Applied Engineering Mechanics

LABORATORY MANUAL
Faculty: Engineering and Science

INSTRUCTIONS:

 You must work individual and prepare your lab report based on your individual analysis.
 Each student must prepare a SINGLE LABORATORY REPORT which will
be uploaded to the course Moodle page as submission for the student.
 Due dates for submission of Lab Reports will be published on the Course Moodle
Page. Please be on the lookout for this!
 The report should consist of answers to questions provided by the course
tutor. You need to also use a Template provided by the Course Tutor for
this activity.
 Submission is done using Turnitin on the Course Moodle Page.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS______________________________________________________________2
Course Work Assessment Item Due Date______________________________________________3
Overview of the Mechanics Laboratory Coursework_____________________________________4
Aims of the Coursework______________________________________________4

Coursework Brief_________________________________________________________________4
Case Study 1: Bending Analysis_____________________________________________________5
1.1 Physical Problem/Domain__________________________________________5
1.2 Analytical Calculations_____________________________________________6
1.3 Computational Modelling__________________________________________6

Case Study 2: Design of a Water Tank Support Structure________________________________8

2.1 Physical Domain__________________________________________________8
2.2 Analytical Calculations_____________________________________________9
Overview of the Mechanics Laboratory Coursework

This coursework is focused on the Mechanics part of the course. Students will be required to
undertake both analytical and computational analysis of engineering structures under loading.
Students are also required to undertake design of a statically and fail-proof structure based on
the application of the Engineering Mechanics principles that were introduced during the lectures.
Students are to write their technical reports providing detailed evidence of all steps in their
analysis.

Aims of the Coursework

a) Understand Applied Engineering Mechanics Principles broadly

b) Develop ability of undertaking analytical calculations of the principles of
engineering mechanics.
c) Develop computational models of simple analytical mechanics problems so that they can
be used checked out by analytical simulations.
d) Draw practical conclusions based on findings from analysis and computational work to
improve engineering designs.

Coursework Brief
The following are questions that are designed to test the student’s understanding of the Applied
Engineering Mechanics course. The approach here is to give students opportunities to:

a) Show they can undertake analytical calculations required in the design of structures
based on engineering mechanics principles.
b) Show they can undertake a computational mechanics laboratory where they build simple
models of the example problems for fuller visualization of the structural response of the
components.
c) Be able to design and analyze a mechanism by applying the principles of engineering
mechanics presented in this course.
Case Study 1: Bending Analysis
This first question will address students’ understanding of the topics covered under bending in
this class. Students will be required to show their calculations and numerical models, with
discussion in their reports. Refer to Chapters 1 to 4 in the course lecture notes. The course tutor
has prepared a supporting Youtube video to help with this course work. Here are the links to the
Youtube videos for Question 1:

1.1 Physical Problem/Domain

A cantilever beam is subjected to a combination of distributed and point load as shown in Figure
1 below. The hollow rectangular cross-section bar is made of steel material of Young’s Modulus,
E
= 210 GPa and has an outer rectangular cross-section dimensions of base, b = 100 mm and
height, h = 200 mm. All inner walls of the tube have a thickness, t = 20 mm. The total length of
the beam is L = 4 m. It is carrying a uniform (flat) distributed load, ω = 2000 N/m, and a point
load at point B of W = 5000 N.

1. Determine the reactions at the supports A.

2. Determine the expressions of the distributed loading function, ω(x), Shear force, V(x) and
Bending moment function, M(x).
3. Sketch the Shear force and bending moment diagrams, identifying the position and size
of the maximum bending moment.
4. Determine the absolute maximum stress developed within the bar under the above
loading arrangements.
5. Derive the expression of the elastic curve for this problem.
6. Calculate the maximum slope, θmax and displacement, vmax experienced in the bar.

W = 5000 N
t = 20 mm
ω = 2000 N/m
t = 20 mm

200 mm

A
B
vmax
L=4m 100 mm

Figure 1: Cantilever beam with distributed load, ω and concentrated force, W

1.2 Analytical Calculations
Note that you are required to show detailed calculations to illustrate your understanding of the
topic.

