Examples

FEM48
Version 3.1 standard / professional

C. Lugtmeier

1999

FEM48

Examples v3.1 Std/Pro

Copyright and disclaimer of warranty

All files of the FEM48 library are copyrighted

by Caspar Lugtmeier.

FEM48 is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER PROVIDES
THE PROGRAM "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT WILL THE
COPYRIGHT HOLDER BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL,
SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR
INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM.
This version of FEM48 is a Giftware release. You may use it as long as you like, but only for noncommercial purposes and only as a private person. Permission to copy the whole, unmodified, FEM48
library is granted provided that the copies are not made or distributed for resale (excepting nominal
copying fees) and provided that you include on each copy this copyright notice and disclaimer of
warranty.

Copyright

C. Lugtmeier 1999

FEM48

Examples v3.1 Std/Pro

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................................8
EXAMPLE 1.................................................................................................................................................................8
EXAMPLE 2.................................................................................................................................................................8

Copyright

C. Lugtmeier 1999

FEM48

Examples v3.1 Std/Pro

Introduction
This Examples document is all that there is for now. Only two examples are given and the MEREL
function is not described. This will be fixed when the next version of FEM48 is released.
Caspar Lugtmeier,
26 December 1999

Copyright

C. Lugtmeier 1999

FEM48

Examples v3.1 Std/Pro

Example 1
In this example the necessary input for a beam with 2 spans, which is fixed at one end will be explained.
The beam is shown in the figure below, including loads.

4m

2.5 m

1m
75 kNm

100 kN

10 kN/m

X
1
1

2
2

Z
5m

5m

The properties of member 1 & 2 are: A: 0.08 m2 Iy: 1.067*10-3 m4 E: 3*107 kN/m2
The input for FEM48 looks like this (make sure you select FRAME as structure type):
NODES:
[ [ 0 0 ] [ 5 0 ] [ 10 0 ] ]
MEMBS:
[ [ 1 2 1 ] [ 2 3 1 ] ]
PROPS:
[ [ 0.08 1.067*10-3 3*107 ] ]
CONST:
[ [1 0 -1 0 ] [ 2 0 -1 0 ] [ 3 -1 -1 -1 ] ]
NL:
[ [ 1 0 0 -75 ] ]
MLCON:
[ [ 2 0 100 0 2.5 ] ]
MLUNI:
[ [ 1 0 10 1 4 ] ]

Copyright

C. Lugtmeier 1999

FEM48

Examples v3.1 Std/Pro

Example 2
See the structure below. Member properties are; member 1 & 2: A: 0.08 m2 Iy: 1.067*10-3 m4 E: 3*107
kN/m2 , member 3: A: 0.15 m2 Iy: 2.0*10-3 m4 E: 2*108 kN/m2.

10 kN/m
X
Z

2 kN/m
2

3
3m

1
3

2.5 m
4
3.5 m

2.5 m

Observations:
Note that the uniform load on member 1 is defined in the global Z-direction but the member is not
horizontally orientated. Thus we have to calculate the local wX and wZ (member loads are always
defined in the local coordinate system of the member!).

10

wZ
-wX

(3.5*3.5+3.0*3.0) = 4.61
-wX = 10 / 4.61 * 3.0 = 6.51 kN/m
wZ = 10 / 4.61 * 3.5 = 7.59 kN/m

The input for FEM48 looks like this (make sure you select FRAME as structure type):
NODES:
[ [ 0 3 ] [ 3.5 0 ] [ 6 0 ] [ 6 5.5 ] ]
MEMBS:
[ [ 1 2 1 ] [ 2 3 1 ] [ 3 4 2 ] ]
PROPS:
[ [ 0.08 1.067*10-3 3*107 ] [ 0.15 2.0*10-3 2*108 ] ]
CONST:
[ [1 -1 -1 0 ] [ 4 -1 -1 -1 ] ]
MLUNI:
[ [ 1 -6.51 7.59 0 0 ] [ 3 2 0 0 0 ] ] (d2 = 0 means d2 = length member)

Copyright

C. Lugtmeier 1999