pull-out menu. Select the "Beam and
Truss" pull-out menu and select the "Axial Stress
(Local 1 Direction)" command.

"Inquire: Results" Access the INQUIRE pull-down menu and select the
"Results" command.

Mouse Click on the end of the horizontal truss. The axial
stress should be about -1,036 psi (compression).

Mouse Click on the end of the vertical truss. The axial stress
should be about 3,964 psi (tension).

Mouse Click on the end of the diagonal truss. The axial stress
should be about 1,464 psi (tension).

To review a completed archive of this exercise, refer to the file Exercise A.ach in the "exercise A\results
archive" directory.
Exercise A FEA Example by Hand
Finite Element Analysis in Practice Steps for Exercises 4.00 07/11/2005 18