13

The CR Formulation:
3D Bar Element

13–1
Chapter 13: THE CR FORMULATION: 3D BAR ELEMENT 13–2

§13.1 INTRODUCTION
The expressions developed in §12.4 become intractable for elements of arbitrary geometry, such
as curved shells or beams, because c and R are complicated functions of the element displacement
field, which is turn determined by u. Fortunately the CR approach is often used with elements of
simple geometry in which rotational freedoms, if any, may be ignored in defining the corotated
configuration. Under those conditions one can work out the transformation arrays T and G directly
from geometric arguments, without bothering to establish c and R. The transformations may be
then systematically applied to existing linear elements through a modular interface, as illustrated
in Figure 12.7.
In particular, for a simplex element it is possible to work out all transformation from the intrinsic
geometry of a line segment, triangle or tetrahedron moving in 3D space. (By “intrinsic” is meant
changes in edge lengths, face areas and volume dimensions.) For the line segment the formulas are
worked out and collected in the next sections as they apply to many types of finite elements. The
results may be specialized to two dimensions, if desired, by setting the third coordinate to zero.
It is important that the kinematic analysis be exact so that arbitrary rigid body motions can be
accomodated. Restrictions on deformations can then be made when considering specific elements,
particularly those with rotational DOFs.
Several of the following results are new. Their closed form derivation was made possible because of
the use of Mathematica to simplify abtruse algebraic expressions containing many symbolic terms.

uX2
uZ2
current C
2(x 2 ,y 2 ,z2)
1(x1 ,y1 ,z1)
uX1 Length L
uZ1
Y uY 2
uY 1

Length L0
10 (X1 ,Y1, Z1)
X
Z base CB
2 0 (X 2 ,Y2,Z2)

Figure 13.1. A line segment moving in 3D space.

§13.2 LINE SEGMENT MOVING IN 3D

Consider the line segment shown in Figure 13.1, defined by the end nodes 1-2. The segment moves
in three-dimensional space {X, Y, Z }. The reference configuration C0 , specified by the coordinates
(X 1 , Y1 , Z 1 ) and (X 2 , Y2 , Z 2 ) of the end nodes, has the initial length

L0 = L 2X 0 + L 2Y 0 + L 2Z 0 (13.1)

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13–3 §13.2 LINE SEGMENT MOVING IN 3D

in which L X 0 = X 21 = X 2 − X 1 , L Y 0 = Y21 = Y2 − Y1 , and L Z 0 = Z 21 = Z 2 − Z 1 . The line

moves to the current configuration C of length L defined by coordinates (x1 = X 1 + u X 1 , y1 =
Y1 + u Y 1 , z 1 = Z 1 + u Z 1 ) and (x2 = X 2 + u X 2 , y2 = Y2 + u Y 2 , z 2 = Z 2 + u Z 2 ), where u X 1 through
u Z 2 are the node displacements. The current length is

L = L 2X + L 2Y + L 2Y , L X = X 21 + u X 21 , L Y = Y21 + u Y 21 , L Z = Z 21 + u Z 21 , (13.2)
in which u X 21 = u X 2 − u X 1 , u Y 21 = u Y 2 − u Y 1 , and u Z 21 = u Z 2 − u Z 1 . For further use define the
following vectors
         
L X0 L X 0 /L 0 LX L X /L u X 21
L0 = L Y 0 , L̂0 = L Y 0 /L 0 , L = L Y , L̂ = L Y /L , u L = L − L0 = u Y 21 ,
L Z0 L Z 0 /L 0 LZ L Z /L u Z 21
(13.3)
Here L̂0 = L0 /L 0 and L̂ = L/L denote the direction cosine vectors of the initial and current
segment, respectively. This “hat convention” will be used to identified normalized direction vectors.
Suppose now that the node displacements are functions of two variables, generically denoted by 
and : u X 1 = u X 1 (, ), etc. The partial derivative of L with respect to  is
∂L L X ∂u X 21 L Y ∂u Y 21 L Z ∂u Z 21 T ∂u L
= + + = L̂ , (13.4)
∂ L ∂ L ∂ L ∂ ∂
where vector ∂u L /∂ collects the derivatives ∂u X 21 /∂, ∂u Y 21 /∂ and ∂u Z 21 /∂. Note that the
original configuration is only “remembered” through the displacements since L 0 does not appears
explicitly.
The second partial derivative of L with respect to the variables  and , written in full, is
∂2 L L 2 + L 2 ∂u X 21 ∂u X 21 L X L Y ∂u X 21 ∂u Y 21 L X L Z ∂u X 21 ∂u Z 21
= Y 3 Z − −
∂∂ L ∂ ∂ L3 ∂ ∂ L3 ∂ ∂
L Y L X ∂u Y 21 ∂u X 21 L Z + L X ∂u Z 21 ∂u X 21
2 2
L Y L Z ∂u Y 21 ∂u Z 21
− + −
L3 ∂ ∂ L3 ∂ ∂ L 3 ∂ ∂ (13.5)
L Z L X ∂u Z 21 ∂u X 21 L Z L Y ∂u Z 21 ∂u Y 21 L X + L 2Y ∂u X 21 ∂u Y 21
2
− − +
L3 ∂ ∂ L 3 ∂ ∂ L3 ∂ ∂
L X ∂ u X 21
2
L Y ∂ u Y 21
2
L Z ∂ u Z 21
2
+ + + .
L ∂∂ L ∂∂ L ∂∂
This can be put in the more compact matrix form:
 
