Verification

Example

Program: RFEM 5, RSTAB 8

Category: Geometrically Linear Analysis, Isotropic Linear Elasticity, Foundation,
Member
Verification Example: 0003 Cantilever Beam on an Elastic Pasternak Foundation

0003 Cantilever Beam on an Elastic Pasternak Foundation

Description
A cantilever beam of length L and rectangular cross-section with height and width b is lying
on the Pasternak foundation with stiffness C2,z and loaded by the distributed loading qz . Elastic
Winkler's foundation stiffness C1,z is considered zero. Neglecting it's self-weight, determine beam's
maximum deflection uz and maximum bending moment My . Calculate the same example also
with a plate having the same heigth and width as the cantilever.
Material

Geometry

Member
Foundation

Isotropic
Linear Elastic

Cantilever

Pasternak

Modulus of
Elasticity

210.000 GPa

Shear
Modulus

105.000 GPa

Length

4.000 m

Height

0.200 m

Width

0.005 m

Stiffness

Plate
Foundation
Load

C2,z

2000.000 kN

Cv,xz =
Member

Distributed

qz

Plate

Distributed

q=

C2,z
b

400000.000 kN/m
1.000 kN/m
200.000 kN/m2

qz
b

qz
x

z
C2,z
L

z
b

Figure 1: Problem sketch

Analytical Solution
Member Calculation
The governing differential equation of a beam on Pasternak's foundation has the form

EIy

d4 uz
d2 uz

C
= qz
2,z
dx 4
dx 2

(3 1)

Verification Example - 0003 Dlubal Software 2016

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Verification Example: 0003 Cantilever Beam on an Elastic Pasternak Foundation

1
where the moment of inertia Iy equals to Iy = 12
b3 = 3.33 106 m4 , E is the Young's modulus
of the material and C2,z is the beam Pasternak's foundation stiffness. Dividing by EIy , equation (3
1) can be rewritten into the following form:

2
d4 uz
C2,z d uz
qz

EIy dx 2 = EIy
dx 4

(3 2)

where new constants = EI2,z and A = EIqz were defined. The characteristic equation 4 2 = 0
y
y
yields the following fundamental set of solutions of the characteristic equation

1, x, e

ux

, e

ux

(3 3)

The particular solution of the equation (3 2) is a quadratic polynomial of the form

Ax 2
2

(3 4)

The solution of the equation (3 2) has the form

uz (x) = C1 + C2 x + C3 e

ux

+ C4 e

ux

Ax 2
2

(3 5)

Let us prepare derivatives of the equation (3 5)

Ax
uz (x) = C2 + C3 e ux C4 e ux

A
uz (x) = C3 e ux + C4 e ux

uz (x) = C3 2 e

ux

ux

C4 2 e

(3 6)
(3 7)
(3 8)

Constants C1 , C2 , C3 , C4 are determined by four boundary conditions, which are required by the
differential equation of the fourth order. These boundary conditions are taken as follows:

uz (0) = 0

(3 9)

uz (0) = 0

(3 10)

uz (L) = 0(zero moment)

(3 11)

uz (L) uz (L) = 0(zero shear force)

(3 12)

Verification Example - 0003 Dlubal Software 2016

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Verification Example: 0003 Cantilever Beam on an Elastic Pasternak Foundation

which yields the linear system of equations

C1 + C3 + C4 = 0

C2 + C3 C4 = 0
C3 e

uL

+ C4 e

uL

A
2
AL
C2 =

(3 13)
(3 14)
(3 15)
(3 16)

having the solution

A 1 Le uL

C1 = 2 [
+ L]

cosh( L)

AL

A 1 Le uL

C3 = 2 [
]

2 cosh( L)

A 1 Le uL

C4 = 2 [
+ L]

2 cosh( L)
C2 =

(3 17)
(3 18)
(3 19)
(3 20)

The final solution yields

A
x2
A 1 Le uL

uz (x) = (Lx ) + 2 [
(cosh x 1) + L (e ux 1)]

cosh L

where cosh(x) =

e x +ex
2 .

(3 21)

The equation (3 21) yields the following maximum deflection

uz,max = uz (L) = 2.991 mm

(3 22)

The maximum of the bending moment My can be evaluated by

My,max

d2 uz
A 1 Le uL

= My (0) = EIy 2 (0) = [

+ L 1] = 2.017kNm
dx

cosh( L)

(3 23)

Plate Calculation
The theory is identical, the parameter describing the Pasternak foundation for plates C2,z equals to

Cv,xz =

C2,z
= 400000 kN/m
b

(3 24)

Verification Example - 0003 Dlubal Software 2016

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Verification Example: 0003 Cantilever Beam on an Elastic Pasternak Foundation

Note, that the Poisson's ratio is zero and in order to approximate the member solution exactly.

RFEM 5 and RSTAB 8 Settings

Modeled in version RFEM 5.03.0050

The element size is lFE = 0.100 m
Geometrically linear analysis is considered
The number of increments is 1
Isotropic linear elastic material model is used
The Kirchhoff plate theory is used
Shear stiffness of members is deactivated

Results
Structure File

Entity

Program

0003.01

Member

RFEM 5

0003.02

Member

RSTAB 8

0003.03

Plate

RFEM 5

Figure 2: RFEM 5 Model

As can be seen from the following comparisons, excellent agreements of analytical solutions with
numerical outputs were achieved:
Analytical
Solution

RFEM 5 (Member)

RSTAB 8 (Member)

RFEM 5 (Plate)

uz,max
[mm]

uz,max
[mm]

Ratio
[-]

uz,max
[mm]

Ratio
[-]

uz,max
[mm]

Ratio
[-]

2.991

2.991

1.000

2.991

1.000

3.005

1.005

Analytical
Solution

RFEM 5 (Member)

RSTAB 8 (Member)

RFEM 5 (Plate)

My,max
[kNm]

My,max
[kNm]

Ratio
[-]

My,max
[kNm]

Ratio
[-]

mx,max b
[kNm]

Ratio
[-]

2.017

2.017

1.000

2.013

0.998

1.979

0.981

Verification Example - 0003 Dlubal Software 2016

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