UNIT-4

PART-A
1. What is the m axim um deflection of a sim ply supported beam subjected to
uniform ly distributed load over the entire span? Where does it occur?

2. Write the relationship between intensity of load, shear force, bend ing m oment,
slope and deflection in a beam .

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3. Describe the double integration m ethod.

The bending moment at a point

While integrating tw ice the original differential equation, w e w ill get tw o constants C1 and
C2. The values of these constants may be found out by using the end conditions.

4. Write dow n the boundary conditions for a cantilever beam to find out the
equations for deflection and slope.

5. Write dow n the equations for maximum deflection of a sim ply supported beam
loaded w ith a central point load.

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6. How do you determine the maximum deflection in a sim ply supported beam?
The maximum deflection occurs w here slope is zero. The position of the maximum
deflection is found out by equating the slope equation zero. Then the value of x is
substituted in the deflection equation to calculate the maximum deflection.
7. State the expression for slope and deflection at the free end of a cantilever beam
of length L subjected to a uniformly distributed load of w per unit length.

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8. To find slope and deflection of beams, w hich m ethod is suitable for single load
and w hich m ethod is suitable for several loads?
Double Integration method is suitable for beams w ith single load.
Macaulays method, conjugate beam and area moment method are suitable for beams
w ith single load.

9. State Mohrs theorems.

Mohrs theorem I:
The change of slope betw een any tw o points is equal to the net area of the bending
moment diagram betw een these points divided by EI.
Mohrs theorem II:
The total deflection betw een any tw o points is equal to the moment of the area of the
bending moment diagram betw een these tw o points about the reference line divided by
EI.
10. What are the m ethods for finding out the slope and deflection at a sectio n?
The important methods used for finding out the slope and deflection at a section in a
loaded beam are (i) Double integration method (ii) Moment area method (iii) Macaulays
method.
11. Write dow n the form ula used to find the deflection of beam by m om ent are a
m ethod.
The change in deflection of the beam at betw een tw o sections = Moment of the area of
the BMD betw een these tw o points / EI.
12. State the relationship between slope, deflection, radius of curvature and bending
m om ent.

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13. What is deflection of a beam ?

Deflection is the vertical distance at a point betw een the elastic curve (deflection beam)
to unloaded neutral axis (actual beam)
14. What is slope of a beam ?
Slope of a beam is the angle betw een deflected beam to the actual beam at the same
point.
15. What is Macaulays m ethod? Where is it used?
In Macaulays method a single equation is formed for all loading on a beam, the equation
is constructed in such a w ay that the constant of Integration apply to all portions of the
beam. This method is also called method of singularity functions.
16. Define slenderness ratio.
The ratio of the actual length (equivalent length) to the least radius of gyration of the
column, is know n as slenderness ratio.
Mathematically, slenderness ratio is given by
Slenderness ratio = Actual length / Least radius of gyration.
17. State the lim itation of Eulers equation.
Eulers formula should not be used w hen the length of the member is less than 99.34
times the least radius of gyration.
It is applicable to an ideal strut only and in practice, there is alw ays crookedness in the
column and the total load applied may not be exactly co-axial.
It takes no account of direct stress. It means that it may give a buckling load for struts,
far in excess of load w hich they can w ithstand under direct compress ion.
18. Define equivalent length of colum n.
The effective length of a given column w ith given end conditions is the length of an
equivalent column of the same material and cross section w ith hinged ends, and having
the value of crippling load equal to that of a given column.
Effective length is also called equivalent length.
19. Calculate the effective length of a long colum n, w hose actual length is 4 m , w hen
(a) both ends are fixed, (b) One end is fixed w hile the other end is free.

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20. State any four assumptions m ade in Eulers colum n theory.

The column is initially perfectly straight and the load is applied axially.
The cross section of the column is uniform throughout its length.
The column material is perfectly elastic, homogeneous and isotropic and obeys Hookes
law .
The column w ill fail by buckling alone.
Self-w eight of the column is negligible.
The direct stress is very small as compared to the bending stress.
21. Give the equivalent length of a colum n for any tw o end conditions.

