LARGE DEFLECTIONS OF SIMPLY SUPPORTED BEAMS

BY

K. T. SUNDARA RA JA IYENGAR 1 AND S. K. LAKSHMANA RAO ’

SUMMARY

Large deflections of simply supported beams have been studied when the trans-
verse loading consists of a uniformly distributed load plus a centrally concentrated
load under the two cases, (1) the reactions are vertical, (2) the reactions are normal
to the bent beam together with frictional forces. The solutions are obtained by the
use of power series expansions. This method is applicable to all cases of symmetrical
loading in beams.
INTRODUCTION

In the classical theory of the deflection of beams we start with the

Bernoulli-Euler relation connecting the bending moment in the beam
with the curvature, but neglect all terms of degree higher than the first
in the expression for the curvature. Results based on this simple
theory however cannot be applied in the case of large deflections as
they may lead to unconservative errors. Barten (1)” and Bisshopp and
Drucker (2) provided large deflection solutions for the cantilever with a
concentrated load at the free end. Large deflection solution for the
simply supported beam with a central concentrated load was given by
Conway (3) and some formulas for beam columns have been recently
proved by Saelman (4). In all these cases, the equations are directly
integrated leading to solutions expressible in terms of elliptic integrals.
Rohde (5) has expanded the slope in a power series of the arc length to
study the large deflections of a cantilever with uniformly distributed
load. This method is found to be of wide applicability in the solution
of large deflection problems and can be very well employed even in
the problems treated in References 1-4.
In the present paper we are concerned with the large deflections of
simply supported beams. Using the method of power series expansions,
we study the deflections of beams carrying a uniformly distributed load
plus a central concentrated load, in the following two cases :

(1) when the reactions at the ends are assumed vertical,

(2) when the reactions at the ends are assumed normal to the bent
beam together with tangential frictional forces opposing deflec-
tions.
The problem in (3) is clearly a particular case of that treated here.
r Research Assistant, Department of Power Engineering, Indian Institute of Science,
Bangalore, India.
1 The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to the references appended to this paper.

523
524 K. T. S. R. IYENCAR AND S. K. L. RAO [J. F. I.

We take beams of uniform cross-section. The following basic as-

sumptions are made : (1) the deformations are elastic ; (2) the bending
does not alter the length of the beams; and (3) the supports are at a
fixed distance apart and at the same horizontal level.

Case 1

FIG. 1.

The Bernoulli-Euler relation, viz.,

1
-=- & _ _M
p .ds B’
leads to
Bz+ [-(I - s) + P-J cos cj

EI
where B = ~ s = arc length measured from A, p = load inten-
1 - 62’
sity, 2P = central concentrated load, $ = inclination and 21 = length
of the beam. The boundary conditions are

+=O at s=l;
&
-=0 at s=O,s=21;
ds
~$=a3 at s=O.
The nonlinear equation (2) does not lend itself to any direct solution.
Put
4 =ao+aIs+azs2+.... (4)
From (3) we have
a0 = (Y, a1 = 0
so that
4=CifP
where
p = azs2 + aas3 + * f *. (5)
June,1955.1 LARGE DEFLECTIONS OF SIMPLY SUPPORTED BEAMS 52.5

We may write from (2)

B(2a, + 6a3s +. . *> = [q(Z - s> + P-J cos(a + 0). (6)

Expanding cos /3, sin p in the right hand side and comparing co-
efficients, we find

a2 = (aJ+ p> cosa p cos (Y

2B ? ‘3 =- 6B I

a4 = (41 + P)” sin (Ycos LL

24B2 ’
as = q(qZ + P) sin a! cos a!
30B2 ’
.... ..

Using the condition 4 = 0 at s = Zand introducing the non-dimensional

parameters
K 1L= 5? K = P! (7)
B’ ’ B’

Ku cos a Kc cos a K,? sin a! cos CY

3 + 2 - 72
-(y=
- K,K, sin (Ycos LX K,2 sin (Ycos (Y+* * . . @I
20 - 24
For a first approximation

K,, Kc
Cd=----
3 2

which is in agreement with the small deflection theory. The maximum

deflection y,,, is given by
1 1 l
sin 4 ds = i o (sin (Ycos /3 + cos a! sin @)ds
s 0 s

(9)

+(_5&g K,K, - $f sin (Yco+’ (Y+. . . .

