Plotting the Load on Curved Beams against the Deflection of the Beam

Student Name: Frederick Terry

University: University of Salford
Student ID: 00541842
Course: Aeronautical Engineering
Date of Laboratory: 19th October 2020
Group: Group 5

[1]
Contents
Abstract.................................................................................................................................................3
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................3
Materials...............................................................................................................................................5
Procedure..............................................................................................................................................5
Measure Results....................................................................................................................................6
Theoretical Results................................................................................................................................9
Beam A..............................................................................................................................................9
Beam B..............................................................................................................................................9
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................9
Bibliography:.......................................................................................................................................11

[2]
Abstract
The purpose of this laboratory experiment is to calculate the slope of the load against
deflection of two beams. It is predicted that the theoretical and experimental data should
be similar with a positive gradient. The two beams will have loads added to them and then
have the deflection measured in to plot the values on a graph and deduce the gradient of
the slope of the graph of each beam. To calculate the theoretical value of the beams the
appropriate equations must be used to find the load over deflection. The equation for Beam
B is simpler than Beam A as Beam A includes a long arm on the beam this means length of
the beam is considered.

Introduction
The topic being studied in this laboratory experiment is the load applied to multiple beams
compared against the deflection of the beams. The deflection of the beams is measured as
the load placed on the beams in increased. Once the load is increased it is then decreased so
an average of the deflection can be found for the load. Plotting the load against deflection
leaves a slope where the gradient can be measured. In this experiment the relation between
the theoretical and experimental data for curved beam A differ which indicated a source of
error in the experiment of curved beam A. Curved Beam B closely correlates to the
theoretical value with a small difference of 0.017kgfmm -1. [2] The experiment is in particular
importance to aeroplanes due to the radial shape of a fuselage and the load which may be
placed upon it. Curved beams are used all parts of engineering holding large loads such as
the arch underneath a bridge holding the load above it. [1] Further experiments into beams
would involve simulating vibrations and their affects on beams including harmonic
resonance as this can cause large critical failures for engineering projects. Through this
experiment testing loads against different forms of beams the beam’s structures can be
compared. Another way to further experiment with these beams would be to experiment
with different types of materials.

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Materials
 Fixed platform
 Two curved steel beams with Young’s Modulus of 20,000kgf mm -2
 Dial Gauge
 Vernier Scale
 Ruler

Procedure

 Set up apparatus as shown below for the appropriate curve beams shown in Figure.1
and Figure.2
 Use vernier scale in Figure.5 to measure cross section of the beam.
 Measure length L shown in Figure.3 using a ruler.
 Measure the diameter D and radius R for the appropriate beam shown in Figure.1
using the ruler.
 Add mass in 0.1kg increments to the weight hanger in Figure.6 till there is a mass of
1.1kg on each beam measuring the deflection δ of the beams using the dial gauge
shown in Figure.4
 Unload weights off the beams in increments of 0.1kg measuring the deflection at
each weight using the dial gauge.
 Plot a graph of the load P, against the deflection δ for both beam A and B finding the
gradient from the slope of the graphs.
 Compare the measured load over deflection against the calculated theoretical
equivalent using the appropriate equations.

Figure.1 Figure.2

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 Figure.3

Figure.4 Figure.5 Figure.6

Measure Results
Once the values have been measured for the beams cross section, they can be placed in a table to be
used to calculate the second moment of area.

Table.1
Beam A
L (mm) 124
D(mm) 149 R(mm) 75.5
t1 3.11 b1 25.6
t2 3.2 b2 25.2
t3 3.32 b3 24.4
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tav 3.21 bav 25.07
 Table.2
Beam B
R (mm) 202
t1 3.14 b1 25.4
t2 3.15 b2 25.3
t3 3.331 b3 25.56
tav 3.207 bav 25.42

Table.3

Beam A I (mm4) 69.1

Beam B I (mm4) 69.87

Table.1 and Table.2 contain the three measures for the cross section so an average could be
calculated to reduce error. The average values for b and t are used to calculate the second moment
of area shown in Table.3.

Table.4
Beam A Beam B
Load δLoad δUnload δAverage δLoad δUnload δAverage
(kg) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0.1 0.46 0.46 0.46 0.4 0.54 0.47
0.2 1 1.02 1.01 0.8 1 0.9
0.3 1.5 1.6 1.55 1.37 1.57 1.47
0.4 2.25 2.05 2.15 1.9 1.94 1.92
0.5 2.81 2.59 2.7 2.21 2.55 2.38
0.6 3.38 3.36 3.37 3.07 2.63 2.85
0.7 4 3.8 3.9 3.45 3.15 3.3
0.8 4.41 4.57 4.49 3.8 3.96 3.88
0.9 5 5.1 5.05 4.12 4.26 4.19
1 5.72 5.66 5.69 4.5 5.1 4.8
1.1 6.02 5.12

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 Graph.1

Load against Deflection

Beam B
Load P (kgf) Beam A
(5.5, 1.16)

(6, 1.8)

(1.65, 0.3)

(0.91, 0.2)

Deflection

Graph.1 contains the average deflections of beams A and B against the load taken from Table.4 on
each beam with beam A in black and beam B in red.

The gradient of:

Beam A

(1.8 - 0.3) ÷ (6 – 1.65) = 0.345 kgfmm-1

Beam B

(1.16 - 0.2) ÷ (5.5 – 0.91) = 0.209 kgfmm-1

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Theoretical Results

Beam A

Beam A’s load against deflection can be found using the following equation using Figure.3 as
reference:

Where, E is the Young’s Modulus (20,000kgfmm -2), I is the second moment of area, L is the length of
the beam and R the radius.

20,000 x 69.1
((124)3/3) + (124)2(75.5) π + 4(124)(75.5)2 + (75.5)3(π/2)

0.177 kgfmm-1

Beam B

The equation for Beam B is similar to the previous equation used for Beam A as it does not contain
the extended length which Beam A has shown in Figure.3.

20,000 x 69.87

((202)3 x (π/4))

0.216 kgfmm-1

[8]
Conclusion
These experiments were conducted in to determine the values for the load over the
deflection. The results for the experiment and from the theoretical calculations do not
match for Beam A. For Beam A the measured gradient of the slope was 0.345kgfmm -1 and
the theoretical result was 0.177kgfmm-1 almost half the value measured. Beam B’s
measured result is 0.209kgfmm-1 and calculated result is 0.216kgfmm-1 making these results
much closer. This indicates there is a source of error in the measurement of Beam A.

0.345 kgfmm-1 0.177 kgfmm-1 94.9%

0.209 kgfmm-1 0.216 kgfmm-1 0.032%

Frederick Terry 5

Error in Beam A

0.345 – 0.177
X 100 94.9% difference
0.177

Error in Beam B

0.209 – 0.216
X 100 0.032% difference
0.216

The error difference in Beam A indicates maybe a source of human error in the experiment
or calculations of the results as they do not relate. Whereas the error in Beam B is
negligible.

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Bibliography:

[1]

Article Name: Dynamic Stiffness Analysis of Curved Thin-Walled Beams

By: A. Y. T. Leung & W. E. Zhou
Reason: Source for research on curved beams structures experiments
Link: http://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/sv/1993/374730.pdf

[2]
Article Name: Analysis of curved beams using a new differential transformation based
curved beam element
By: S. Rajasekaren
Reason: Source for everyday uses of beams
Link: https://link-springer-com.salford.idm.oclc.org/article/10.1007/s11012-013-9835-3

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