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Solved Problems (Rayleigh Ritz method)

U 1.Rayleigh Ritz method applied to Beams

#1) Find the deflection at the centre using Rayleigh Ritz method for the simply supported
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beam subjected to Concentrated load at the centre

Solution:
k
nx
Take y = a
n 1
n sin
l
.


According to Rayleigh Ritz method  = U – W and
C n
 0 where π = Potential

energy U = Strain energy and W is the external work done.

1 d2y 2
 2  d 2 x ) dx  pyc where yc is the deflection at the centre.
 EI (

dy n k
nx
dx
 an
l
 Cos
n 1 l
d2y n 2 2 k nx
 2   an 2   sin
 dx  l n1 l
2
d2y n 4 4 k
nx
 2   a 2 n 4  sin 2

 dx  l n 1 l
2 n  nx n
l 4 4 k K
1
   EI a n 4
20 l

n 1
sin 2

l
dx  P an sin
n 0 2
--------(1.a)

nx mx
l

We Know that  sin

0
l
sin
l
dx  0 when m is not equal to n .

nx mx
l
l
 sin
0
l
sin
l
dx  when m = n Hence equation 1.a becomes,
2

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 1 4 l n
 EI 2an 4  PSin
4
--------------(1b)
an 2 l 2 2

2 pl 3 1 n
From 1 b eqn, a n  sin
 EI n
4 4
2
2 pl 3 k
1 n nx
There fore y  4 
 EI n1,3,5... n 4
Sin
2
Sin
l
------------(1c)

To find out yc substitute x = l/2. in above equation (1.c)

2 pl 3 k
1
yc 
 4 EI

n 1, 3, 5... n
4

2 pl 3  1 1
Hence we have y c  1  4  4  which is the deflection at the centre.
 EI  3 5 
4

#2) Find the maximum deflection of a simply supported beam subjected to central
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concentrated load P at the centre and uniformly distributed load P0/m through out the beam

P
P0/m

P0/m

x 3x
Let y  a1 sin  a 2 sin
l l
2
EI
L
d2y
U
2 0  dx 2  dx

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dy  x 3 3x
 a1Cos  a2 Cos
dx L L L L
2
d y  2
x 9 2
3x
2
  2 a1 Sin  a2 2 Sin
dx L L L L
2 2
EI
L
d2y EI
L
   4 a1 x a 2 2 9 3x 
U
2 0  dx 2  dx = 2 0  L2
 Sin
L

L2
Sin  dx which yields
L 
EI 4
(a1  81a 22 )
2
U= 4
L
L
Now W =  P ydx  Py
0
0 max

ymax = a1 – a2
L  x 3x  
Hence W =   P0  a1 Sin  a 2 Sin dx   P(a1  a 2 )
0  L L  
L a 
W = 2 P0 a1  2  + P(a1 – a2)
 3
 =U–W
EI 4 2P L a
 = 4L3 (a1  81a2 )  0 (a1  32 )  P(a1  a2 )
2 2

 
 0 and  0 which gives the following equations:
a1 a 2

EI 4 2P L
a1  0  P  0
2L3

81EI a 2 2 P0 L
4
 P0
2 L3 3
2 L3 2 P0 L
From the above equations we get a1  (  P) and
EI 4 3
2 L3 2P L
a2  ( 0  P)
81EI 4
3
ymax = a1-a2

PL3 P0 L4
ymax = 
48EI 76.82 EI

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U 2.Rayleigh Ritz Method applied to Columns:

#3) A Uniform Column is fixed at the bottom and free at the top. It carries a compressive load
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at the free end. Investigate the critical load of the column by assuming a second degree
polynomial as
y = a0 +a1x + a2 x2.
Load P
Take the origin at the fixed end.
At x = 0, y = 0
At x = 0, dy/dx = 0

The above conditions give a0 = a1 = 0 and hence

y = a2 x2
When x = L, y = q
q =a2L2 and so we have a2 = q/L2

Hence y = qx2/L2

L L
1 d2y 2 P dy
 20 EI ( 2
d x
) dx   ( ) 2 dx
2 dx
x
0

dy 2qx d2y 2q
 2 and ( 2 )  2
dx l dx l
L L
1 2q P 2qx
  2  EI ( L2 ) 2 dx   2 ( L2 ) 2 dx which gives y
0 0

2 EIq 2 2 pq 2
 
L3 3L
 4 EIq 4 pq 3EI
0 3  and this equation yields P = 2
q L 3L L

U Repeat the above problem by using y  a0  a1 x  a2 x 2  a3 x 3 and satisfying the bending

moment condition at the top

When x = 0 , y = 0
Hence a0 = 0.
When x = 0 dy/dx = 0 and we get a1 = 0
d2y
When x = l,  0.
dx 2
dy d2y
 a1  2a 2 x  3a3 x 2 and  2a 2  6a 3 x
dx dx 2