∂2 L ∂u L T ∂u L T ∂ uL
2
= H + L̂ . (13.6)
∂∂ ∂ ∂ ∂∂
The new symbols in (13.6) are
 ∂ 2u 
 L2 + L2  X 21
−L X L Y −L X L Z  ∂∂ 
1
Y Z
∂ 2uL  2 
H = 3  −L Y L X L 2Z + L 2X −L Y L Z  = 1 (I− L̂L̂T ), = ∂ u Y 21  , (13.7)
L L ∂∂  ∂∂ 
 
−L Z L X −L Z L Y L 2X + L 2Y
∂ 2 u Z 21
∂∂
13–3
Chapter 13: THE CR FORMULATION: 3D BAR ELEMENT 13–4

in which I denotes the identity matrix of order 3.

The results (13.4) and (13.7) can be specialized to various choices. For example, if the displacements
are viewed as functions of real time (or time-like) parameter t,  ≡  ≡ t we obtain
T T
L̇ = L̂ u̇ L , L̈ = u̇TL Hu̇ L + L̂ ü L , (13.8)

where a superposed dot denotes time derivative with respect to t.

If  and  are set in turn to the six entries of the node displacement vector arranged as u =
[ u X 1 u Y 1 u Z 1 u X 2 u Y 2 u Z 2 ]T one obtains the gradient and Hessian of L:
∂L 1
= [ −L X −L Y −L Z LX LY L Z ]T = [ −L̂ L̂ ]T (13.9)
∂u L
 L2 + L2 −L Y L X −L X L Z −L 2Y − L 2Z LY L X LX LZ

Y Z
 −L Y L X L Z + L X −L Y L Z
2 2
L Y L X −L Z − L X
2 2
LY L Z 
1  −L Z L X 
∂2 L −L Z L Y L 2Y + L 2X −L 2Z − L 2X  −H
= 3 
LZ LX L Z LY H
=
∂u ∂u L  −L Y − L Z
2 2
−L Y L X −L X L Z L 2Y − L 2Z −L Y L X −L X L Z 
 −H H
LY L X −L 2Z − L 2X LY L Z LY L X L 2Z + L 2X LY L Z
LZ LX L Z LY −L 2Y − L 2X −L Z L X −L Z L Y L 2Z + L 2X
(13.10)
It is important not to confuse the 3-vector u L with the 6-vector u. In fact, ∂u L /∂u is the 3 × 6
matrix [ −I I ], whereas ∂ 2 u L /∂u∂u is a null 3 × 6 × 6 “cubic matrix.”
Sometimes the derivatives of the length-power L n are required, the most common cases in practice,
aside from that of n = 1 treated above, being n = 2, −1 and −2. The first and second derivatives
are easily obtained through the chain rule:
∂(L n ) ∂L T ∂u L
= n L n−1 = n L n−1 L̂ . (13.11)
∂ ∂ ∂
 T
∂ 2 (L n ) ∂u L  T  ∂u L T ∂ 2uL
= n(n − 1)L n−2 L̂L̂ + n L n−1 H + n L n−1 L̂
∂∂ ∂ ∂ ∂∂
 T (13.12)
∂u L  T  ∂u L T ∂ uL
2
= L n−2
nI + n(n − 2)L̂L̂ + n L n−1 L̂
∂ ∂ ∂∂
For n = 1 these reproduce the previous results. For n = 2, with  and  specialized first to t and
then to u, we obtain the squared-length derivatives:
˙ ¨
L 2 = 2L L̂u̇ L , L 2 = 2u̇T u̇ L + 2L ü L (13.13)
 
∂ L2 ∂2 L2 I −I
= 2L [ −L̂ L̂ ] , =2 . (13.14)
∂u ∂u ∂u −I I
The simplicity of the Hessian of L 2 will be a cogent argument for the use of the Green measure of
strain. For n = −1, with  and  specialized as above, we obtain the inverse-length derivatives:

˙ = −(1/L 2 )L̂u̇,
1/L ¨ = (1/L 3 )u̇T (3L̂L̂T − I)u̇ − (1/L 2 )ü
1/L (13.15)
L L L

13–4
13–5 §13.3 THE CR BAR ELEMENT

N
1
current C L

corotated CR 2
N
Z

X Y 20
base CB

10 L0

Figure 13.1. Corotational 3D Bar.