22. What Is crippling load?

The load at w hich column just buckles is called buckling load, critical load or crippling
load.
23. Define strut.
If the member of the structure is not vertical and one or both of its ends are hinged or
pin-joined, the bar is know n as strut.
Examples: Connecting rods, piston rods, shock absorbers in automobiles, etc.,

PART-B
1. A steel girder of uniform section, 14 m eters long is simply supported at its ends. It
carries concentrated loads of 90 kN and 60 kN at tw o points 3 m etre and 4.5 m etre
from the two ends respectively. Calculate the deflection of the girder at the points
under the two loads and find the m aximum deflection. Take I = 64 x 10 -4m 4 and E =
210 x 106 kN/m 2.

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C.K.GOPALAKRISHNAN, AP/MECH, MAHALAKSHMI ENGINEERING COLLEGE, TRICHY

2. Calculate the central deflection and the slope at ends of a sim ply supported beam
carrying a U.D.L of w per unit length over the whole span.

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C.K.GOPALAKRISHNAN, AP/MECH, MAHALAKSHMI ENGINEERING COLLEGE, TRICHY

3. Derive the deflection for a cantilever beam subjected to a point load at free end,
using double Integration m ethod.

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C.K.GOPALAKRISHNAN, AP/MECH, MAHALAKSHMI ENGINEERING COLLEGE, TRICHY

4. A beam of length 6 m is sim ply supported at its ends and carries tw o point loads
of 48 kN and 40 kN at a distance of 1 m and 3 m respectively from left support.
Find deflection under each load, m axim um deflection and the position at w hich
m axim um deflection occurs. Tak e E=2x105 N/m m 2 and I = 85 x 106 m m 4.

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C.K.GOPALAKRISHNAN, AP/MECH, MAHALAKSHMI ENGINEERING COLLEGE, TRICHY

5. Determ ine the deflection under B and D for the beam show n below . Also
determine the slope at A and C. Take uniform flexural rigidity EI throughout the
beam .
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6. A cantilever of span l is carrying uniform ly distributed load w per unit run on a

length a from the fixed end. Determ ine the slope and the deflection at the free
end. Use conjugate beam m ethod.

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7. A beam sim ply supported at its ends over an 8 m span is loaded w ith 40 kN, 80 kN
and 120 kN at 2,4 and 6 m respectively from one end. The m axim um stress is 90
N/m m 2 and the beam is 300 m m deep. If E = 200 GPa, find the m axim um
deflection and state w here it occurs.

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8. A beam ABC is sim ply supported at A and B and free at C. The span AB carries a
udl of intensity 12 kN/m and the end C carries a point load of intensity 20 kN. If
AB = 4 m and BC = 1 m , find the (i) slope and deflection at C. (ii) Deflection at the
centre of the span AB. Take EI = 5 x 104 kN-m 2.

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C.K.GOPALAKRISHNAN, AP/MECH, MAHALAKSHMI ENGINEERING COLLEGE, TRICHY

9. A horizontal girder of steel having uniform sec tion is 14 m long and is sim ply
supported at its ends. It carries concentrated loads of 12 tonnes and 8 tonnes at
tw o points 3 m etre s and 4.5 m etres from the tw o ends respectively. I for the
section of the girder is 160 x 107 m m 4 and E = 206 GPa. Calculate the deflection of
the girder at points under the tw o loads.

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C.K.GOPALAKRISHNAN, AP/MECH, MAHALAKSHMI ENGINEERING COLLEGE, TRICHY

10. A sim ply supported beam of span 8 m is subjected to concentrated loads of 24 kN,
48 kN and 72 kN at 2 m , 4 m , 6 m from left support respectively. Calculate the
slope and deflection at the centre and also find m axim um deflection.

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C.K.GOPALAKRISHNAN, AP/MECH, MAHALAKSHMI ENGINEERING COLLEGE, TRICHY

11. A sim ply supported beam loaded as show n in Fig. is 200 m m w ide and 400 m m
deep. Find the slopes at the supports, deflections under loads and location and
m agnitude of the m axim um deflection. Take E = 2 x 10 4 N/m m 2.

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12. In the beam shown in Fig, determine the slope at the left end C and deflection at 1
m from the left end. Take EI = 0.65 MN-m 2.

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13. A bar of length 4 m w hen used as a sim ply supported beam and subjected to a
u.d.l. of 30 kN/m over the entire span deflects 15 m m at the center. Find the EI
value for the above beam and hence determine the crippling loads w hen it is used
as colum n w ith the following end conditions: (i) both ends pin -jointed; (ii) one end
fixed and the other end hinged; (iii) Both ends fixed.

