THE ANALYSIS OF A VERTICAL AND A HORIZONTAL

CANTILEVER UNDER A UNIFORMLY

DISTRIBUTED LOAD
BY

R. FRISCH-FAY l

SUMMARY

The buckling of a bar under its own weight and the large deflections of a canti-
lever under a uniformly distributed load and analyzed from a unified approach.
Border cases for which the approximate theory is applicable are discussed.

INTRODUCTION

The buckling of a bar under its own weight was first investigated by
Euler b u t he did not succeed in giving a satisfactory solution. The
problem was first solved by A. G. Greenhill in 1881. The solution was
based on the a p w o x i m a t e theory, viz. 1 / r = d 2 y / d x "-.
The nonlinear bending of a cantilever under its own weight was first
investigated by H u m m e l and Morton (1). 2 A series solution was pro-
posed which, however, failed to converge fast enough for values larger
than 45 ° of the tangent at the free end. Bickley (z) used numerical
methods to solve the basic differential equation for the deflection of the
end of the cantilever and tabulated the results at intervals of 10 ° for
the end t a n g e n t up to 70 °. Rohde (3) used an infinite series to establish
a relationship between the arc length and the tangent. Similar prob-
lems of a more complex nature were discussed by K. T. Sundara Raja
Iyengar (4) and by K. T. Sundara Raja Iyengar and S. K . L a k s h m a n a
Rao (S).
The basic difficulty research has encountered in this type of problems
was the question of finding an approximate solution for a nonlinear
second order differential equation with variable coefficient.
BUCKLING OF A BAR UNDER ITS OWN WEIGHT (APPROXIMATE THEORY)

According to the approximate theory the buckling of a vertical bar

under its own weight, fixed at the bottom, free at the top (Fig. 1), is
solved by a linear, second order differential equation with a variable
coefficient (A. G. Greenhill, 1881),
d ~ u / d z ~ + k2zu = 0 (1)
where
u(z) = dy/dx =
z=L--x
k = ~/(w/EI).

1 School of Civil Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to the references appended to this paper.
I92
Mar., 1961.] ANALYSIS OF A CANTILEVER 193

It should be noted t h a t a v e r y flat shape is being assumed for the

buckled bar, hence s ~ z - L - x. Later in the discussion this pro-
vision will no longer be necessary.

._I

Xl

--y
0
FIG. 1.

T h e integral of Eq. 1 is

u (z) = z'2EC1Jlls(2kzm/3) + C2J-1/3(2kzm/3)] (2)

where J1/~ is Bessel's function of order 1/3, first kind. We note t h a t

the t a n g e n t at the fixed end is zero, and t h a t the c u r v a t u r e at the top
is also zero. By applying these b o u n d a r y conditions we find t h a t

C1 = 0
and
C2L1/2J_1/,~(2kL~/2/3) = 0. (3)

T h e first zero of J - ,/:~ is 1.87, hence

(wL)cr = 7. 4EI/L-. (4)

E x p a n d i n g the Bessel function in Eq. 3 into a series we have

J-1/3(2kL312/3) = (kL3Z~/3)-l/a
r(2/3)
X [1 3(kL3/2/3)2 32(kL3/2/3)4 3~(kL3/2/3)6 ]
=0.
2 + 2!2.s - 3!2.s.8 + '
194 R. FRISCH-FAY [J. F. I.

T h e series in the bracket can be reduced to

k2L 3 k%r, k~L 9

1 -- 2-C~ -4- 2 . 3 . 5 . 6 2-3.5.6.8.9 + .... 0. (5)

T h e solution of (5) is, of course, the same as in (4), t h a t is

k2L 3 = w L 3 / E I = 7.84.

In the following discussion the same problem will be solved by using

the exact differential equation. It will be shown t h a t if the deflection
of the top of the bar is small the exact equation for the solution of
w L 3 / E I approaches (5).
It can be shown t h a t the c o n s t a n t C~ = 1.30/~/L where 0 is the
t a n g e n t of the buckled bar at the top.
Hence,
= u(z) = 1.30(z/L)'12J_~/311.87(z/L)"l~]. (6)

0 is a small and i n d e t e r m i n a t e angle. However, by using the exact

differential equation a definite relationship can be established between
0 and w L .
BUCKLING OF BAR UNDER ITS OWN W E I G H T (EXACT THEORY)

In order to solve the same problem according to the exact t h e o r y

we first transfer the coordinate system into the x ' y ' position.
T h e exact differential equation governing the slope of the buckled
bar is
E 1 d~o/ds = - M . (7)

