TRANSVERSE VIBRATIONS OF A THREE-SPAN

BEAM UNDER A MOVING LOAD

A. S. Dmitriev UDC 624.072.2.042.8.044

T h e p r o b l e m of a m o v i n g l o a d on a s i n g l e - s p a n b e a m h a s b e e n s o l v e d in [1, 2, 3], and in [4] c o n s i d e r a -

t i o n h a s b e e n g i v e n t o t h e d y n a m i c s of a t w o - - s p a n s y s t e m .
T h i s s t u d y w i l l d e a l with d y n a m i c d e f l e c t i o n s of a b e a m m a d e up of t h r e e e q u a l s p a n s l , h a v i n g a u n i -
f o r m s t i f f n e s s EI, and c a r r y i n g a c o n s t a n t l o a d P w h i c h is c o n c e n t r a t e d o v e r a s h o r t s e g m e n t ~ << l and
m o v e s a l o n g t h e b e a m a t a c o n s t a n t v e l o c i t y v ( F i g . 1). W e m a k e t h e f o l l o w i n g a s s u m p t i o n s h e r e : 1) t h e
m a s s of t h e l o a d i s z e r o , a n d 2) t h e r e a r e no f o r c e s r e s i s t i n g t h e v i b r a t i o n .

T h e d i f f e r e n t i a l e q u a t i o n of t h e t r a n s v e r s e beam vibrations is

--~ vt - - - - ~ ,.< x 4 vt + ,

w i t h z d e n o t i n g t h e f u n c t i o n of t h e d y n a m i c b e a m d e f l e c t i o n , x d e n o t i n g t h e a b s c i s s a of a b e a m c r o s s s e c -
t i o n , t d e n o t i n g t i m e , and m d e n o t i n g t h e b e a m m a s s p e r u n i t r u n n i n g l e n g t h .
T h e b e a m d e f l e c t i o n s w i l l now b e e x p a n d e d i n t o a s e r i e s i n t e r m s of n a t u r a l v i b r a t i o n m o d e s . T h i s
w i l l y i e l d t h e f o l l o w i n g f o r b o t h t h e s y m m e t r i c and t h e a n t i s y m m e t r i c s i n u s o i d a l m o d e s i n e a c h s p a n :

zr (x, t) = ~ fr (t) sin ~ - - (r = 1, 2 . . . . . s . . . . . ~), (2)

r=l

with fr(t) d e n o t i n g t h e g e n e r a l i z e d c o o r d i n a t e of s i n u s o i d a l v i b r a t i o n m o d e s .
F o r t h e s y m m e t r i c n o n s i n u s o i d a l m o d e s we h a v e f o r e a c h s p a n ( f r o m t h e l e f t to t h e r i g h t )
co

: catx _ s i n c n sh-- ;
z (x, t ) = :~(t) sin l shcrc
c=I,37

V cos T
zc (x, t) = 2 fc (t) sin cos -- -- x ch -- ; (3)
ch c~
c=t,37 2

~t P~ ~=con55

gI=con~

F i g . 1.

C e n t r a l I n s t i t u t e f o r U p g r a d i n g t h e Q u a l i f i c a t i o n s of M a n a g e m e n t P e r s o n n e l and S p e c i a l i s t s , L e n i n -
g r a d B r a n c h . T r a n s l a t e d f r o m P r i k l a d n a y a M e k h a n i k a , Vol. 10, No. 11, p p . 1 3 1 - 1 3 5 , N o v e m b e r , 1974.
O r i g i n a l a r t i c l e s u b m i t t e d M a r c h 14, 1973.

9 Plenum Publishing Corporation, 227 West 17th Street, New York, N.Y. 10011. No part o f this publication may be reprodueed,
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 r

zc(x'l)= E 'c(r -(31-x)-sinc~shc~sh ~ ( 3 1 - - x ) } (3)

e=1,37

( c - - 1 , 3 7 ; 2,14; 3,37; 4,14; . . . . i; . . . . ~ ) .

