Chapter 5

Beams on Elastic Foundation

no load applied Winkler foundation elastic foundation

F F

z, w

Winkler Foundation

reaction pressure

pW = k0 w

k0 [ N/m3 ] foundation modulus

floating on liquid (buoyancy)

k0 = γ liquid = g ρliquid

reaction force intensity (reaction force over unit length)

qW = − k0 b w = − k w

b width of the beam

k [ N/m 2 ] foundation constant

Basic Equations
q(x)
M(x) M(x+dx)
x
V(x) V(x+dx)
k w(x)
dx
z,w

dV
= − ( qW + q) = k w − q
dx

dM
=V
dx

d 2M
= kw − q
dx 2

d 2w
M = −E I
dx 2

d 3w
V = −E I
dx 3

d 4w
EI + kw = q
dx 4

homogeneous equation

d 4w
EI + kw = 0
dx 4

d 4w
4
+ 4 β4 w = 0
dx

k
β4 =
4E I

general solution of the homogeneous differential equation

 w = eα x

w '''' − α4 w = 0 ⇔ w '''' + 4 β4 w = 0

α4 = − 4 β4 , α2 = ± 2 i β2 , α = ± ±2 i β = ± (1 ± i ) β

w = e± β xe± i β x

w = eβx (C1 sin βx + C2 cos β x ) + e −βx (C3 sin β x + C4 cos β x )

example

w = eβx sin β x

w ' = β eβx (sin β x + cos β x )

w '' = 2 β2 eβx cos β x

w ''' = 2 β3 eβx (cos β x − sin β x )

w '''' = − 4 β4 eβx sin β x or w '''' + 4 β4 w = 0

 short-hand notation

Aβx = e −βx (cos βx + sin β x ) , Bβx = e −βx sin βx

Cβx = e −βx (cos βx − sin β x ) , Dβx = e −βx cos βx

differentials

2 3
1 dDβx 1 d Cβx 1 d Bβx
Aβx = − = =
β dx 2β2 dx 2 2β3 dx 3

2 3
1 dAβx 1 d Dβx 1 d Cβx
Bβx = − = = − 3
2β dx 2β2 dx 2 4β dx 3

2 3
1 dBβx 1 d Aβx 1 d Dβx
Cβx = = − 2 =
β dx 2β dx 2 2β3 dx 3

2 3
1 dCβx 1 d Bβx 1 d Aβx
Dβx = − = − 2 =
2β dx 2β dx 2 4β3 dx 3

distributions

Bβx = e −βx sin βx Dβx = e −βx cos βx

40 1
D(ßx)
20
B(ßx), D(ßx)

B(ßx), D(ßx)

B(ßx)
0 0
B(ßx)
-20 D(ßx)

-40 -1
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
ßx ßx
 Semi-Infinite Beams with Concentrated Loads

Po

Mo
x wo x
θo
z,w z,w

general solution of the homogeneous differential equation

w = eβx (C1 sin βx + C2 cos β x ) + e −βx (C3 sin β x + C4 cos β x )

boundedness

w = e −βx (C3 sin β x + C4 cos β x ) = C3 Bβx + C4 Dβx

boundary conditions

d 2w
M o = M ( x = 0) = − E I
dx 2 x = 0

d 3w
− Po = V ( x = 0) = − E I
dx 3 x = 0

w '' = − 2 β2C3 Dβx + 2 β2C4 Bβx

w ''' = 2 β3 C3 Aβx + 2 β3 C4 Cβx

Bβx ( x = 0) = 0 and Aβx ( x = 0) = Cβx ( x = 0) = Dβx ( x = 0) = 1

Mo 2 β2 M o
M o = 2 E I β2C3 or C3 = =
2 E I β2 k

2 βPo 2 β2 M o
Po = 2 β3 E I (C3 + C4 ) or C4 = −
k k
full solution

2 β2 M o 2 β Po 2 β2 M o
w = Bβx + ( − ) Dβx
k k k

Cβx = Dβx − Bβx

2 β Po 2 β2 M o
w = Dβx − Cβx
k k

2 β2 Po 4 β3 M o
θ = w' = − Aβx + Dβx
k k

Po Bβx
M = − E I w '' = − + M o Aβx
β

V = − E I w ''' = − Po Cβx − 2 β M o Bβx

end force load end moment load

Po
Mo
x x

z z
π
2β
x x
π
4β
w
π w
4β
3π
4β
x x

M M
Infinite Beams with Concentrated Loads

Po

z,w

symmetric deflection

w( x ) = w( − x )

w '( x ) = − w '( − x )

w '(0) = 0

Po /2 Po /2
Mo Mo

2 β2 ( Po / 2) 4 β3 M o β2 Po 4 β3 M o
w '(0) = − Aβx (0) + Dβx (0) = − + = 0
k k k k

