Lecture 09

12th December 2022

Determination of Deflection
Virtual Work Method
 Intended Learning Outcomes
At the end of the Lecture, students are expected
to be able to:

➢Discuss Virtual Work Method

➢Determine Beams’ deflection by the Virtual
Work Method
➢Determine Truss deflection by the Virtual Work
Method
➢Solve related problems

1-3
Linking Current Lecture With Previous Lecture

➢In previous Lecture, we discussed Castigliano’s

theorem to determine beam’s deflection
➢In today’s Lecture, we will discuss Virtual work
method to determine deflection
➢Castigliano’s theorem and Virtual work method
both are energy methods used for
determination of deflection (both linear and
angular)
Virtual Work Method
 PRINCIPLE OF VIRTUAL WORK

• Principle of Virtual Work was developed by John

Bernoulli in 1717.
• It is an energy method of analysis and based on
conservation of energy.
• Equilibrium conditions require the external loads to
be uniquely related to the internal loads.
• Compatibility conditions require the external
displacements to be uniquely related to the internal
deformations.
 PRINCIPLE
*14.5 PRINCIPLE OF VIRTUAL
OF VIRTUAL WORKWORK

• When we apply a series of external loads P to a

deformable body, these loads will cause internal
loads u within the body.
• The external loads will be displaced Δ, and internal
loadings will undergo displacements .
• Conservation of energy states that
U e = Ui ;  P =  u (14 - 35)
• Based on this concept, we now develop the
principle of virtual work to be used to determine the
displacement and slope at any point on a body.
 PRINCIPLE
*14.5 PRINCIPLE OF VIRTUAL
OF VIRTUAL WORKWORK

• Consider a body or arbitrary shape acted upon by

“real loads” P1, P2 and P3.
 PRINCIPLE
*14.5 PRINCIPLE OF VIRTUAL
OF VIRTUAL WORKWORK

• There is no force acting on A, so unknown

displacement Δ will not be included as an external
“work term” in the eqn.
• We then place and imaginary or “virtual” force P’
on body at A, such that it acts in the same direction
as Δ.
• For convenience, we choose P’ = 1.
• This external virtual load cause an internal virtual
load u in a representative element of fiber of body.
• P’ and u is related by the eqns of equilibrium.
• Real loads at pt A displaced by , which causes
element to be displaced dL.
 PRINCIPLE
*14.5 PRINCIPLE OF VIRTUAL
OF VIRTUAL WORKWORK

• Thus, external virtual force P’ and internal virtual

load u “ride along” by Δ and dL respectively; these
loads perform external virtual work of 1·Δ on the
body and internal virtual work of u·dL on the
element.
• Consider only the conservation of virtual energy,
we write the virtual-work eqn as
Virtual loadings
1   =  u  dL (14 - 36)
Real displacements
 PRINCIPLE
*14.5 PRINCIPLE OF VIRTUAL
OF VIRTUAL WORKWORK

P’ = 1 = external virtual unit load acting in direction of

Δ.
u = internal virtual load acting on the element.
Δ = external displacement caused by real loads.
dL = internal displacement of element in direction of
u, caused by real loads.

Virtual loadings
1   =  u  dL (14 - 36)
Real displacements
 PRINCIPLE
*14.5 PRINCIPLE OF VIRTUAL
OF VIRTUAL WORKWORK

• The choice of P’ = 1 will give us a direct solution for

Δ, Δ = ∑u dL.
• Similarly, for rotational displacement or slope of
tangent at a pt on the body, virtual couple moment
M’ having unit magnitude, is applied at a pt.
• Thus, a virtual load u is caused in one of the
elements.
• Assume that real loads deform element by dL,
rotation  can be found from virtual-work eqn:
Virtual loadings
1   =  u  dL (14 - 37)
Real displacements
 PRINCIPLE
*14.5 PRINCIPLE OF VIRTUAL
OF VIRTUAL WORKWORK

M’ = 1 = external virtual unit couple moment acting in

direction of .
u = internal virtual load acting on an element.
 = external rotational displacement in radians
caused by the real loads.
dL = internal displacement of element in direction of
u, caused by real loads.