1.3 Computational Modelling

In practical engineering mechanics, quite a lot of complicated analysis are carried out using
computational methods. Therefore, you should create a computational setup of the problem
using the guidance of the video given in the Course Tutors Youtube channel accessed via this
link:
To build the computational model, you should:

1. Computational model: Build the 2D representation of the problem shown above using
ABAQUS Finite Element Methods Software
2. Analytical displacement and stress: Recall the analytically determined displacement
above and label it, vmax,analyt and the analytically determined maximum stress, σmax,analyt.
3. Computational displacement: Run a test simulation for bending and determine the
following:
- The maximum displacement of point, B. This value will be called the
numerically determined displacement, vmax,num
- The maximum stress developed in the bar which will be called the
numerically determined maximum stress, σmax,num.
4. Percentage error for displacement: Determine the error between the numerical and
analytical displacements values using the expression:
vmax,num  vmax,analyt
Percentage error (%)  100%
vmax,analyt

5. Percentage error for bending stress: Determine the error between the numerical and
analytical maximum stresses using similar expression as above.
6. Discussion: Comment on the results and what the possible sources of error could not.
Case Study 2: Design of a Water Tank Support Structure
This question requires students to undertake engineering design of a structurally safe and fail-
proof support structure. The detailed calculations and simulations that will demonstrate fail-safe
design will be required to be provided here.

2.1 Physical Domain

You have been commissioned as a graduate engineer to undertake the design a water tank
support tower of the type shown here in Figure 2(a). To simplify your analysis, you MUST base
your design for this coursework on the 2D view shown below in Figure 2(b) considering only the
loads that would be supported by the two main stands rather than the four stands. Table 1 gives
the specifications of the customer with regards to the water tank support structure.

Tank

Platform

Main Stands

Cross

stands

Trusses

(a) 3D view (b) 2D view

Figure 2: A water tank support structure showing (a) 3D and (b) 2D views.

Table 1: Specifications for the design of the water support structure

S/No Specifications Values
1 Water Tank capacity 30,000 litres
2 Overall length of platform 10 meters
3 Space between main stands 3.0 mm
4 Platform width 3.5 m
Materials (for all structures) Steel
- Young’s Modulus, E 210 GPa
- Yield stress of steel, σY 250 MPa
- Poisson Ratio, v 0.33
5 Load from the water tank Horizontal distributed/pressure load
For your design, you need to make the following choices:

1. Determine the weight of the water that will be supported on each of the main stands. Treat
the water load as a uniformly distributed load spanning the whole length of the platform.
2. Decide what the cross-sectional shape of each of the main stands (vertical cross-section) that will
be used for your design. It can be either a square, rectangular, circular or an I-beam.
3. Decide on the dimensions of the platforms (horizontal cross-section) so that the support
structure can carry the weight from the water tank without axial/crushing material failure
and buckling structural failure.
4. Decide the shape of the main stands ranging between square or I-section beam so that
the structure will not failure from axial/material failure or buckling structural failure.

2.2 Analytical Calculations

To effectively design the structure, the following are some of the analytical calculations you must show:
1. Reactions at supports: Determine the vertical reactions at the supports of the main stands,
assuming no lateral horizontal loading experienced on the structure. Take the weight of the
platform to be 5% of the weight of the water tank.
2. Maximum bending moment of platform: Determine the maximum moment acting on the
horizontal platform under the effect of the water tank. Consider the load from the water tank to
be a distributed load.
3. Area moment of inertia: Determine the area moment of inertia for the platforms and the main
stand cross-sectional shapes you chose for your design.
4. Bending stress in platform: Calculate the bending stress in each of your platform and determine
for your design that it does not exceed the yield stress of steel, σY = 250 MPa.
5. Normal stress in main stands: Determine the main normal (axial) stress in the main stands and
show how you have ensured that failure within the main stands is not due to crushing, axial or
compressive failure.
6. Critical buckling load in main stands: Calculate the critical buckling load, Pcr experienced by the
main stands.
7. Critical buckling stress in main stands: Calculate the critical buckling stress, σcr that is
experienced by the main stands.
8. Slenderness ratio at yield: Determine the slenderness ratio at yield, λY which should ensure
elastic yielding of the main stands.
9. Buckling mode profiles: If the maximum lateral deflection of main stand is 5 mm, during buckling
plot the shape of the first three modes of failure for the main stands.