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14. A 1.5 m long colum n has a circular cross section of 5 cm diam eter. One of the
ends of the colum n is fixed in direction and position and other end is free. Taking
factor of safety as 3, calculate the safe loading using (i) Rankines form ula, take
yield stress c = 560 N/m m 2 and a = 1/1600 for pinned ends. (ii) Eulers form ula,
Youngs m odulus for cast iron = 1.2 x 10 5 N/m m 2.

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15. Derive the Eulers critical load for colum n of length l w ith uniform circular
section for support condition one end fixed and the other end free, subjected to
an axial load of P.

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16. Derive an expression for the crippling load of a long colum n w hen both ends are
fixed.
Solution:

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C.K.GOPALAKRISHNAN, AP/MECH, MAHALAKSHMI ENGINEERING COLLEGE, TRICHY

17. Find Eulers critical load for a cast iron hollow colum n of external diam eter 200
m m , 25 m m thick and of length 6 m hinged at both ends. E= 8 x 10 4 N/m m 2.
Com pare the Eulers load w ith the Rankines critical load. Assume c = 550 N/m m2
and a = 1/1600. Find the length of colum n at w hich both critical loads are equal.

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C.K.GOPALAKRISHNAN, AP/MECH, MAHALAKSHMI ENGINEERING COLLEGE, TRICHY

18. A 1.5 m long colum n has a circular cross section of 5 cm diam eter, w ith one of the
ends of the colum n is fixed in direction and position and th e other end is free.
Taking factor of safety as 3, calculate the safe load using (i) Rankines form ula,
take yield stress = 560 N/m m 2 and a = 1/1600. (ii) Eulers form ula, Elastic m odulus
= 1.2 x 105 N/m m 2.

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19. Com pare the crippling loads given by Rankines and Eulers form ula for tubular
strut 2.25 m long having outer and inner diam eters of 37.5 m m and 32.5 m m
loaded through pin-joint at both ends. Take yield stress as 315 x 10 6 N/m 2, a =
1/7500 and E = 20 x 1010 N/m 2.

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20. A rectangular box of outer dimensions 500 m m x 300 m m of uniform thickness 10

m m is used as a colum n w ith both the ends fixed. If the unsupported length is 6
m , find the Eulers buckling load and Rankines buckling load. Take E 200 GPa
and yield stress as 325 MPa.

Solution:
Given data:

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21. For w hat length of a m ild steel bar 50 m m diam eter used as colum n, the Eulers
theory is applicable if the ultim ate com pressive strength is 350 N/m m 2 and E = 210
GPa, w hen both ends are hinged.

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22. Find Eulers crippling load for a hollow cylindrical cast iron colum n of 200 m m
external diam eter, 25 m m thick and 6 m long hinged at both ends. Com pare the
load w ith crushing load calculated from Rankines form ula, c = 550 N/m m 2,
Rankines constant = 1/1600, E = 1.2 x 105 N/m m 2.

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23. A hollow cylindrical colum n of 150 m m external diam eter and 15 m m thick, 3 m
long is hinged at one end and fixed at the other end. Find the ratio of Eulers and
Rankines critical load. Take E = 8 x 10 4 N/m m 2, c = 550 N/m m 2 and Rankines
constant as 1/1600.

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C.K.GOPALAKRISHNAN, AP/MECH, MAHALAKSHMI ENGINEERING COLLEGE, TRICHY

24. The external and internal diam eters of a hollow cast iron colum n are 50 m m and
40 m m respectively. If the length of this colum n is 3 m and both of its ends are
fixed, determine the crippling load using Eulers for mula taking E = 100 GPa. Also
determine the Rankine load for the column assuming c = 500 MPa and a = 1/1600.

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C.K.GOPALAKRISHNAN, AP/MECH, MAHALAKSHMI ENGINEERING COLLEGE, TRICHY

25. An I section joist 400 m m x 200 m m x 20 m m and 6 m long is used as a strut w ith
both ends fixed. What is Eulers crippling load for the colum n? Take E = 200 GPa.

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C.K.GOPALAKRISHNAN, AP/MECH, MAHALAKSHMI ENGINEERING COLLEGE, TRICHY