Chapter 5

Deflection and Stiffness

A. Aziz Bazoune
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 1
Outline
1. Spring Rates
2. Deflection in Tension, Compression & Torsion
3. Deflection due to Bending
4. Strain Energy 4. Strain Energy
5. Castiglianos Theorem
6. Statically Indeterminate Problems
7. Compression Members
Long Columns with Central Loading
Intermediate Length Columns with Central Loading
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 2
Spring Rates
Tension, Compression, and Torsion
Lec. 10
Tension, Compression, and Torsion
Deflection Due to Bending
Superposition
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 3
Rigid Body
A body is said to be rigid if it exhibits no change in size or
shape under the influence of forces or couples.
Introduction
A rigid body is a body of finite size and is such that the
distance between any two points within the body remains
constant under the application of forces.
All real bodies deform under load, either elastically or
plastically. Classification of a real body as a rigid is an
idealization.
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 4
Flexibility
Flexibility is the ability of a body to distort by bending
that is, it is but one form of distortion- but the term is
often used interchangeably with distortion.
Elasticity
Elasticity is a property of a material that enables it to
regain its original configuration after having been
deformed.
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 5
A spring is a mechanical element that exerts a force when deformed,
5-1 Spring Rates
( )
lim
y
F dF
k y
y dy

= =

9/29/2007 Chapter 5 6
Figure 5-1
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 7
Linear Displacement Angular Displacement
Formula: Spring Constant Formula: Torsional Spring rate
F
k
y
=
T
k

=
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 8
Units:
[k]=N/m or [k]= lb/in
Units:
[k]=N.m/rad or [k]=lb.in/rad
5-1 Tension, Compression, and Torsion
Tension
(Uniform bar subjected to tension F )
Torsion
(Uniform bar subjected to twisting moment T)
E
F
E
A L

=
=
G
T r
=
r
G
J
=
L

9/29/2007 Chapter 5 9
where is the linear deformation. This
equation does not apply to a bar loaded in
compression if there is a possibility of
buckling.
where is the angular deformation expressed
in radians and is the torsional spring rate.

k
EA EA
k
L
A
L
L
F
| |
=
|
\

=
k
G J G J
k
L L
T

| |
=
|
\
=

Example-1 (Problem 5-5)

A bar in tension has a circular cross-section
and includes a conical portion of length l ,
as shown. Find the spring rate of the entire
bar.
Solution
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 10
5-3 Deflection due to Bending
Beams deflect great deal more than axially loaded members, and the
problem of bending probably occurs more often than any other loading
problem in design.
Shafts, axles, cranks, levers, springs, brackets, and wheels must often
be treated as beams in the design and analysis of mechanical structures
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 11
be treated as beams in the design and analysis of mechanical structures
and systems.
The curvature of a beam subjected to bending moment Mis given by
where is the radius of curvature. The curvature of a plane curve is
given by
1 M
E I
=
( )
2 2
3/2
2
1
1
d y dx
dy dx

=
(
+

9/29/2007 Chapter 5 12
where y is the deflection of the beam at any point x along its length.
The slope of the beam at any point x is given by
( )
1 dy dx +

dy
dx
=
Noting Eqs. (4-3) and (4-4) and
successively differentiating the
previous Eq. yields
3
3
2 4
2 4
dM d y
V EI
dx dx
dV d M d y
q EI
dx dx dx
= =
= = =
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 13
It is convenient to display
these relations in a group as
follows:
Nomenclature: Refer to Fig. (5-2), a beam of length l =20 in is loaded by the uniform
load w =80 lbf per inch of beam length.
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 14
Fig. (5-2)
Example-2
0 x l
For the beam in Fig.5-2, the bending moment equation, for , is
Determine the equations for slope and deflection of the beam, the slopes
at the ends, and the maximum deflection.
Solution
0 x l
2
2 2
wl w
M x x =
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 15
Solution
Integrating Eq. (5-12) textbook as an indefinite integral
gives
where C
1
is a constant of integration that is to be determined from the
B.Cs.
2
2
M d y
EI dx
| |
=
|
\
2 3
1
4 6
dy wl w
EI Mdx x x C
dx
= = +

0 x l
Integration of the previous Eq. gives
B.Cs for simply supported beam are : y(0) = y(L) = 0.
Apply y(0) = 0 to the above Eq. gives
Apply y(L) = 0 to the above Eq. gives
3 4
1 2
12 24
wl w
EIy Mdx x x C x C = = + +

2 2
0 0 0 0 0 C C = + + =
4 4 3
0
wl wl wl
Cl C = + =
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 16
Therefore,
1 1
0
12 24 24
wl wl wl
Cl C = + =
( )
( )
4 3 3
3 2 3
2
24
4 6
24
w
y x lx l x
EI
dy w
x lx l
dx EI

