BEAM DEFLECTION WHEN THE MOMENT OF INERTIA IS VARIABLE* By T. F, Hickerson Kenan Professor of Applied Mathematics, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina Tf bending forces are applied to a beam, say AB in Fig. 1, each elementary segment will rotate through an angle A@ as expressed by MAs A= FF (1) in which M = bending moment (usually in inch-pounds); As = length of elementary segment; E = modulus of elasticity of the material; I = moment of inertia of the cross-sectional area about the centroidal axis. i] I Asa check on the validity of Eq. (1), it follows that the product As properly belongs in the numerator while EJ is in the denominator. This is true since angular rotation increases with the amount of bending and the length, and decreases with stiffness of the material and size of the cross section. The deflection of the beam when loaded vertically must be small to keep the stresses within allowable limits, hence Az may be substituted for As without appreciable error. Since the angle @%. (greatly exaggerated) between tangents at A and B, Fig. 1, is the sum of the angles between tangents at the ends of all segments Az from A to B, we may write >Mdx _ [*Madz he EI * Also, since ysa is the sum of the portions Ay corresponding to all segments Az from A to B, we may write tie = [ (i -ae = [MES Pee (3) It follows that the expressions in Eqs. (2) and (3) have geometric meanings so that in the ordinary case of loaded beams it is easier to use these geometric forms than to carry out the integrations. Thus if M be plotted as ordinate for all values of « between A and B as if I were constant, then Eq. (2) represents the value of the area under the mo- ment curve between A and B, and Eq. (3) represents the moment about B of (2) a = * Presented at the Mathematics Section of the 49th Annual Meeting of the N. C. Acad- emy of Science at Greensboro, May 2-3, 1952. 1721952] Bram Dertection WHEN Moment or Inertia Is VARIABLE 173 the area of the moment curve between A and B. In case the moment of inertia is not constant (the case primarily under consideration), the curve M/EI will be used instead of the curve M, but the reasoning would be similar through- out. Hence ee AF lo ET v EL Fie. 1. in which F and @ denote respectively areas under the bending moment curves and distances from their centroids to point B. In Fig. 1, the deflection y, at any point C, from the straight line AB is given by y = KM —KC = 5 in — Yeu (4) Hence Ely = 7 Fe - F#, (5) where F, F’, , and @ are indicated in Fig. (1).174 JourNAL or THE Mircnen, Socrery [December Now if the moment-area ordinates between A and B be regarded as a con- tinuous loading on the beam supported at A and B, counting one unit of weight for each unit of area, the left-hand reaction at A, called R’, due to this imaginary loading is (Fz/L), and therefore Ely = Ria — F'a’. (6) In similar fashion, if R’ is the right-hand reaction, at B, due to the fictitious M/EI-loading on this so-called “Conjugate Beam”, we have Ely = R'(L — @) — F'2", (7) Pa where F” and &” apply to the “uncrossed” area in Fig. 1. In determining deflections of points along the beam to the right of the center, Eq. (7) may involve less work than Eq. (6). Consider now a simple beam, that is, one with ends perfectly free to rotate as if hinged. Actual restraints due to adjacent spans or rigidity of the supports are assumed to be superposed separately on the simple beam. They may tend + Fig. 2. to deflect the beam in question wp or down depending upon the combination of loads, hence the resultant deflection may be the algebraic sum of two or three effects. Stupte Beam: Unirorm Loap (a) EI Constant Let the simple beam of span L ft carry a uniform load of w lbs per ft, or a total load of W(=wl), as indicated in Fig. 2. The moment