STRUCTURE LABORATORY

LABORATORY WORKSHEET

Course Code BFC 31901

Department Civil Engineering

Title Plastic Analysis

 Faculty : Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built
Page 1
Environment
Edition
Department : Department of Civil Engineering
Checking No
Effective Date
Title : Plastic Analysis
Amendment Date

1.0 OBJECTIVE

1.1 To find the form factor.

1.2 To investigate the load deflection relationship for a beam to the point plastic
collapse.

2.0 LEARNING OUTCOME

1.0 Able to apply the structural knowledge in practical application

2.0 To improve the technical efficiency though the laboratory
3.0 Able to communicate effectively in teamwork
4.0 Able to recognize the problem, solving and getting the solution through experimental
work

3.0 INTRODUCTION

During the design process for beams it is unreasonable for one to assume that no part of
the beam should experience a stress greater than that allowable for the working
material. However, it can be found that a beam will withstand much larger forces before
collapse than predicted by simple elastic theory.

4.0 THEORY

When a beam is bend around the neutral axis, the stress through the beam section varies
with the distance from the neutral axis, from the greatest at the extreme fibres
(𝒚𝒚 = maximum) to zero at neutral axis (𝒚𝒚 = 𝟎𝟎).
 Faculty : Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built
Page 2
Environment
Department : Department of Civil Engineering Edition
Checking No
Title : Plastic Analysis Effective Date
Amendment Date

If the beam is subjected to an increasing bending moment, the stress will build up through
the section to a maximum at the extreme fibres. This means that although the outer parts of
the beam may well have yielded and are behaving plastically, the inner parts may still be
behaving elastically and resisting load.

If the bending moment continues to increase, the plastic portion will move further into the
beam leaving a smaller elastic core. This called the partially plastic condition.
The beam will continue to resist the bending moment although with an increasing rate of
deflection as the plastic portion moves further toward the neutral axis ( See diagram below).

Eventually the elastic portion will far enough into the beam and the beam will be “ fully”
plastic. It will form a plastic hinge and be unable to resist any further bending moment (shown
below)
 Faculty : Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built
Page 3
Environment
Department : Department of Civil Engineering Edition
Checking No
Title : Plastic Analysis Effective Date
Amendment Date

The ratio of the “fully “ plastic bending moment to the “just” plastic moment is called
FORM FACTOR. The form factor is entirely dependent on the shape of the beam and
Not on the size, material or fixing condition.

For cantilever beam,

4𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊
Yield stress, 𝜎𝜎𝑦𝑦 = 𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏
where,

𝜎𝜎𝑦𝑦 = Yield stress

𝑊𝑊 = The collapse load of the beam
𝐿𝐿 = Length of the beam
𝑏𝑏 = Width of the beam
𝑑𝑑 = Depth of the beam

For simply supported beam

𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊
Maximum bending moment, 𝑀𝑀𝑝𝑝 = 4

𝜎𝜎𝑦𝑦 𝐼𝐼
Bending moment at yield of the extreme fibre, 𝑀𝑀𝑦𝑦 =
𝑦𝑦
where,

𝐼𝐼 = Second moment of area

𝑦𝑦 = Distance from extreme fibre to neutral axis

Experimental form factor = 𝑀𝑀𝑝𝑝 ⁄𝑀𝑀𝑦𝑦 where the text book values is 1.5
 Faculty : Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built
Page 4
Environment
Edition
Department : Department of Civil Engineering
Checking No
Title : Plastic Analysis Effective Date
Amendment Date
5.0 PROCUDERS

1. Take a specimen beam and measure the cross section, calculate the second moment of area
for the specimen.
2. Ensure the clamp plates are removed and place the specimen beam across the chucks of the
unit.
3. Push the roller mechanism outwards to its stop.
4. Put the pin though the load cell fork and wind the load cell down until the pin just touches
the specimen beam; zero both the load cell and the indicator.
5. Wind the load cell down to cause a measured deflection of 3mm and take a reading of the
force required.
6. Continue to wind the load cell down in 3mm step until there is no or very little increase in
load for each increment of defection.
7. Enter your result into Table 1.

6.0 RESULT

Deflection Force

Table 1 : Result for Experiment ( Simply supported beam)

 Faculty : Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built
Page 5
Environment
Department : Department of Civil Engineering Edition
Checking No
Title : Plastic Analysis Effective Date
Amendment Date

7.0 DISCUSSION

1. Plot the graph Force vs Deflection and from your result comment on the shape of
the resulting graph.
2. From Table 1, note the collapse load, and using the equation given calculate the
plastic moment (MP).
3. Using yield stress of 325Mpa, calculate the bending moment (My) that caused
yielding of the extreme fibres.
4. Calculate the form factor (𝑴𝑴𝒑𝒑 ⁄𝑴𝑴𝒚𝒚 ). Compare to the text book value.
5. Discuss the advantages of considering the extra available strength due to the
plastic beam theory when designing structures.