Structural

Displacements

Beam Displacement
1
 Structural
Displacements

T
Truss Displacements
Di l
2
The deflections of civil engineer-
engineer
ing structures under the action of
usual design loads are known to
be small in relation to both the
overall dimensions and member
lengths “Why
lengths. “Wh bother to compute
comp te
deflections?” Basically, the
design engineer must establish
that the predicted design loads
will not result in large deflections
that may lead to structural failure,
impede serviceability, or result in
an aesthetically displeasing and
distorted structure.

3
Several examples which demon-
strate the value of deflection
analysis include (Tartaglione,
1991):
1. Wind forces on tall buildings
have been known to produce
excessive lateral deflections that
have resulted in cracked windows
and walls,
walls as well as discomfort to
the occupants.
2. L
2 Large flfloor d
deflections
fl ti iin a
building are aesthetically
unattractive do not inspire
unattractive,
confidence, may crack brittle
finishes or cause other damage,
and can be unsafe. 4
3. Floor systems are often
designed to support motor-
driven machines or sensitive
equipment that will run satisfac-
torily only if the support system
undergoes limited deflections.
4 L
4. Large d
deflections
fl ti on a railway
il
or highway structural support
system may impair ride quality
quality,
cause passenger discomfort,
and be unsafe.
5.Deflection control and camber
behavior of ppre-stressed con-
crete beams during various
stages of construction and load-
i are vital
ing it l ffor a successful
f l
5
design.
6.Deflection computations serve to
establish the vibration and
dynamic characteristics of
structures that must withstand
moving loads, vibration, and
shock environment -- inclusive of
seismic design loads
loads.
Elastic Deformations ≡ structure
d fl ti
deflections di
disappear and d th
the
structure regains its original
shape when the actions causing
the deformations are removed.
Permanent deformations of
structures are referred to as
inelastic or plastic deformations.
6
This course will focus on linear
deformations Such
elastic deformations.
deformations vary linearly with
applied
app ed loads
oads aandd tthe
ep principle
cpeo of
superposition is valid for such
structures. Furthermore, since
the deflections are expected to be
small, deflections are measured
with respect to the original
original, unde
unde-
formed or reference geometry.

7
Work-Energy Methods
Work-energy methods for truss,
beam and frame structures are
considered. Such methods are
based on the principle of
energy which
conservation of energy,
states that the work done by a
system of forces applied to a
structure (W) equals the strain
energy stored (U) in the structure.
This statement is based on slowly
applied
pp loads that do not p
produce
kinetic energy, which can be
written as
W=U 8
A di
disadvantage
d off work-energy
k
methods is that only one dis-
placement component or
rotation can be computed with
each application.
pp

Work ≡ force (moment) times

displacement (rotation) in the
force (moment) direction
Differential work of Fig. 1 can be
expressed d as
dW = P (dΔ)
9
Figure 1.
1 Force versus
Displacement Curves

10
For P = F (force), Δ equals
displacement δ:
δ
W=
∫ F dδ (1)

0
For P = M (moment), Δ equals
rotation θ:
θ
W=
∫ M dθ (2)
0
Eqs. (1, 2) indicate that work is
simply the area under the force –
di l
displacement t ((or momentt – rota-
t
11
tion) diagrams shown in Fig. 1.
Linear Elastic Structure

W= Fδ
1
2
W= Mθ
1
2
Complementary
p y Work
The area above the load-
displacement diagrams of Fig
Fig.1
1 is
known as complementary work,
W as shown in Fig 2. For a
linear-elastic system:

W =W = PΔ
1
2 12
 Fig. 2. Complementary Work

complementary
Load

work

Displacement

Direct use of work-energy

work energy
calculations is only capable of
calculating displacements at the
location of an applied point force
and rotations at the point of
application of a point couple;
obviously a very restrictive
condition. Consequently, virtual
work principles are developed in 13
the subsequent sections.
Virtual Work
Virtual (virtual ≡ imaginary, not
real,, or in essence but not in fact)
work procedures can produce a
single displacement component at
any desired location on the
structure. To calculate the desired
displacement a dummy or virtual
displacement,
load (normally of unit magnitude)
is applied
pp at the location and in
the direction of the desired
displacement component. Forces
associated
i d with i h this
hi virtual
i l fforce
are subscripted with a V.

