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503513, 2004
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# 2004 TEMPUS Publications.
AUTHOR'S QUESTIONNAIRE
1. Solution methods discussed in this paper are
of interest for mechanical and civil engineering
education where bending and torsion of
straight and curved beams are taught.
2. The Castigliano theorem is used to solve one
class of problems that cannot easily be solved
using other methods, including the finite element
method.
3. Bending and torsion of curved beams are investigated. It is demonstrated that these problems
can be solved without too much effort.
4. Commonly used beam bending formulae are
obtained as limiting cases.
5. Using, for example, the MATLAB package, the
student may practice numerical calculations.
6. Two problems, one statically determinate and
one statically indeterminate, are analysed and
discussed.
INTRODUCTION
MANY BASIC COURSES in solid mechanics
and/or strength of materials given for mechanical
and civil engineering students often include the
concepts work and elastic strain energy. Using
these concepts, methods for analysing the behaviour of elastic structures have been developed. In
this paper the well known theorem by Castigliano
(Castigliano's second theorem) will be used in
association with a numerical integration algorithm
to solve one class of problems that cannot easily
be solved by analytical methods or by the finite
element method. It is demonstrated how the
Castigliano theorem can be used to calculate
deflections of curved beams, both statically determinate and statically indeterminate.
PL3
3EI
2
2a
GKt
4 EI
4
503
504
T. Dahlberg
Fig. 1. (a) Curved cantilever beam (uniform cross section) curved to the form of a quarter of an ellipse. (b) Definition of beam
geometry, and (c) cross sectional moments: Mb bending moment and Mt twisting moment (torque). Influence of the shear force on
beam deflection is neglected (shear force not shown in the figure).
PR3
EI
where
d 4
64
2b
1 Pa3
2 3EI
3a
P 2b3
Pb3
64 3EI 24EI
3b
2
3c
2EI 4
2GKt 4
For a beam with circular cross section, diameter d,
the expression (3c) simplifies to ( 0:3):
0:2582
PR3
EI
where
d 4
64
3d
505
cos '
dx
1
s
2
ds
dy
1
dx
and
dy
dy=dx
s
2
ds
dy
1
dx
8a; b
9a; b
10a; b
11
@P
@P 2EI
0
1
@Mt
ds
2Mt
@P
2GKt
0
12
506
T. Dahlberg
L
P
y sin ' a x cos '2 ds
GKt
13
Pa3
Pa3
I1
I2
EI
GKt
14a
I1 B
B 1 a2 s
2
@
dy
0
1
dx
12
C s
2
C
x
1
C 1 dy d x
s
1
2 C
a
dx
a
dy A
1
dx
14b
and
Fig. 2. Curve (1): Integral I1 /(Pa3/EI) as function of parameter b/a. It is seen that for 0 one obtains I1 1/3
(reference line (b) at 1/3), which is the deflection of a straight
cantilever beam of length a, see Equation (1). For 1 one
obtains I1 /4 (reference line (a), cf. the bending contribution
to Equation (2a)). Curve (2) shows I1/3. One notices that for
large values of one obtains I1/3 1/3, i.e., the same result as
for bending of a straight cantilever beam of length b a. The
two curves intersect at 1, as they should.
Influence of bending
First, investigate the integral I1. After simplification, one obtains:
!2
r
1
x2 dy
x
1
I1
1 2
a dx
a
0
x
1
d
s
2
a
dy
1
dx
15a
1 B r2
B
x
1
I2 B
B 1 a2 s
2
@
dy
0
1
dx
12
C s
2
C
x
dy=dx
dy
x
C
sC 1
d
1
2 A
a
dx
a
dy
1
dx
14c
An expression giving the deflection of the elliptically curved cantilever beam has now been found.
Each one of the two terms in Equation (14a) will
be investigated, i.e., it will be investigate how
bending and torsion, respectively, contribute to
the deflection .
a
a
3
0
r
x2 x
1
d
a
a
1 r
x2 x
1
d
a
a
507
p
1
1 2 p 1
1 2
1
v
!2 d
u
u
t1 p
1 2
1
1
1
2
2
p
2 1 2
s d
1
1 2 2
2
2
1 p
1 p2
1
1
2
I1 1 p d 1 2 d
3
2
15c
i1
1 h p2
1 arcsin
0
2
1
arcsin 1
2
4
15d
15e
As 1 the expression (15e) can be approximated. Omitting small terms one obtains:
!2
13 1
2 3=2 10
13
15f
!2
r
x2
x dy
1 2 1
a
a dx
x
1
s
d
2 a
dy
1
dx
16
Table 1. The factor k() in Equation (18) for some values of ( b/a) and for a circular beam cross-section
k
0.0
0.333
0.5
0.543
1.0
1.249
1.5
2.618
2.0
4.859
3.0
12.86
5.0
49.60
10.0
353.9
100.0
3.337 105
508
T. Dahlberg
Fig. 4. Curve (1): Normalised deflection /(Pa3/EI) k() of beam end as function of the parameter b/a. The contribution I1() to
k() due to bending is given by Curve (2) (the same curve as Curve (1) in Fig. 2, but now the scale on the y-axis is linear). The
contribution 1.3I2() to k() due to torsion is given by Curve (3) (the same curve as in Fig. 3 but now multiplied by the factor 1.3; i.e., a
circular beam cross section has been assumed). The reference lines are situated at the levels (a) 1.2485, cf. Equation (2b), (b) /4, and
(c) 1.3(3/4 2). These levels can be checked using handbook solutions.
