Area de Mecánica de Medios Continuos y

Teoría de Estructuras.
Dto Ingeniería Mecánica y Construcción.
Campus de Riu Sec. 12071-Castellón. Spain.

Autor/es: Lola Martínez Rodrigo

www.emc.uji.es Código: EM-1041-T2
Categoría: Advanced structural analysis
Tema: Beam elements.
Creación: 05-Nov-2013
Ultima revisión: 05-Nov-2013 - Lola Martínez

Example 1. Determine the equivalent nodal forces to the element loads in the following cases.
Assume that the beam is represented using a unique beam element with a cubic displacement
interpolation function.

CASE A)

where q0 is a positive value

representing the uniform load in force
per unit length units (i.e. kN/m)

Data: q0 , L

L

 
 1  2x 3  3x 2L  L3  

 L q 0 
 
  L3   2 

1 3   2 

 
  x  L  2 x 2 L2  x L3     L  q0 
   L3   12 
fS =     q 0 dx
T
NS  FS dS =   fS =  

 

 1
 3 2
 2  x  3  x  L     L q 0 
 L3   2 
    2 

  1 3  2 2
 x L  x L    L  q0 
  3   
  L   12 
0

CASE B)
Data: Q0 , L

We need to obtain load equation in local coordinates:

2 Q0 L
Q( x ) =  x if 0  x 
L 2
2  Q0  ( L  x ) L
if xL
L 2


fS =  NS  FS dS
T



L
L
2
 
 1  2x3  3x2L  L3  





 1  2x3  3x2L  L3  

  L3   L3 
 
1 3  1 3 

 
  x  L  2  x2 L2  x  L3  

 
  x  L  2  x2 L2  x  L3  
  L3   2Q0    L3   2 Q0 ( L  x) 
fS =      x  dx       dx


 1

3 2
 2  x  3  x  L   L  

 1
 3 2
 2  x  3  x  L   L 
 L3  
 L3 
    

  1 3 2 2
 x L  x L  

  1 3  2 2
 x L  x L  
  3    3 
  L  L
 L 
0 
2
 L Q0
  
 4 
 2 
  5  L  Q0 
 96 
fS =  
  L Q0 
 4 
 
 5  L2 Q0 
 
 96 
CASE C)

where P is a positive value representing a

concentrated transverse load in force units
(i.e. kN)

Data: P, a, b and L

As the load P is applied at a particular section of the beam only, the integral along the beam of the product of
the shape functions times the load value is equal to the product of the shape functions, particularized at the
load application section coordinate times the load value in local coordinates:

 L3  3 L a2  2  a3   L3  3 L a2  2  a3 
 3   3 
 L
  L

 a ( L  a)
2   a ( L  a)
2 
   
 L
2    L
2 
fS = 
T
NS( x = a) =   NS  FS dS = NS( x = a)  ( P) =    ( P)

 a2 ( 3 L  2  a)    a2 ( 3 L  2  a) 
 3   3 
 L   L 
 2   2 
  a  ( L  a)    a  ( L  a) 
 2   2 
 L   L 

 P b 2 ( L  2  a) 

 3 
 L

 P a b
2 
  
 L
2 
fS =  
 P a2 ( 3  L  2 a) 
 3 
 L 
 2 
 P a  b 
 2 
 L 

CASE D)

where M0 is positive and has units of

force per length (i.e. kN m)
Data:M0 , a, b, L

From the Principle of Virtual Work applied to the development of elemental equations it can be inferred that
the virtual worf of the surface tractions in the particular case of applied moments equals to the product of the
moment times the virtual rotation (not displacement) of the cross-section where the moment is applied.
Therefore:

 T
fS = 
d
 dx
 
NS  M 0 dS


 2
6  x  6  L x 
 3 
 L

 L3  4  L2 x  3  L x2 
 
d
 L
3 
N( x ) =  
dx  2
6  x  6  L x 
  3 
 L 
 2 2 
  2  L  x  3  L x 
 3 
 L 

As the applied moment is a concentrated quantity the integral equals to the value of the derivatives,
particularized at x=a, times the moment magnitude in local coordinates (positive if counterclockwise):

 2 
6  x  6  L x   6  a ( L  a) 
 3    3 
 L
  L 
 L3  4  L2 x  3  L x2   2 2
   L  4  L a  3  a 
d
 L
3   L
2 
N( x = a) =  = 
dx  2
6  x  6  L x   6  a ( L  a) 
  3   3 
 L   L

 2 2    a ( 2  L  3  a) 
  2  L  x  3  L x   2 
 3   L 
 L 

  6  a b 

 L
3

 b  ( b  2  a) 
 
T  L
2 
fS =
d
NS( x = a)   M0 fS = M 0  
6  a b

dx  
 L
3 
 
 a ( 2  L  3 a) 
 2 
 L 
CASE E)

Data: q2 , q1 , L

We need to obtain load equation in local coordinates:

q1  q2
q(x) =  x  q2 (in units of force per unit length)
L


fS =  NS  FS dS
T



 L  3  q 1  7  q 2  
L

 
 1  2x3  3x2L  L3  
  
  L3   20 
  2 
1 3 

 
  x  L  2  x2 L2  x  L3    L   2 q1  3 q2 
  L3   q1  q2   60 
    x  q 2  dx fS =  
 L  7  q 1  3  q 2  
fS = 


 1
 3 2
 2  x  3  x  L   L 
 
 L 3  20
    2 

  1 3  2 2
 x L  x L    L   3 q1  2 q2 
 
  3   
  L  60
0