Virtual loadings
1   =  u  dL (14 - 37)
Real displacements
 PRINCIPLE
*14.5 PRINCIPLE OF VIRTUAL
OF VIRTUAL WORKWORK

Internal virtual work:

• Terms on right-hand side of Eqns 14-36 and 14-37
represent the internal virtual work in the body.
• We can use the eqns of elastic strain energy
developed earlier
• They are listed in a table on next slide.
 PRINCIPLE
*14.5 PRINCIPLE OF VIRTUAL
OF VIRTUAL WORKWORK

Internal virtual work:

 PRINCIPLE OF VIRTUAL WORK

Internal virtual work:

• Thus, we can write the virtual-work eqn for a body
subjected to a general loading as
nN mM f sV tT
1  =  dx +  dx +  dx +  dx (14 - 38)
AE EI GA GJ
 METHOD OF VIRTUAL FORCES APPLIED TO
TRUSSES
• Displacement at joint A caused by “real loads” P1
and P2, and since these loads only cause axial
force in members, we need only consider internal
virtual work due to axial load.
• Assume each member has a constant x-sectional
area A, virtual load n and real load N are constant
throughout member’s length.
• As a result, virtual work for entire truss is

1  = 
nNL
(14 - 39)
AE
Note:
 METHOD OF VIRTUAL FORCES APPLIED TO
*14.6 METHOD OF VIRTUAL FORCES APPLIED TO TRUSSES
TRUSSES
 METHOD OF VIRTUAL FORCES APPLIED TO
*14.6 METHOD OF VIRTUAL FORCES APPLIED TO TRUSSES
TRUSSES
1 = external virtual unit load acting on the truss joint
in the stated direction of Δ.
Δ = joint displacement caused by the real loads on
the truss.
n = internal virtual force in a truss member caused by
the external virtual unit load.
N = internal force in a truss member caused by the
real loads.
L = length of a member.
A = x-sectional area of a member.
E = modulus of elasticity of a member.
 METHOD OF VIRTUAL FORCES APPLIED TO
*14.6 METHOD OF VIRTUAL FORCES APPLIED TO TRUSSES
TRUSSES
Procedure for analysis
Virtual forces n
• Place the virtual unit load on the truss at the joint
where the desired displacement is to be
determined.
• The load should be directed along line of action of
the displacement.
• With unit load so placed and all real loads removed
from truss, calculate the internal n force in each
truss member. Assume that tensile forces are +ve
and compressive forces are –ve.
 METHOD OF VIRTUAL FORCES APPLIED TO
*14.6 METHOD OF VIRTUAL FORCES APPLIED TO TRUSSES
TRUSSES
Procedure for analysis
Real forces N
• Determine the N forces in each member.
• These forces are caused only by the real loads
acting on the truss.
• Again, assume that tensile forces are +ve and
compressive forces are –ve.
Virtual-work eqn
• Apply eqn of virtual work to determine the desired
displacement.
 METHOD OF VIRTUAL FORCES APPLIED TO
*14.6 METHOD OF VIRTUAL FORCES APPLIED TO TRUSSES
TRUSSES
Procedure for analysis
Virtual-work eqn
• It is important to retain the algebraic sign for each
of the corresponding n and N forces while
substituting these terms into the eqn.
• If resultant sum ∑nNL/AE is +ve, displacement Δ is
in the same direction as the virtual unit load.
• If a –ve value results, Δ is opposite to the virtual
unit load.
 EXAMPLE 1
X-sectional area of each member of the steel truss is
A = 300 mm2, and the modulus of elasticity for the
steel members is Est = 210(103) MPa. Determine the
horizontal displacement of joint C if a force of
60 kN is applied to the truss at joint B.
B
EXAMPLE 14.12 (SOLN) EXAMPLE 1
a) Virtual forces n.
A horizontal force of 1 kN is applied at C. The n force
in each member is determined by method of joints.
As usual, +ve represents tensile force and –ve
represents compressive force.
EXAMPLE 14.12 (SOLN) EXAMPLE 1
b) Real forces N.
Force in each member as caused by externally
applied 60 kN force is shown.
 EXAMPLE 1
EXAMPLE 14.12 (SOLN)
a) Virtual-work Equation
Since AE is constant, data is arranged in the table:

Member n N L nNL
AB 0 0 1.5 0
AC 1.25 75 2.5 234.375
CB 0 −60 2 0
CD −0.75 −45 1.5 50.625
∑ 285 (kN)2·m
 EXAMPLE 1
EXAMPLE 14.12 (SOLN)
a) Virtual-work Equation
nNL 285 (kN )2  m
1 kN  Ch =  =
AE AE
Substituting the numerical values for A and E, we
have
285 (kN )2  m (1000 mm/m )
1 kN  Ch =
  ( )
300 mm2 210 106 kN/m 2 (1000 mm/m )2
Ch = 4.524 mm
 EXAMPLE 2
Determine the horizontal displacement of joint B of
truss. Est = 200 GPa. The x-sectional area of each
member is 250 mm2.
 EXAMPLE 2
EXAMPLE 14.13 (SOLN)
Virtual forces n.