Po
Mo =
4β

2 β( Po / 2) 2 β2 ( Po / 4 β) β Po
w = Dβx − Cβx = (2 Dβx − Cβx )
k k 2k

βPo
w = Aβx
2k

2 β2 ( Po / 2) 4 β3 ( Po / 4 β) β2 Po
θ = w' = − Aβx + Dβx = − ( Aβx − Dβx )
k k k

β2 Po
θ = − Bβx
k
 ( Po / 2) Bβx P
M = − E I w '' = − + ( Po / 4 β) Aβx = − o (2 Bβx − Aβx )
β 4β

Po
M = Cβx
4β

P
V = − E I w ''' = − ( Po / 2) Cβx − 2 β ( Po / 4β) Bβx = − o ( Cβx + Bβx )
2

P
V = − o Dβx
2

Po

z 3π
4β
x

w π
β

θ
x
π
4β

M π
2β
Po
x

V
 Mo

z,w

symmetric deflection

w( x ) = − w( − x )

w(0) = 0

w '( x ) = w '( − x )

Po
Mo /2

/2
Po Mo

2 βPo 2 β2 ( M o / 2) 2 β Po β2 M o
w(0) = Dβx (0) − Cβx (0) = − = 0
k k k k

β Mo
Po =
2

2 β(β M o / 2) 2 β2 ( M o / 2) β2 M o
w = Dβx − Cβx = ( Dβx − Cβx )
k k k

β2 M o
w = Bβx
k

2 β2 (β M o / 2) 4 β3 ( M o / 2) β3M o
θ = w' = − Aβx + Dβx = − ( Aβx − 2 Dβx )
k k k

β3 M o
θ = Cβx
k
 (β M o / 2) Bβx Mo
M = − E I w '' = − + ( M o / 2) Aβx = − ( Bβx − Aβx )
β 2

Mo
M = Dβx
2

β Mo
V = − E I w ''' = − (β M o / 2) Cβx − 2 β ( M o / 2) Bβx = − (Cβx + 2 Bβx )
2

β Mo
V = − Aβx
2

Mo

z π
β

x
π
4β

θ π
2β
Mo
x

M
3π
4β

V
 Continuous running load on an infinite beam

q( x)
a b
x

z,w

q( x) q(x+dx)
x

z,w

dP = q(x ) dx

z,w

β dP β2 dP dP dP
dw = Aβx , dθ = − Bβx , dM = Cβx , dV = − Dβx
2k k 4β 2

for running load between x = a and b:

β b
w = ∫ Aβx q ( x) dx
2k a

etc.

Constant running load intensity on an infinite beam

β q0 b
w = ∫ Aβx dx
2k a
 Uniformly distributed load on a semi-infinite beam

q0

x x

z z
d 4w
EI + k w = q0
dx 4

q0
w =
k

q0

R
z q0
k
x

w
2β R q 2 β R q0
w = − Dβx + 0 so that w(0) = − + = 0
k k k k

q0
R =
2β

q0 β q0 q0 q
w = (1 − Dβx ) , θ = Aβx , M = Bβx , V = 0 Cβx
k k 2β 2 2β
 q0

x
Mw R

z q0
k
x

2β R 2 β2 M w q
w = − Dβx + Cβx + 0
k k k

2 β2 R 4 β3 M w
θ = Aβx − Dβx
k k

2β R 2 β2 M w q0 2 β2 R 4 β3 M w
w(0) = − + + = 0 and θ(0) = − = 0
k k k k k

⎡ q0 ⎤ ⎡ 2β −2 β2 ⎤ ⎡ R ⎤ q0 q0
⎢0⎥ = ⎢ ⎥⎢ ⎥ , R = , Mw =
⎣ ⎦ ⎢⎣ 2 β2 − 4 β3 ⎥⎦ ⎣ M w ⎦ β 2 β2

q0
w = (1 − 2 Dβx + Cβx )
k

2 β q0
θ = ( Aβx − Dβx )
k

q0
M = (2 Bβx − Aβx )
2 β2

q0
V = (Cβx + Bβx )
β

q0 2 β q0 q0 q0
w = (1 − Aβx ) , θ = Bβx , M = − Cβx , V = Dβx
k k 2β 2 β
 Uniformly distributed load on an infinite beam