>

In the simple theory

526 K. T. S. R. IYENGAR AND S. K. L. RAO [J. F. I.

Choosing a definite ratio of 3 = n, we may determine K, and K, for

e

different assumed values of a! from Eq. 8 and yrn from Eq. 9. 5, $

and e can be plotted against K, or K,. Putting K, = 0 in Eqs. 8 and

9, w,“have the solution for a beam with a uniformly distributed load.

If K, = 0, Eqs. 8 and 9 provide the solution for the case of a centrally
concentrated load, treated in a quite different way in Conway’s paper
(3).

Case 2
When the forces at the ends consist of reactions normal to the bent
beam R plus tangential forces PR (p = tan X is the coefficient of friction),
we have the case shown in Fig. 2. The resultant vertical and horizontal

FIG.2.
forces
ql + P = Rcos y + pR sin y,
Q = R sin y - pR cosy,
giving
Q= (aZ+P)tan(r-A).

The bending moment equation leads to

B$=(ql+P-gs)cos4+tan(y-A)(gZ+P) sin 6. (10)

The boundary conditions are

+=O at s=Z;
&
-=0 at s=O,s=21; (11)
ds
+=r at s=O.

Proceeding as before, put

t$ = bo + bls + bzs2 + - - . .
June,1955.1 LARGE DEFLECTIONS OF SIMPLY SUPPORTED BEAMS 527

Here b. = y, bl = 0 so that
+=y+s
where
6 = bzs2 + bas3+. . -.

y+
Using the same procedure as in Case 1, we obtain

(a~+ p> cm A P

I
s2 _ s3

2B cos (y - A) 6B
4=
_ (al + P) 2 sin X cos X
s4 +a * *.
24B2 cos2 (y - X)

From the condition 4 = 0 at s = 1 we have

cos x cos x
-y=K,
2 cos (y - X) 2 cos (y - X) I
sin X cos X cos y sin X + 3sin y cos X
+
24 cos2 (y - A) 120 cos (y - X)

- sin y cos y +- * *.
180 1

The maximum deflection ym =

s0
2
sin 4 ds leads to

cos y cos x -- co+y

* = sin y + K +
1 u 6 cos (y - X) 24 >
cos y cos x
K,. f***.
6 cos (y - X)

In the simple theory, the maximum deflection yS is given by

Yd cos x cos x
-=r+K,
1 6 (cos X + y sin A) cos X + y sin X

where y is a root of the equation

(Ku + IL) cos X -- KU

- ’ = 2 (cos X + y sin A) 6 .

Proceeding as in Case 1, it is possible to compute the values of y,,, for

different values y for any definite ratio of K,, K,. These values may be
employed for plotting ym against K, or K,.
528 K. T. S. R. IYENGAR AND S. K. L. RAO [J. F. I.

Acknowledgment
It is a pleasure to thank Professor N. S. Govinda Rao for his con-
tinued interest in this investigation and constant encouragement.

REFERENCES

(1) H. J. BARTEN, “On the Deflection of a Cantilever Beam,” Quart. Appl. Mathematics, Vol. 2,
pp. 168-171 (1944) and Vol. 3, pp. 275-276 (1945).
(2) K. E. BISSHOPP AND D. C. DRUCKER, “Large Deflections of Cantilever Beams,” Quart.
Appl. Mathematics, Vol. 3, pp. 272-275 (1945).
(3) H. D. CONWAY, “The Large Deflection of Simply Supported Beams,” Phil. Mug., Ser. 7,
Vol. 38, pp. 905-911 (1947).
(4) B. SAELMAN, “Some Formulas for Large Deflections of Beam Columns,” JOUR. FRANKLIN
INST., Vol. 257, pp. 125-133 (1954).
(5) F. V. ROHDE, “Large Deflections of a Cantilever Beam with Uniformly Distributed Load,”
Quart. A# Mathemetics, Vol: 11, pp. 337-338 (1953).