14
Use of a virtual force in calcula-
ting virtual work is defined as the
principle of virtual forces (which
will be tthe
e focus
ocus o
of tthis
s cchapter):
apte )

Principle of Virtual Forces

If a deformable structure is in
equilibrium under a virtual system
of forces,
forces then the external work
done by the virtual forces going
g the real displacements
through p
equals the internal virtual work
done by the virtual stress
resultants going through the real
displacement differentials.

15
Alternatively, if virtual displace-
ments are applied then the virtual
work is defined as the principle of
virtual
tua displacements:
d sp ace e ts

Principle of Virtual
Displacements
If a deformable structure is in
equilibrium and remains in
equilibrium while it is subject to a
virtual distortion,, the external
virtual work done by the external
forces acting on the structure is
equal to the internal virtual work
done by the stress resultants.

16
The virtual work principles (forces
and displacements) are based on
conserving the change in energy
due to tthe
e app
applied
ed virtual
tua load
oad o
or
displacement, which can be
expressed mathematically as
WV = UV

ffor the
h principle
i i l off virtual
i l fforces,
which is the focus of this chapter,
where again the overbar signifies
complementary energy. The real
and virtual complementary
p y exter-
nal work is shown schematically in
Fig. 3.
17
 Pv = virtual force or moment
Δ = real displacement δ or
rotation θ

P + Pv
WV
P

Δ
Fig. 3. Complementary Real
and
d Vi
Virtual
t lW Works
k
18
Complementary Axial
Strain Energy
For a single
g axial force
member subjected to a real
force F, the complementary
p y
strain energy (internal work)
is
F
U= δ
2
FL
δ=
EA
2
F L
⇒ U=
2EA 19
For a single axial force
member in equilibrium
subjected to a virtual force
FV, the virtual complemen-
tary strain energy (virtual
complementary internal
work) is
U V = FV δ
FL
⇒ U V = FV
EA
Real and virtual complemen-
complemen
tary strain energies for a
single member are shown
schematically in Fig. 4. 20
 Fig. 4. Complementary Real and
Virtual Strain Energies
g for
a Single Truss Member

F + Fv
UV
F

δ
For a truss structure:
m m
UV = ∑UVi = ∑Fvi δi
i=1 i=1 21
UVi = Complementary Virtual
Strain Energy for Truss Member i
δi = Real Member i Deformation
Fi Li
δi = ; for a mechanically
Ei Ai
loaded truss member

δi = αi Li ΔTi ; for a thermally

loaded truss member
α = linear
li coefficient
i i of
thermal exp ansion
ΔT = change in temperature 22
δi = ΔLf i ; for a fabrication
error of ΔLf in the truss
member

Non-mechanical δi are positive

if they produce a positive
change in member length
consistent with tension
positive forces in truss
members.

23
Example Deflection
Calculation – Mechanically
Loaded Truss Structure

EA = constant

R k
Rocker

Calculate the horizontal displace-

ment at C
C.
24
Example Deflection
Calculation – Thermally
Loaded Truss Structure

EA = constant
EA = constant
α = constant

Calculate the horizontal displace-

ment at G if the top chord mem-
bers are subjected to a temper-
ature increase of Δ T = 100
100.
25
Equation of condition at C!
Complementary Bending
Strain Energy

M
dU = dθ
2
M
dθ = dx
EI
1 M
⇒ U = ∫M dx
2 EI
L
26
 dU V = M V dθ
M
⇒ UV = ∫ MV dx
EI
L
M + Mv
dU V
M
dU

dθ
Fig. 6. Complementary Real and
Virtual Strain Energies for
a Differential Bending 27

Segment
M = reall bbending
di equation
ti d due
to the external applied loading

M V = M δV for a virtual moment

equation due to a unit force
for a point displacement δ
calculation at the desired
point in the assumed direc-
tion of the displacement
= Mθ V for a virtual moment
equation for a unit virtual
couple for a point rotation θ
calculation at the desired
point in the assumed rotation
direction 28
F a multi-segment
For li b
beam:

Mi
UV = ∑ ∫ M Vi dx
i Li
E Ii

where
here i designates beam
segment.

29
Beam Deflection Example

Calculate the tip displacement

and rotation for the cantilever
beam.

30
F a frame
For f structure:

m Mj
UV = ∑ ∫ MVj E I j dx
j=1 L j

where m equals the number of

frame members. Note, axial
deformation has been
i
ignoredd. Also,
Al if a frame
f
member is composed of multi-
segments then a summation
segments,
over the segments must also be
included.
31
Frame Deflection Example

Calculate
C l l the
h vertical
i l di
displace-
l
ment and rotation at C.

32