In t h e c a s e of a n t i s y m m e t r i e nonsinusoidal modes

z~ (x, t) ---- f~ (t) sin ~ s h n ~ sh - 7 - - ] '

n=l,13

. n~t

z,, (x, t) = 2 f. (t) cos sin -- x , -- ~- sh -- x ;

sh
n=l,13
(4)

n=l,13

(n = 1,13; 2,48; 3,13; 4,48; . . . . k; . . . . oo).

W e i n s e r t e x p r e s s i o n (2) i n t o t h e d i f f e r e n t i a l e q u a t i o n (1) and t h e n t r a n s f o r m t h e r e s u l t i n g e q u a t i o n
b y t h e B u b n o v - - G a l e r k i n a l g o r i t h m , which f o r s i n u s o i d a l v i b r a t i o n m o d e s i s
3l
sr~x
i'- F, (x, t) sin - ~ - - ctx
" --- 0 ( r = 1 , 2 . . . . . s. . . . . cr
J
t}

U s i n g t h e o r t h o g o n a l i t y p r o p e r t y of v i b r a t i o n m o d e s and t h e n o t a t i o n
v ot
o~s ~= ; ~" __ _ _ (5)
EIsn ~-- I '
l ~/ ra
c o n v e r g i n g to t h e l i m i t a t ~ = 0 w i l l r e s u l t in t h e f o l l o w i n g d i f f e r e n t i a l e q u a t i o n f o r f u n c t i o n fs(} ) a s the
load moves across the beam:
d2f,(~) s~n 2 pl 3
d._----T-~ zc r f' (~) = 3s 2 2 s
9 n s/:,l
sin sn~ (0 ..< ~ -.< 3). (6)

For inserting expression (3) into Eq. (1) we u s e t h e B u b n o v - - G a l e r k i n a l g o r i t h m f o r s y m m e t r i c

vibration modes,
i
Fr (x, t) ~sm ~ sin in
sh in
0
12

cos ~ ta
in i~ [ 31 - - x ch .--[- -- x dx +
+2 F~ (x, t) sin - ~ cos --~-~-~- ch in

l
3l

+ i Fe(x, t)[sini~-(31--x)'~sinin~sht~____" (31--x)'dx=O

( c = 1,37; 2,14; 3,37; 4,14; . . . . i; . . . . co).

U s i n g t h e v a r i a b l e ~ and t h e n o t a t i o n in (5), we o b t a i n a d i f f e r e n t i a l e q u a t i o n f o r f u n c t i o n fi(~) a s t h e
l o a d m o v e s a c r o s s e a c h of t h e t h r e e s p a n s :

dV,(~) i'~' Pt~ ( sini~ )

d~ 2 4- ~ f~ (~) ~ t'2n2ctiR~E
I~ sin ia~ - - - - s hi~x sh in~ (0 -.< ~ -.< 1);
(7)
_ cos -~- 3 "
2Pl3 - - ~ ch i~ ~ (1 -.< ~ -.<
i~rt~et~(El sin cos m " - - ch t. ~ ~ - - -, 2);
2

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 0,2 a4 ~6 0,8 /,0 PIa[ sin i ~ . ]
o I1 = .~ ~ ~,. - . sin in !13 - - ~) - - ~ sn ia (3 - - ~) (2 -.< ~ -% 3). (7)
I, n (I~P:,I~I j

Here

R~ = 1 + 2 sin ~ in sin ~ tn s i j tn"

2 sh ~in 4- ~ . ~ i ~
ZCrl - - ~

Analogous t r a n s f o r m a t i o n s for antisymmetrie vibration modes

I yield
48EI
Zrnox

Fig. 2

d~ + ~ ~ (~) =
05~ [?2jt20,~I~E] sin~-~-- shkn s h k ~ 0-.<g41);