curve (J constant) is a parabola with maximum ordinate (at the center) = wl? = \4WL. At any section « ft from the left end, in Fig. 2a, the ordinate to the moment curve is 44wa(L — x), which becomes }gwL’? when z = 4L. Making use of the Conjugate Beam principle, the end reactions to the beam under the M/EI-loading become 3 rT2 Ri = RY = 6h = BE = WE,1952| Bram Duriecrion WHen Moment oF lvertia Is VARIABLE 175 Then applying Eq. (6) for the deflection y at any section X ft from the left end, we get. Ely = Wywl'X — v0 [" a(L — x)(X — 2) de = vsaol'|F —2(F) + | _¢cwL vi EI’ Hence (8) where C represents the expression in the bracket multiplied by 144. Values of C for each hundredth interval of X/L have been compiled by the author. Hence using Eq. (8), with W, L, E, and J known, the deflection of a uniformly loaded beam can be determined readily for 100 different positions. (1 CONSTANT) )\ SS MA ND WN Ae Mb eee ee. Ria. 3. Since the beam itself is symmetrical, the deflections at the right half will equal those at corresponding positions in the left half. (b) EI Variable In Fig. 3, the load is uniformly distributed but the beam may or may not be symmetrical, since J is variable. Deflection coefficients will now be determined on the basis of the unit beam, where L = 1, W = 1, H = 1, andJ = 1. The actual deflection is found by multiplying the appropriate coefficient by WL*/EI, in which J will usually be taken as J(minimum). For the unit beam, the ordinate to the M/EI-curve, distant x from the left end, becomes 14x(1 — x); otherwise it is divided by r, the ratio of the actual I at that section to J(minimum). Let the unit beam be divided into 20 equal parts each of length 0.05; and at sections through points 1, 2, 3, etc, if Jo = Z(minimum), let 7 = [h/Io, = T/Io, 12 = I5/In, ete, where I, Iz, Is, etc, equal the actual moment of inertia of the corresponding sections.176 JOURNAL OF THE MitcHELL Socrery [December Next, let mi, m2, m;, ete, equal the actual ordinates at points 1, 2, 3, ete; and noting that the ordinates to the unit M/EI-curve = lx(1 — 2), we have yg (05)(95) _ 02875 ( Canyon 90) _ .045 = eS ue ” n "1 sue ee mg = 46 (15685) (G Bye 85) = 0855 aa 3 The area under the fe /El-curve is divided into triangles, as indicated in Fig. 3, where the shaded areas, left to right, are denoted by Ai, As, As, etc. These triangles are bounded by straight lines except for the left part of A; and the right part of Aj . It follows that. 5 A= un [ Ma(l — x) + ¥om(05) = eon 70H 9 1 ‘Ay = (05)m, = 2031875 4, = (o5)mng = 0046875 , Ts ts Ape Os nin ee Ay = (05) = ene ; ete. 1 0 Let Ay, Ay, A7, As, ete, equal the unshaded triangles which are bounded at the top by curved lines. Then As = Ir, i all — 2) — Wd — Y4mms (,08) = eT Ae = Urs [alt — 2) — (ds + A) = SONS, : As = Are [nll — 2) — (de + As) = SOS, ee umf Dea(1. Be IG (Ay + Ay im eee 35 Ts > Av = 2/rw [ fea - 2) - 4s] = Wen ato: 45 ry Summing up the areas A,, Az, As, etc, we have al 11.98 , 22.71 , 31.87 , 40.21 , 46.87 , 52.71 rom | + pS EE nh tr T3 T% TT 1%? Fe (9) To Tio Tn Tg ad 60.21 , 6188, 62.71 ua hy If the member is i To = 11, %8 = 7, M7 = 7, etc., then Eq. (9) becomes. 1 23.96 , 4542 , 63.74 , 80.42 , 93.74 , 105.42 70,000 [ a t Gr te aah 1 tT. Ts % rT Te Fe (10) - : 62.71 + MATA, 04? 