= +
= = +
0 x l
Comparing the previous Eq. with that given in Table A-9, beam 7, we
see complete agreement.
For the slope at the left end, substituting x = 0 and x = l into the
previous Equation gives
and
At the mid-span, substituting x = l/2 gives as expected.
3
0
,
24
x
wl
EI

=
3
24
x l
wl
EI

=
=
0
dy
dx
=
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 17
The maximum deflection occurs where . Substituting x = l/2
into the deflection Equation gives
Which again agrees with Table A-9-7.
4
max
5
384
wl
y
EI
=
dx
0
dy
dx
=
Example-3
Determine the deflection at the
left end of the cantilever beam
with variable width as shown in
the Figure.
Solution
From the geometry of the beam,
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 18
From the geometry of the beam,
it is clear that the width varies
linearly with the position x.
Similar triangles give the relation
Therefore, the second moment of
area of the beam may be
expressed as
b w b
w x
L x L
| |
= =
|
\
Therefore, the second moment of area of the beam may be expressed
as
where is the second moment of area at the support.
( )
3
3 3
12 12 12
L
bx L h
wh bh x x
I I I
L L
| |
| | | |
= = = = =
| | |
\ \
\
3
12
L
I bh =
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 19
The equation for the elastic curve y is obtained by successive
integrations, that is
Successive integrations give
( )
2 2
2 2
L L
M d y d y M Px Px PL
E
EI dx dx I I I x L I
= = = = =
Apply B. Cs
1
2
1 2
2
L
L
dy
EI PLx C
dx
PL
EI y x C x C
= +
= + +
2
1
3
0 ,
dy
x L C PL
dx
= = = when
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 20
Thus the equation for the elastic curve is
2 2
2 2
L
PL x L
y Lx
EI
| |
= +
|
\
3
2
0, ,
2
PL
y x L C = = = when
At the left end of the beam where , the deflection is
It is also interesting to notice how the maximum flexural stress varies
along the length of the beam
0 x =
( )
3 3
3
6
0
2
L
PL PL
y
I Ebh
= =
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 21
2
3
6
2
12
h
Px
Mc PL
I bh
bh x
L

| |
|
\
= = =
| |
| |
| |
\
\
5-4 Beam Deflection Methods
2
2
M d y
EI dx
| |
=
|
\
Solutions by:
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 22
Solutions by:
1. Integration of moment equation (example 5-1)
2. By use of superposition (Examples 5-2 & 5-3)
3. By moment area method
4. Singularity functions (Ex. 5-5)
5. Use of strain energy with Castiglianos theorem
6. Numerical integration
5-5 Finding Beam Deflections by
Superposition
Table A-9 provides some cases for results of beams subjected to simple
loads and boundary conditions.
Superposition resolves the effect of combined loading on a structure by
determining the effect of each load separately and adding the results
algebraically. algebraically.
In using the superposition principle, the followings are required:
1. Each effect is linearly related to the load that produces it.
2. A load does not create a condition that affects the results of another
load.
3. The deformations resulting from any specific load are not large
enough to appreciably alter the geometric relations of the parts of the
structure.
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 23
Example-4 (5-2 Textbook)
Find y as a function of x in the Figure Shown,
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 24
Example-4 (5-2 Textbook)
======
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 25
Example-4 (5-2 Textbook)
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 26
( )
( )
( )
1 2
2 2 2
2 2
/ , /
6
2
6
AB
BC
R Fb L R Fa L
Fbx
y x b l
EIL
Fa l x
y x a lx
EI
= =
= +

= +
Case 6 Table A-9 (Simple Supports
Intermediate Loads)
Case 7 Table A-9 (Simple Supports
Uniform Loads)
( )
( )
1 2
2 3 3
2 3 3
/ 2, / 2
2
24
2
24
AB
AB
R wl R wl
wx
y lx x l
EI
wx
y lx x l
EI
= =
=
=
Example-4 (5-2 Textbook)
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 27
( ) ( )
( )
( ) ( )
1 2
2 2 2
2
2 3 3
2 3 3 2
/ , /
6
2
6
/ 2 / 2
2
24
2
24
AB
BC
wl wl
wx
lx x l
E
R Fb L R Fa L
Fbx
y x b l
EIL
Fa l x
y x a lx
E
I
w
lx x l
EI I
x

= + = +
= + +

= + +

Superposition:
http://www.engapplets.vt.edu/statics/BeamView/BeamView.html
https://ecourses.ou.edu/cgi-bin/navigation.cgi?course=me
Useful links related to the subject
9/29/2007 Chapter 5 28
http://web.umr.edu/~mecmovie/index.html
http://www.engin.umich.edu/students/ELRC/me211/beamdef.html