E
1
2I
EI
21
1:3
17
Pa3
Pa3
I1 1:3I2 k
EI
EI
18
509
Fig. 5. (a) A clamped/clamped beam curved to the form of half an ellipse. (b) Sectional moments Mb (bending) and Mt (torsion) as
function of angle '. At the plane of symmetry (' 0) only the bending moment Mb(' 0) M is acting (no torsion due to symmetry).
The load P is applied in the plane of symmetry giving shear force Q P/2 on each half of the beam (shear force at ' not shown in
the figure).
19a; b
L=2
Mb2
@U
1
0
@M 2EI
U tot
1
1
Mb2 ds
Mt2 ds
2EI
2GKt
0
2GKt
Mt2 ds
21b
L=2
2Mt
0
L=2
2Mb
0
@Mb
ds
@M
@Mt
ds
@M
22
21a
L=2
1
ds
2GKt
1
EI
L=2
0
cos 'ds
1
GKt
L=2
23
510
T. Dahlberg
L=2
Q
GKt
EI
L=2
27a
L=2
M
cos ' ds
GKt
2
L=2
sin2 ' ds
M
EI
25
EI 2 GKt 2
EI 4 GKt 4
27b
p
Enter this, together with y a 1 2 , into
Equation (24). It gives:
0
p
Q
fa 1 2 1 0g
EI
a
0
Q
0 dx
p dx
GKt
1 2
a
0
M
M
1 p dx
0 dx
EI
GKt
1 2
a
28
=2
GKt
ds dx p
1 2
29
=2
GKt
2 2
24
26
Qa2 Ma
2EI
EI
30
I3 1:3I4
f Qa
I5 1:3I6
@U
1
@Q 2EI
1
2GKt
L=2
2Mb
0
L=2
2Mt
0
@Mb
ds
@Q
@Mt
ds
@Q
33
Enter Mb, @Mb =@Q, Mt, and @Mt =@Q from Equation (20) into (33). Further, enter cos ', sin ', y,
dy, and ds expressed in the variable x, and use the
dimensionless variable x/a. It gives:
Qa3
Qa3
I7
I8
EI
GKt
where:
1 n
o
y
x
I7
cos ' 1
sin ' f cos '
a
a
0
n y
o
x
cos ' 1
sin '
a
a
s
2
dy
x
d
1
dx
a
32
The integrals I3 to I6 have been evaluated numerically using the MATLAB package. In Fig. 6 the
moment M is given as function of the parameter .
Curve (1) gives M /Qa and Curve (2) gives M /Qa.
It is seen that the three special cases 0, 1
and 1 are obtained (asymptotically in the
case 1). One finds that 0 gives M 0,
1 gives M 2Qa/, and 1 gives M Qa/2
(where Q P/2), as it should.
Now, when the moment M is known, the deflection of the beam end can be determined. The
Castigliano theorem gives:
34a
511
34b
and
1 n
o
y
x
sin ' 1
cos ' f sin '
I8
a
a
0
ny
o
x
sin ' 1
cos '
a
a
s
2
dy
x
d
1
dx
a
34c
Fig. 6. Bending moment M at symmetry axis (the x-axis, see Fig. 5). Curve (1): Normalised moment M/Qa as function of the parameter
b/a, and Curve (2): normalised moment M/Qa. Reference line (a) at 2/ (cf. Equation (26)) and line (b) at 1/2 (cf. Equation (29)).
512
T. Dahlberg
Fig. 7. Deflection /(Qa3/EI) as function of ratio b/a. Reference line (a) at 0.5164 (from Equation (3d) with P 2Q) and line (b) at
1/3 (from Equation (1)).
Fig. 8. Deflection /(Q(a)3/EI) as function of ratio b/a. Reference line (a) at 1/12 (from (3b) with P 2Q).
513
REFERENCES
1. J. M. Gere and S. P. Timoshenko, Mechanics of Materials (4th edn), PWS Publishing Company,
Boston, MA (1997), ISBN 0-534-93429-3.
2. W. C. Young and R. G. Budynas, Roark's Formulas for Stress and Strain (7th edition), McGraw
Hill, New York, Int. edition (2002), ISBN 0-07-121059-8.
3. T. Dahlberg, Teknisk hallfasthetslaraLosningar (3rd edition), (solutions manual, in Swedish),
Studentlitteratur, Lund (2001), ISBN 91-44-02057-0.
4. W. A. Nash, Schaum's Outlines of Theory and Problems of Strength of Materials (2nd edition),
McGraw-Hill, New York (1987), ISBN 0-07-084366-X.
5. T. Dahlberg, Teknisk Hallfasthetslara (3rd edition, in Swedish), Studentlitteratur, Lund (2001),
ISBN 91-44-01920-3.