4 12578 7 i 8 T Tw1952) Beam Duriection WHEN Moment or Inertia Is VARIABLE 1i7 If the r’s = 1 (J constant), Eq. (10) reduces to in, 1 [833.33] =1{2, which is a check, since the area under a parabolic curve equals 24 X (the circumscribed rectangle) = 74 X 1 X 14 = Me. To find the left-hand reaction R’ to the unit conjugate beam (Fig. 3), we apply Fz = Ai X 95 + As X 90 + As X 85 +--+ + Aw X .05, which re- duces to od all [== 20.44 4 27.09 ~ 10,000 Lr tT T; T%, If the r's = 1 (J constant), R= 10,000 im [416.67] = 144, which is a check, since 2X 4% = Likewise the right-hand reaction R’ = F — F& = A; X 05 + A: X 10 + As X 15 + Ag X 20 + +++ Ais X .95, which leads to 1 [0.60 , 2.27 , 4.78 20.44 , 113 wanna [2 + 222 iene at Substituting in Eq. (6), and reducing, we may find the deflection at any one of the 20 points along the beam. Thus, at the 4th pt, ys = RB! X .20 — Ar X 15 — Ar X 10 — As X 05 — Ad X 05/3; which reduces to Rika iy TK 1 0.479 | 1.817 , 3.824 0.454 | 0.120 Uae wool Th af 1 a 73 eae Tg a Ny | (2) Tf the r’s = 1,y4 = io, im [77.33], and the actual deflection is = (007783) ay (14) For the special case (not unusual) when the member is symmetrical, yi) = 41, Ys = ye, ete, then we have 1 060 | 227 | 4.78 | 7.71 | 937 , 10.54 | 11.37 10,000 [' ota ote ate ote a aR Tr. Ts T. Ts. Ts "7 w= (15) 04 : ; + 12.04 , 12.38 sat] Ts. 1 To Table A gives deflection coefficients applying to each of the 20 points of equal division along symmetrical beams. This table represents in effect 10 different formulas, one of which is Eq. (15). The first column indicates the subscript of y (the section); the first row gives the subscript of r; and the tabular quantities are the numerators of the several fractions. The quantities in the last column apply to the special case of beams with constant section throughout, where n= m=, ete = 1.178 JouRNAL oF THE Mircuett Socrery (December Deflections under other loadings such as concentrated loads and various load combinations on the span, have been treated in similar fashion. TABLE A Deflection Coefiicients for Symmetrical Beam Uniformly Loaded | | | rsa —|— | | 1 | 0.57 | 1.14 | 1.59 | 2.01 | 2.84] 2.63] 2.84) 3.01) 3.09 | 1,57 | 20.7 2 | 0.60 | 2.08 | 3.19} 4.02) 4.69] 5.27] 3.69 | 6.02] 6.19) 3.14 40.9 3 | 0.60 | 2.27 | 4.51] 6.03) 7.03) 7.91| 8.53| 9.03] 9.28] 4.70 | 59.9 4 | 0.60 | 2.27 | 4.78 | 7.71 | 9.87 | 10.54 | 11.37 | 12.04 | 12.38 | 6.27 || 77.3 5 | 0.60 | 2.27 | 4.78 | 8.04 | 11.33 | 13.18 | 14.22 | 15.05 | 15.47 7.88 | 92.8 6 | 0.60 | 2.27 | 4.78 | 8.04 | 11.72 | 15.37 | 17.06 | 18.06 | 18.58 | 9.41 | 105.9 7 | 0.60 | 2.27 | 4.78 | 8.04 | 11.72 | 15.81 | 19.43 | 21.07 | 21.66 | 10.98 || 116.4 8 | 0.60 | 2.27 | 4.78 | 8.04 | 11.72 | 15.81 | 19.90 | 23.58 | 24.75 | 12.54 | 124.0 9 | 0.60 | 2.27 | 4.78 | 8.04 | 11.72 | 15.81 | 19.90 | 24.08 | 27.33 | 14.11} 128.6 10 | 0.60 | 2.27 | 4.78 | 8.04 | 11.72 | 15.81 | 19.90 | 24.08 | 27.85 | 15.16 | 130.2 Me na VARIABLE) M, A 8 My Ma ¥ F 1 UNIT CONJUGATE ay ST ST STI SEES j $ Let a Fig. 4. Env Resrrarine Moments In a continuous beam arrangement constructed monolithically the deflection caused by loads on other spans to the right and left of the member has been evaluated for each twentieth point. Thus the upward (or downward) deflection at the middle of an unsymmetrical beam is Ss ML [2 2.5 , 56 , 100 , 156 , 22.5 , 306 , 400 no = 79,000 ET Th i T. ate ™ | OM ag Ts + T. a 17 ate Ts . 10.4 , 62.0 . E z , . : , 508 , 604 | 620 , 600 , 58 , 525 | 46.9 , 400, 319 46) tT To Th re nhs Tw Ty Ne ty E 9) i +254 10 4 20) nhs ne Teo, where M, (Fig. 4) = restraining moment at the left end of the’ beam in question; L = length of span; J) = I(minimum); and Z = modulus of elasticity.1952] Bram Deriection WHEN Moment or Inertia Is VaRIaBLE 179 If the beam is symmetrical, where ra = 7, To = "1, Ms = 7, ete, Eq. (16) becomes _ ML [ 12.5 | 25.0 w= igo00Ee Le Tm tot 50.0 , 62.5 Tri ee (17) 750 , 87) 100.0 , 112.5 4 + BO ey ee oe). Ts tT To If the r’s = 1(I constant), ML’ z 1 2 0,000 a7 © = gals which is a check, since y1 (for the unit conjugate beam) = 1¢ X 44-44 XX %XwWXK= Ko By an analogous procedure, deflections caused by Mz alone at the right end of beam AB may be found; and the same formulas may be used if the numbering *3 reckoned from right to left and M; is substituted for Ma. Yo =