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d2y d2y
At x = l,  0 . Hence  2a 2  6a3 x =0 and a2 = -3a3l
dx 2 dx 2
So y =  3a3lx 2  a3 x 3  a3 ( x 3  3lx 2 )
At x = l,y = q
q
There fore q= a3 (l 3  3l 3 ) which gives a3   3
2l
q dy q d2y q
Hence y =  3 ( x 3  3lx 2 ) and  3 (6lx  3x 2 ) ; 2
 3 (6l  6 x)
2l dx 2l dx 2l

l l
1 d2y 2 P dy
 20 EI ( 2
d x
) dx   ( ) 2 dx
2 dx
0
l l
EI q2 P q2
 0 4l 6  
2 0 4l 6
(6lx  3x 2 ) 2 dx On simplifying
2
( 6l 6 x ) dx
2
3EIq 2 3 pq 2
  .
2l 3 5l
 3EIq 6 pq 15EI EI
 3   0 From this equation we get P= 2  2.5 2
q l 5l 6l l

#4) A uniform column hinged at both ends is subjected to a compressive load P at the two
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ends. Find the critical load using Rayleigh Ritz method if the trial function is
4hx(l  x)
i) y 
l2
x
ii) y  aSin
l
Solving (i)
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L L
1 d2y 2 P dy
  2  EI ( d 2 x ) dx   2 ( dx ) 2 dx
0 0

4hx(l  x) dy 4h d2y 8h
y 2
and so we have  2
(l  2 x ) ; 2
 2
l dx l dx l

l l
EI 64h 2 dx P 16h 2 2
 
2 0 l 4
  4 (l  4 x 2  4lx )dx
20 l
 64 EIh 16 ph 12 EI
   0 . This equation gives the critical load.Pcr= 2
h l 3
3l l

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U Solving (ii)
x dy a x d 2 y  a 2 x
y  aSin . This provides  Cos and 2
 2
Sin
l dx l l dx l l
L 2 L
1 d y P dy
  2  EI ( d 2 x ) 2 dx   2 ( dx ) 2 dx
0 0

a 2 4 2 x P a 2 2 x
l l
EI

2 0 l 4 Sin
l
dx  
20 l 2
Cos 2 dx ------------------------------------------------A
l
2x
1  Cos
l
x l
l dx  l
 Sin dx  
2

0
l 0
2 2
2x
1  Cos
2 x
l l
l dx  l
 Cos
o
l
dx  
0
2 2

 2 EI 4 a l P 2a 2 l
Substituting the above results in the equation A and finding  .  . 2 . 0
a 2l 4 2 2 l 2
 2 EI
The above expression yields critical Load Pcr=
l2

#5) A uniform column is fixed at one end and is kept on rollers at the other end. In other
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words one end is fixed and other end is hinged. The length is 1m. Find the critical load.
x
At x = 0, y=0; -------(1)
At x = 1, y = 0 ; -----(2)
dy
At x = 1,  0 -----(3)
dx
Let y = A0  A1 x  A2 x 2  A3 x 3  A4 x 4 . On applying (1), A0 = 0
When x = 1, y = 0. This implies that A1+A2+A3+A4 = 0-----(4)
dy
When x = 1, 0
dx
dy
Hence  A1  2 A2  3 A3  4 A4  0 ---------------------------(5)
dx
(4) – (5) Implies that –A2 – 2A3 – 3A4 =0 And so A2= - (2A3 +3A4).-----(6)
Substitute (6) in (4) so that we get A1=A3 + 2A4 ------------------------------(7)
Hence y = (A3 + 2A4)x - (2A3 +3A4)x2 +A3x3 + A4x4
y = A3 ( x  2 x 2  x 3 )  A4 (2 x  3x 2  x 4 ) Put A3 = a and A4 = b
y= a( x  2 x 2  x 3 )  b(2 x  3x 2  x 4 )

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dy d2y
 a(1  4 x  3x 2 )  (b(2  6 x  4 x 3 ) and 2
 a(4  6 x )  b(6  12 x 2 ) -------(8)
dx dx
L 2 L
1 d y P dy
  2  EI ( d 2 x ) 2 dx   2 ( dx ) 2 dx ---------------------------------------------------------(9)
0 0
Substituting (8) in (9)

   
  1680a 2  7056b 2  6720ab  P 56a 2  288b 2  252ab ----------------------------(10)

 
 0and  0 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------(11)
a b
Equation 11 gives us the following two results:

a[3360  112 P]  b[6720  252 P]  0 ----------------------------------------------------(12)

a[6720  252 P]  b[14112  576 P]  0 ----------------------------------------------------(13)
These are linear homogeneous equations. We know a and b cannot be equal to zero.
If they are zero they will not be buckled form. Therefore to get trivial solution the following must be
true

(3360 – 112P ) (6720 – 252P )

=0

(6720 – 252P ) (14112 – 576P)

Upon expanding and simplifying, we get

1008 P2 – 129024 P + 2257920 = 0 which gives P= (128 + 86.166)/2

P= 20.92 is the lower value. During simplification EI was omitted. The same can be reintroduced.
The length 1m can also represented by “l”.
20.92 EI
Hence P =
l2

References:
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“Theory of Elasticity “ by Sadhu Singh

“Finite Element Primer” by V.K.Manickaselvam.

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