Differentiating with respect to ds, and rearranging we have

d 2~/ds 2 = - w s sin ~ , / E I = - q sin ~ / c 2 (8)

where c = ( E I / w ) ~13 and q = s / c .
Noting t h a t
d '~~o/ds: = c-~d ~~o/dq 2
we reduce (8) to
d2~o/dq 2 = - q sin ~. (9)

T h e b o u n d a r y conditions will state t h a t at the top of the bar the

c u r v a t u r e is zero and the t a n g e n t to the curve is 0.
We have then
1 d~/dq 0 (a)
C q~(}
Mar., ~96L] ANALYSIS OF A CANTILEVER I95

and
~1~=0 = 0. (b)

E q u a t i o n 9 does not seem to a d m i t of a closed form solution. An

approximation of its integral can be obtained by expanding the u n k n o w n
function ~(q) into Maclaurins' series and find ~', ~", ~'", etc. in con-
f o r m i t y with the b o u n d a r y conditions.
W e have t h e n

~(q) = ~(0) + q~'(0) + q2~"(0)/2! + q3~'"(0)/3! + . - . . (10)

We have from (a), ( b ) a n d (9)

~'(o) = o
~"(0) = 0.

T a k i n g the first derivative of Eq. 9 we have

Ill
= - sin ~o - q~' cos ~ (c)
~'"(0) = - sin 0.

Continuing this w a y we find

~(4) (0) = 0
~(5) (0) 0
~(8) (0) 2 sin 0 (d)
~(7)(0) 0
¢(8)(0) 0
~o(~)(0) = 70 s i n 8 0 - 14 c o s 0 sin 20.

Substituting (a), (b), (e) and (d) into (10) and letting q3 = m, we get
the approximate solution

,p(q) = 0 - m sin 0/6 + m 2 sin 20/360 -F m '3 sin '3 0/5184

- m 3 c o s 0 s i n 20/25920. (11)

According to the e l e m e n t a r y theory, buckling occurs at small values

of 0. In this case 0 ~ sin 0 and cos 0 ~ 1. Substituting these values
into Eq. 11, dividing the equation b y 0 and noting t h a t

sol,=L;o = 0
we have

1 -- m z / 2 . 3 q - - m L 2 / 2 . 3 . 5 . 6 - - m z " / 2 . 3 . 5 . 6 . 8 . 9 - F .... 0 (12)

I96 R. FRzscit-FaY [J. F. I.

where
ml, = ml.,=i, = L;~/c :~ = u ' L : ~ / E I = k"-L "~.

T h e series in Eq. 12 is identical with the one in Eq. 5. Solving

Eq, 12 for its lowest root, we have

mL = 7.81.

Adding one more t e r m

m~4/2.3.5.6.8.9.11 12

to Eq. 12 we get the correct value of the root to two decimals

mL = 7.84

and w L = 7 . 8 4 E I / L '~ which is the critical load according to the ele-

m e n t a r y theory.
B y using the exact differential equation (9) for the deflection of the
bar, the notion of ( w L ) c r becomes meaningless in the o r d i n a r y sense.
T h e bar will not collapse if w L reaches the value of ( w L ) ~ , , nor will t h e
bar remain in an i n d e t e r m i n a t e l y (though slightly) b e n t shape. W h e n
w L increases b e y o n d ( w L ) ~ , Eq. 11 will give a definite solution for 0.
At the fixed end
= 0
hence

0 -- mL sin 0/6 4- mL ~ sin 20/360 -k- mL3 sin 3 0/5184

- - m ~ 3 cos 0 sin 20/25920 = 0 (13)

is the t r a n s c e n d e n t a l equation to be solved for 0.

If w L / ( w L ) c , = 1 + zX, where A is small compared with unity,

0 -~ 2.1~/~. (14)

This approximation has been obtained by neglecting t h e term

m ~ 3 sin 3 0 / 5 1 8 4

in Eq. 13, by adding a t e r m containing mL4, and by expanding sin 0

into 0 - 03/6. Accordingly, if A = 0.001, t h e n 0 = 0.067, and if
= 0.01, t h e n 0 = 0.21.
Once 0 is solved from Eq. 13, f(q) can be calculated for a n y value
Mar., 196I.] A N A L Y S I S OF A CANTILEVER 197

of q, t h a t is, of s. T h e coordinates x ' and y ' can be solved from

x' =
f0' cos ~ ds = c
f0 cos ~ d q (15)

y' = sin ~ ds = c sin ~dq. (16)

Since dq has no formal solution in terms of ~, numerical m e t h o d s have

to be e m p l o y e d to solve Eqs. 15 and 16.