Real forces N.
 EXAMPLE 2
EXAMPLE 14.13 (SOLN)
METHOD OF VIRTUAL WORK APPLIED TO BEAMS

• Applying Eqn 14-36, virtual-work eqn for a beam is

L mM
1  =  dx (14 - 42)
0 EI

1 = external virtual unit load acting on the beam in

direction of Δ.
Δ = displacement caused by the real loads acting on
the beam.
m = internal virtual moment in the beam, expressed
as a function of x and caused by the external
virtual unit load.
 METHOD
*14.7 OFOFVIRTUAL
METHOD WORKAPPLIED
VIRTUAL WORK APPLIED TO BEAMS
TO BEAMS

M = internal moment in the beam, expressed as a

function of x and caused by the real loads.
E = modulus of elasticity of material.
I = moment of inertia of x-sectional area, computed
about the neutral axis.
L mM
1  =  dx (14 - 42)
0 EI
 METHOD
*14.7 OFOFVIRTUAL
METHOD WORKAPPLIED
VIRTUAL WORK APPLIED TO BEAMS
TO BEAMS

• Similarly, for virtual couple moment and to

determine corresponding virtual moment m, we
apply Eqn 14-37 for this case,
L m M
1 =  dx (14 - 43)
0 EI
• Note that the integrals in Eqns 14-42 and 14-43
represent the amount of virtual bending strain
energy stored in the beam.
• If concentrated forces or couple moments act on
beam or distributed load is discontinuous, we’ll
need to choose separate x coordinates within
regions without discontinuities.
 EXAMPLE 3

• Determine the slope at pt B of the beam shown. EI

is a constant.
EXAMPLE 14.15 (SOLN) EXAMPLE 3
Virtual moments m.
Slope at B is determined by
placing a virtual unit couple
moment at B. Two x coordinates
must be selected to determine
total virtual strain energy in the
beam. Coordinate x1 accounts for
strain energy within segment AB,
and coordinate x2 accounts for the strain energy in
segment BC. Internal moment m within each of these
segments are computed using the method of
sections.
EXAMPLE 14.15 (SOLN) EXAMPLE 3
Real moments M.
Using same coordinates x1
and x2 , the internal
moments M are computed
as shown.
EXAMPLE 14.15 (SOLN) EXAMPLE 3
Virtual-work equation.
Slope at B is thus
m M
1B =  dx
EI
L / 2 0(− Px1 ) dx1 L / 2 1{− P( L / 2 ) + x2 } dx2
= +
0 EI 0 EI
3PL2
B = −
8EI
Negative sign indicates that B is opposite to
direction of the virtual couple moment.
EXAMPLE 14.15 (SOLN) EXAMPLE 4
Determine the displacement of point B on the beam shown
in the Figure. EI is constant.
 EXAMPLE 4
EXAMPLE 14.15 (SOLN)

Virtual moments m.

1
 EXAMPLE 4
EXAMPLE 14.15 (SOLN)

Real moments M.
 EXAMPLE 4
EXAMPLE 14.15 (SOLN)

Virtual-work equation.
EXAMPLE 14.15 PRACTICE
(SOLN) PROBLEM 1
Determine the vertical displacement of joint C of the steel
truss shown in the following Figure. 14–32a.The cross-
sectional area of each member is A = 400 mm2 and Est =
200 GPa.
EXAMPLE 14.15 PRACTICE
(SOLN) PROBLEM 2
Determine the displacement at point C. EI is constant.
EXAMPLE 14.15 PRACTICE
(SOLN) PROBLEM 3
Determine the slope at B of the A-36 steel beam. Take
I = 70(10)6 mm4.
 Reference(s)
1. R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, 8th edition, ISBN 10: 0-
13-602230-8 0134319656, Pearson.
 THANKS
Questions (if any)