TABLE OF CONTENTS: DEFLECTION OF CURVED BEAMS

TABLE OF CONTENT..............................................................................................................

1.0 TITLE .............................................................................................................................. 1

2.0 OBJECTIVE..................................................................................................................... 1

3.0 INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................1

4.0 APPARATUS....................................................................................................................1

5.0 EXPERIMENT PROCEDUR.............................................................................................2

6.0 EXPERIMENT RESULT...................................................................................................3

7.0 DISCUSSION..................................................................................................................4

8.0 CONCLUSION................................................................................................................7

9.0 RECOMMENDATION......................................................................................................7

10.0 REFERENCES.............................................................................................................. 8
1.0 TITLE: DEFLECTION OF A CURVED BEAM (SEMICIRCLE)
2.0 OBJECTIVE
1. To determine the vertical and horizontal of deflections of a curved beam.
2. To validate the formula of deflection of curved based on Castigliano’s theorem.

3.0 INTRODUCTION
The analysis of curved beams has many important applications in various engineering
disciplines. Due to bending moment tensile and compression stresses are developed. To
determine the deflection of beam is very important. Deflection is caused by various sources
of loads. For any structure it is important to calculate the deflection in order to know the
stresses caused by loads and to prevent structural damage.

4.0 APPARATUS

2 6

Table 1 : Part name

Number Part Name
1 Semi-circle beam
2 Quarter-circle beam
3 Fixed support
4 Dial gauge
5 Load holder
6 Load
5.0 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
1. Check all the apparatus component and make sure all of them are in good condition
and function well.

Figure 1: Check all the components

2. Setup all the apparatus and components properly.

3. Measurement of the thickness (t), wide (w) and radius (r) was taken by the venire
caliper.

4. Adjust the position of both gauges in suitable place properly.

5. Reset the initial reading of both gauges into zero.

Figure 2: set the dial gauge to zero

6. Start the experiment by using 5N load.

Figure 3: 5N load
7. Record the reading of gauge at X and Y axis of 5N load.

8. Repeat step 6 until step 7 by increase the amount of load to 5N, 10N, 15N, 17.5N and
20N.
6.0 EXPERIMENT RESULT

Beam 1 : Mild Steel

Radius of semi-circle beam. R= 150 mm

Beam dimension = 4 mm x 22.5 mm x 150 mm

W (N) y Exp (mm) y Theory (mm) x Exp (mm) x Theory (mm)

0 0 0 0 0

5.00 0.19 0.94 0.90 1.19

10.00 0.55 1.41 2.25 1.79

15.00 1.32 1.87 3.09 2.39

17.50 1.72 2.34 3.68 2.98

20.00 2.37 2.81 4.56 3.58

E = 210 GPa

Table 2: Deflection of Semi-Circle Beam

Beam 2 : Mild Steel

Radius of quarter-circle beam. R= 150 mm

Beam dimension = 4 mm x 22.5 mm x 150 mm

E= 210 GPa I = 1.2 x 10−10 m4

W (N) y Exp (mm) y Theory (mm) x Exp (mm) x Theory (mm)

0 0 0 0 0

5.00 0.76 0.94 0.65 1.19

10.00 1.56 1.41 1.20 1.79

15.00 2.60 1.87 1.74 2.39

17.50 3.13 2.34 2.28 2.98

20.00 3.50 2.81 2.54 3.58

Table 3: Deflection of Quarter-Circle Beam

Semi-circle beam at horizontal

A
H

M AB=W ( Rcosθ ) + H ( R−Rsinθ)

∂M
=R−Rsinθ
∂H
π
2
[W ( Rcosθ ) + ( R−Rsinθ ) ] ( R−Rsinθ )
δ H=∫ R dθ
−π EI
2

π
3 2
WR
δ H= ∫ cos ( 1−sinθ ) dθ
EI −π
2

π
3 2
WR
δ H= ∫ ( cosθ−cosθsinθ ) dθ
EI −π
2

π
W R3 1
δ H=
EI [
sinθ + cos 2 θ
2 ] 2
−π
2

W R3 (
δ H= [ 1+0 )−(−1+0 ) ]
EI

2 W R3
δ H=
EI
Semi-circle at beam vertical

W
θ

M AB=W ( Rcosθ )

∂M
=Rcosθ
∂H
π
2
[ W ( Rcosθ ) ] ( Rcosθ )
δ V=∫ R dθ
−π EI
2

π
3 2
WR
δ V=
EI
∫ cos2 θ dθ
−π
2

π
W R3 1 sin 2 θ
δ V=
EI 2
θ+ [ 4 ]
2
−π
2

W R3 π
δ V=
EI [( ) (
4
+0 −
−π
4
+0 )]
πW R 3
δ V=
4 EI
7.0 DISCUSSION 

1) Compare the theoretical and experimental results.

From the experiments that being carried, the deflection for horizontal and vertical are
different from the theoretical values. The factors that may contribute to these different values
between the theory and experiment are:

 Inadequate pre-load made between the dial gauge and the load

 Parallax error due to reading taken from the experiment.

 The workbench might not in a flat position which contributes to unbalanced position
of specimen and as a result the readings obtained were not accurate and precise as
expected

Beam 1: Semicircle

Graph 1 : Graph of the experimental and theoretical vertical deflection (mm) of semicircle
beam due to applied load (N)
Graph 2 : Graph of the experimental and theoretical horizontal deflection (mm) of semicircle
beam due to applied load (N)

Beam 2 : Quarter circle

Graph 3 : Graph of the experimental and theoretical vertical deflection (mm) of quarter beam
due to applied load (N)
Graph 4 : Graph of the experimental and theoretical horizontal deflection (mm) of quarter
beam due to applied load (N)
8.0 CONCLUSION

As the experiment carried, the objective of experiment had been achieve which is to
determine the horizontal and vertical deflections of a semi-circle curved beam. However
there is slight different between experimental values and theoretical due to error that had been
made while conducting experiment. This error were cause by parallax error due to reading
taken from the experiment, Inadequate pre-load made between the dial gauge and the
workbench might not in a flat position which contributes to unbalanced position of specimen
and as a result the readings obtained were not accurate and precise as expected.

9.0 RECOMMENDATION
In order to improvise the result there some improvement should be made to make sure
the differences values between theoretical and experimental value is low. First of all the dial
gauge should be change with gauge with digital reading to provide more accurate reading and
prevent reading error while conducting experiment. Besides that, to avoid unbalanced
workbench, a section should be provided with adjustable high for balancing and static
because slight vibration will influence the accuracy of reading.
10.0 REFERENCES

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215098617316798
2. https://www.codecogs.com/library/engineering/materials/curved-beams.php
3. https://mechanicalc.com/reference/beam-analysis
4. G, J., & Barry. (2012). Mechanics of Materials (8th Edition ed.). CL Engineering.
5. R. C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Material (8th Edition in SI Unit), United States of
America: Prentice Hall, 2010.
6. G. Dahlberg, "Materials Testing Machines Investigation of error sources and
determination of measurement uncertainty," MTS Systems Corporation, Eden Prairie,
USA.