2PI3 k~[ / 3 "\ s i.n k~

= ,-~-~- ~ - - c o s -~-/sin k n ~ y -- ~/-- k~ (~ 4 g ..< 2);
,j
(s)
PI~ [ sin k~
~- sin kr~ (3 - - $) - - - sh
= --k-2~2a-~R~E - k.~ sh kn (3 - - ~)]. (2 -s ~ ..< 3),
where
Ra = 1 + 2 cos2 ka sin 2 ku sin 2 k~
kn"
2 sh 2 k~ 2 sh ~ - f f

With z e r o b o u n d a r y v a l u e s and with the notation

pl 3 PI ~sin in
N, = -i4n4-RiEi
--
(1A_~), T, o
i~R~EI (1 -l-aT)sb in
the solutions to E q s . (6), (7), and (8) a r e , r e s p e c t i v e l y , the following functions:

sn
2Pla sin sn~ - - % sin ~ (9)
-- 2 (0 ~< ~ ..< 3);
[ (~)= 3S4n4E/ 1--C*s

f~(~) = _% ~ (2 cosi~ -- I) s i n ~ (~-- 1 ) - sin a-/

()}
i~ cos ~r~ 3~- _ ~
+ 2 sin -~- ([
- - T ~ a; (2 ch ir~ - - 1)sin~-i ($-- I ) - - sin t~
~ ~ + ]
-F 2 s h 2 ch in - ~ - - $ (1 -.< g -.< 2);

(10)

- - sin i ~ ~} - - T, sh in (3 - - ~) (2 .<. g ~< 3);

\ ~i .

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 --sin ~ - - % ~ j + 2 c h ~ s h / ~ ( 3 - - ~ ) } (14~..<2);

/k(~)=%N~{(l+2c~ ". k~ k~k (~-- 2)] -- sin ~ ~} -- (11)

--Nksinkn(3--~)--%Tk{(1+ 2ch/~)[sin~n (~ - I)-- sinai- (~-- 2)] -

-- sin }~il + T k sh ka (3 -- ~) (2 -.< ~ ..< 3).

Ckk ]

The beam deflections at section x are calculated by adding up expressions (2), (3), and (4) with the
appropriate change of variable.
It would be of interest to compare the dynamic deflections of a three-span beam with the correspon-
ding deflections of a single-span or a two-span system with the same EI, m, and I. In Fig. 2 are shown
the maximum deflections at the span centers of three-beam systems, calculated for the following range of
relative load velocities:
U
ul-- - - --0.2--1.2.

--(
v# EI m

The solid lines here r e f e r , in the order of increasing maximum deflection, to the first, the second,
and the third span of the t h r e e - s p a n system; the dashed lines refer, respectively, to the first and the
second span of the two-span system, and the dash-dotted line r e f e r s to the single-span beam.
The magnitudes of beam deflection at a given load velocity have been determined for several values
of variable E in Ae = 0.1 steps. The results were compared, whereupon the maximum values Zma x were
selected and plotted in Fig. 2.
All caleulations were made on a model BESM-4 computer according to p r o g r a m s written in the
ALGOL-60 input language. The accuracy of these caIcutations was c a r r i e d to the sixth mode of beam vi-
brations. The graph indicates that the maximum deflection of a t h r e e - s p a n beam occurs in the third span
and exceeds, within the given range of load velocities, the maximum deflections of a single-span and of
a two-span beam by a factor of 1.63 and 1.17 respectively.

LITERATURE CITED
i. S. I. Konashenko, "Forced vibrations of a simple beam under a load or a load complex moving at a
constant velocity," Tr. Dnepropetrovsk. Inst. Inzh. Zhel.-Dorog. Transporta, 25 (1956).
2. A. N. Krylov, Certain Differential Equations of Mathematical Physics with Application to Engineer-
ing Problems [in Russian], Izd. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Leningrad (1933).
3. S. P. Timoshenko, Vibration Theory in Engineering [Russian translation], Gostekhteorizdat,
Moscow-- Leningrad (1934).
4. R. S. Ayre, G. Ford, and L. S. Jacobsen, "Transverse vibration of a two-span beam under the
action of am.ring constant force," J. Appl. Mechan., 17 (1950).

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