 T T 
∂(1/L) ∂ 2 (1/L) 3L̂L̂ − I −3L̂L̂ + I
= −(1/L 2 ) [ −L̂ L̂ ] , = (1/L )
3
T T (13.16)
∂u ∂u ∂u −3L̂L̂ + I 3L̂L̂ − I
For n = −2, with  and  specialized as above, we obtain the inverse-squared-length derivatives:

˙ ¨ T
1/L 2 = −(2/L 3 )L̂u̇ L , 1/L 2 = (1/L 4 )u̇TL (8L̂L̂ − 2I)u̇ L − (2/L 3 )ü L (13.17)
 T T 
∂(1/L 2 ) ∂ 2 (1/L 2 ) 8L̂L̂ − 2I −8L̂L̂ + 2I
= −(2/L 3 ) [ −L̂ L̂ ] , = (1/L )
4
T T
∂u ∂u ∂u −8L̂L̂ + 2I 8L̂L̂ − 2I
(13.18)
The foregoing equations may be specialized to two-dimensional motions of a segment moving in the
{X, Y } plane by setting the Z component to zero and then removing that component from vectors
and matrices.

§13.3 THE CR BAR ELEMENT

The bar element will be presented here as an illustration of the EICR formulation.
The static EICR formulation is illustrated with a prismatic, 2-node bar element moving in 3D space,
as depicted in Figure 13.1. Application of the best fit criterion of §A.7 shows that C R is aligned
with, and lies halfway from, the current end nodes as can be expected. But in fact this result is not
required to develop this element.
The only deformational degree of freedom is taken to be the bar elongation

d̄ = L − L 0 (13.19)

The deformational stiffness is K̄ , which links the axial force N = p̄ to the elongation: N = K̄ d̄.
The energy and residual force equations are

= U − W = 12 K̄ d̄ 2 − N d̄, r = K̄ d̄ − f¯ = 0. (13.20)

13–5
Chapter 13: THE CR FORMULATION: 3D BAR ELEMENT 13–6

The necessary transformations are those already worked out for the line segment in §3.1, since
length L and change in length L − L 0 transform by the same relations because L 0 is fixed. The
partials of the elongation d with respect to u = [ u X 1 u Y 1 u Z 1 u X 2 u Y 2 u Z 2 ]T are

∂d 1
T= = [ −L X −L Y −L Z LX LY L Z ]T = [ −L̂ L̂ ]T (13.21)
∂u L
and
∂ 2d
G=
∂u ∂u
 2 
L Y + L 2Z −L Y L X −L X L Z −L 2Y − L 2Z LY L X LX LZ
 −L Y L X L 2Z + L 2X −L Y L Z L Y L X −L 2Z − L 2X LY L Z   

1  −L Z L X 
−L Z L Y LY + L X
2 2
LZ LX L Z LY −L 2Z − L 2X  H −H
= 3 =
L  −L 2Y − L 2Z −L Y L X −L X L Z L 2Y − L 2Z −L Y L X −L X L Z  −H H
 
L Y L X −L Z − L X
2 2
LY L Z LY L X LZ + LX
2 2
LY L Z
LZ LX L Z LY −L Y − L X −L Z L X
2 2
−L Z L Y L Z + L 2X
2
(13.22)
Here L X , L Y and L Z are the projections of L on the {X, Y, Z } axes. Consequently

f = TT f¯, (13.23)

K = TT K̄ T + N G = K M + KG . (13.24)
and the element is done. The geometric stiffness is the same as that of UL element with engineering
strains, and is quite complicated.
The formulation of the mass and damping matrices for dynamic analysis is not provided here.

REMARK 13.1
A simpler geometric stiffness can be obtained by taking the internal bar energy as

L 2 − L 20
U = 12 k L 20 e2 , e= (13.25)
2L 20

Here e is the Green-Lagrange axial strain. The deformational degree of freedom is taken to be d̄ = L 0 e.
Now T turns out to be the same, but KG = N G is much simpler as a glance to (3.14) reveals. It is in fact the
geometric stiffness of the GL bar developed through the CCF [11]. This observation shows that “tweaking” the
deformational energy can result in simpler elements. The change from d̄ = L − L 0 to d̄ = (L 2 − L 20 )/2L 0 is
acceptable within the assumption of small deformations as readily shown by a Taylor expansion about d̄ = 0.

13–6
13–7 Exercises

Homework Exercises for Chapter 13

To be added later.

13–7