A
q0

x
Q
a b

q0 dξ

dξ
q0
x
Q O
ξ

β q0 d ξ β q0 d ξ
dwQ = Aβx (−ξ) if ξ ≤ 0 and dwQ = Aβx (ξ) if ξ > 0
2k 2k

b β q0 ⎡ 0 b ⎤
wQ = ∫ dwQ = ⎢ ∫ Aβx (−ξ) d ξ + ∫ Aβx (ξ) d ξ ⎥
ξ = −a 2 k ⎣−a 0 ⎦

β q0 ⎡a b ⎤ β q0 ⎡⎛ 1 ⎞
a
⎛ 1 ⎞ ⎤
b
wQ = ⎢ ∫ βx
A ( ξ ) d ξ + ∫ Aβx (ξ) d ξ ⎥ = ⎢⎜ − Dβx ⎟ + ⎜ − Dβx ⎟ ⎥
2k ⎣0 ⎦ 2k ⎢⎝ β ⎠0 ⎝ β ⎠0 ⎥⎦
0 ⎣

q0
wQ = ⎡ 2 − Dβa − Dβb ⎤
2k ⎣ ⎦

∂wQ q0 ⎡ ∂Dβa ∂a ∂Dβb ∂b ⎤

θQ = = ⎢− − ⎥
∂x 2k ⎣ ∂a ∂x ∂b ∂x ⎦

∂a ∂b
= 1, = −1
∂x ∂x
 β q0 q0 q0
θQ = ⎡ Aβa − Aβb ⎤ , MQ = ⎡ Bβa + Bβb ⎤ , VQ = ⎡Cβa − Cβb ⎤
2k ⎣ ⎦
4 β2
⎣ ⎦ 4β ⎣ ⎦

maximum bending moment

q0
VQ = ⎡Cβa − Cβb ⎤ = 0
4β ⎣ ⎦

short loading span, β A ≤ π

only one zero at a = b = A / 2

q0
M max = BβA / 2
2 β2

long loading span, β A > 2 π

dominant zero close to left end βb > 2 π

q0
VQ ≈ Cβa = 0
4β

π
Cβa = e −βa (cos βa − sin β a ) = 0 or βa =
4

q0 q
M max ≈ Bπ / 4 ≈ 0.0806
2
4β β2
Beams of finite length

A
Po

a b

general deflection solution

wA ( x ) = eβx (C1A sin βx + C2A cos βx ) + e −βx (C3A sin β x + C4A cos β x ) if −a ≤ x ≤ 0

wr ( x ) = eβx (C1r sin βx + C2 r cos βx ) + e −βx (C3r sin β x + C4 r cos β x ) if 0 ≤ x ≤ b

boundary conditions

wA ''( −a ) = 0 , wA '''( − a ) = 0 , wr ''(b) = 0 , wr '''(b) = 0

Po
wA (0) = wr (0) , wA '(0) = wr '(0) , wA ''(0) = wr ''(0) , wA '''(0) = wr '''(0) −
EI

symmetric loading

Po

A/2 A /2

w( x ) = w( − x )

w( x ) = eβx (C1 sin βx + C2 cos βx ) + e −βx (C3 sin β x + C4 cos β x ) if 0 ≤ x ≤ A / 2

w( x ) = D1 cosh βx sin βx + D2 cosh β x cos β x + D3 sinh β x sin β x + D4 sinh β x cos β x

boundary conditions

Po
w ''( A / 2) = 0 , w '''( A / 2) = 0 , w '(0) = 0 , w '''(0) =
2E I

β Po 2 + cosh βA + cos βA
w0 = w(0) =
2k sinh βA + sin βA

Po cosh βA − cos βA
M 0 = M (0) =
4 β sinh βA + sin βA

β Po Po
lim w0 = and lim M 0 =
βA → ∞ 2k βA → ∞ 4β

β Po 4 P
lim w0 = = o and lim M 0 = 0
βA → 0 2 k 2β A kA βA → 0