THE HORIZONTAL CANTILEVER

Considering now a horizontal cantilever u n d e r a distributed load

(Fig. 2) we note t h a t
0- ½~r = a.

// ¢"

X'
FIG. 2.

Hence, from Eq. 11 we have

½r = ( a + ½ r ) - n L sin ( a + ½ r ) / 6 + n L 2 sin ( 2 ~ + r ) / 3 6 0
q-nL~sin 3 ( a + ~ r ) / 5 1 8 4 - n L a c o s ( a + ~ r ) sin ( 2 a + r ) / 2 5 9 2 0 (17)

where nL = L 3 / c '~.

After some reductions we have

a - nL cos a / 6 - nL 2 sin 2n/360 -t- nL~ cos 8 a/5184

- nL~ s i n a s i n 2 a / 2 5 9 2 0 = 0 (18)
for the solution of a.
198 R. FRISCH-FAY lJ. F. I.

T h e relationship b e t w e e n q = s / c and ~ is expressed b y

¢(q) - 17r = a -- n cos a / 6 -- n 2 sin 2a/360 + n 3 cos 3 a / 5 1 8 4

n 3 sin a sin 2a/25920
- - (19)
where n = s3/c3. •
T h e coordinates of a n y point of the cantilever can be found from

x' = c
f0qcos ¢ de (20)

y' = c Lq sin ,p dq. (21)

F o r small deflections we find t h a t

¢~ = 3 a / 4 . (22)

Investigations b y Bickley (2) have shown t h a t Eq. 22 derived from

the a p p r o x i m a t e t h e o r y for small values of a holds v e r y closely for
0 ° < a < 20 ° and begins to d e v i a t e slowly for a > 20 ° b u t even then
the true value of ¢,/a at a = 70 ° is only 8 per cent in excess of 3/4.
T h e e l e m e n t a r y t h e o r y applies as long as a i s small and cos a .~ 1.
U n d e r these conditions the difference b e t w e e n the first t w o t e r m s in
series (19) and the first five terms in the same series is 0.12 per cent
if q = 1. This difference decreases further with the decrease of q.
Considering n o w a cantilever of length L , bent u n d e r its own weight
and having a rectangular cross section with a d e p t h of 2b and an arbi-
t r a r y width, we have
C = ( E b b ~ 3 7 ) 113

where 7 is the weight per unit volume.

Hence, the condition of q > 1 is

L
> 1. (23)
(Eb2/3.,l) 113

L e t b = B L and E / " I = nL. It follows from (23) t h a t

> 4(3/7). (e)

On the o t h e r hand the bending m o m e n t at the fixed end

M = Lhv/2 = fI/b

where I = m o m e n t of inertia and f = extreme fibre stress. It follows

that
f = 1.5LT/B. (f)
Mar., I96I.] ANALYSIS OF A CANTILEVER 199

However, in order to remain in the elastic range

f
therefore, from (f) we have

f,, > 1.5L7//3

/3 > 1.SL.r/f,,. (g)
The bar must fulfill the conditions expressed by (e) and (g) in order
to produce deflections sufficiently small to warrant the use of the
simplified theory.
If
(3/n) l~°- > 13 > 1.SL't/f~

the stresses at the fixed end are not necessarily above yield point because
the resulting large deflections will give a nonlinear relationship between
L 2 and M.

Acknowledgment
The author is indebted to Associate Professor A. S. Hall, B.Sc.
(Eng.)(Lond.), D.I.C., A.M.I.E. Aust., A. Am. Soc. C. E., The Uni-
versity of New South Wales, for his assistance during the preparation
of this paper.
REFERENCES
(1) F. H. HUMMELAND~V. B. MORTON,"On the Large Deflections of Thin Flexible Strips and
the Measurement of Their Elasticity," Phil. Mag., 7th ser., Vol. 4, pp. 348-357 (1927).
(2) W. G. BICKLEY,"The Heavy Elastica," Phil. Mag., 7th ser., Vol. 17, pp. 603-622 (1934).
(3) F. V. ROHDE, "Large Deflections of a Cantilever Beam," Quart. Appl. Math., Vol. 11, pp.
337-338 (1953).
(4) K. T. SUNDARARAJA IYENGAR,"Large Deflections of Cantilever Beams," J. Indian Inst.
Sci., Annual Report of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering Section, 1954, pp. 27-30.
(5) K. T. SUNDARARAJA IYENGARAND S. K. LAKSHMANARAO, "Large Deflections of Simply
Supported Beams," JouR. FRANKLININST., Vol. 259, pp. 523-528 (1955).