MACHINE DESIGN - An Integrated Approach, 4th Ed.

Example 4-5-1

EXAMPLE 4-5

Finding Beam Slope and Deflection of a Cantilever Beam Using Singularity

Functions
Problem: Determine and plot the slope and deflection functions for the simply supported beam shown in
Figure 4-22b.
Given: The load is uniform over part of the beam length.
Beam length l  10 in
Load location a  4  in
Applied load F  400  lbf
4
Moment of inertia I  0.5 in
6
Modulus of elasticity E  30 10  psi

Assumptions: Ignore the beam weight as negligible compared to the applied load.
Solution: See Figures 4-22b and 4-24, and Mathcad file EX0405.
1. Write an equation for the load function in terms of equations 3.17 and integrate the resulting function twice
using equations 3.18 to obtain the shear and moment functions. Note use of the unit doublet function to
represent the moment at the wall. For the beam in Figure 4-22b,

q(x) = -M1<x - 0>-2 + R1<x - 0>-1 - F<x - a>-1 (a)

V(x) = -M1<x - 0>-1 + R1<x - 0>0 - F<x - a>0 + C1 (b)

M(x) = -M1<x - 0>0 + R1<x - 0>1 - F<x - a>1 + C1x+ C2 (c)

(x) = ( -M1<x - 0>1 + R1<x - 0>2/2 - F<x - a>2/2 + C1x2/2 (d)

+ C2x + C3) / EI

y(x) = ( -M1<x - 0>2/2 + R1<x - 0>3/6 - F<x - a>3/6 + C1x3/6 (e)

+ C2 x2/2 + C3x + C4) / EI

The reaction moment M1 at the wall is in the z direction and the forces R1 and F are in the y direction in
equation (b). All moments in equation (c) are in the z direction.

2. Because the reactions have been included in the loading function, the shear and moment diagrams both close
to zero at each end of the beam, making C1 = C2 = 0.
3. The reaction force R1 and the reaction moment M1 can be calculated from equations (b) and (c) respectively
by substituting the boundary conditions x = l+, V = 0, M = 0. Note that we can substitute l for l+ since their
difference is vanishingly small.

V(l) = -M1<l - 0>-1 + R1<l - 0>0 - F<l - a>0 = 0

V = R1  F = 0 (f)
R1  F R1  400 lbf

M(l) = -M1<l - 0>0 + R1<l - 0>1 - F<l - a>1 = 0

M = M1  R1 l  F  ( l  a ) = 0 (g)
3
M1  R1 l  F  ( l  a ) M1  1.6  10 lbf  in cw

Since w, l, and a are known from the given data, equation (f) can be solved for R1, and this result substituted
into equation (g) to find M1. Note that equation (f) is just Fy = 0, and equation (g) is Mz = 0.

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MACHINE DESIGN - An Integrated Approach, 4th Ed. Example 4-5-2

4. Substitute x = 0,  = 0 and x = 0, y = 0 in equations d and e and solve for C3 and C4.

(0) = ( -M1<0 - 0>1 + R1<0 - 0>2/2 - F<0 - a>2/2 + C3) / EI = 0

2
C3 = M1<0 - 0>1 - R1<0 - 0>2/2 + F<0 - a>2/2 C3  0  lbf  in (h)

y(0) = ( -M1<0 - 0>2/2 + R1<0 - 0>3/6 - F<0 - a>3/6 + C4) / EI = 0

3
C4 = M1<0 - 0>2/2 - R1<0 - 0>3/6 + F<0 - a>3/6 C4  0  lbf  in (i)

5. Substitution of the expressions for C3 ,C4, R1 and M1 from equations f, g, h, and i into equation e gives the
deflection equation for the cantilever beam in Figure 4-22b.

y(x) = F( x3 - 3ax2 - <x - a>3) / 6EI (j)

6. The maximum deflection of a cantilever beam is at its free end. Substitute x = l in equation j to find ymax.

y(l) = F( l3 - 3al2 - <l - a>3) / 6EI = ymax

2
F a
ymax   ( a  3 l) ymax  0.00185 in (k)
6  E I

7. The shear, moment, slope, and deflection diagrams can now be plotted with the same technique used in Exampl
3-2B, 3-3B, and 3-4.
Range of x x  0  in 0.005  l  l
(l)
Unit step function S ( x z)  if ( x  z 1 0 )

0 0
V ( x)  R1 S ( x 0  in)  ( x  0 )  F  S ( x a )  ( x  a )

0 1 1
M ( x)  M1 S ( x 0  in)  ( x  0 )  R1 S ( x 0  in)  ( x  0 )  F  S ( x a )  ( x  a ) (m)

1  1 R1 2 
θ( x)   M1 S ( x 0  in)  ( x  0 )   S ( x 0  in)  ( x  0 ) 
E I 2
 F 
   S( x a)  ( x  a )   C3
2

 2  

1  M1 2 R1 3 
y ( x)     S ( x 0  in)  ( x  0 )   S ( x 0  in)  ( x  0 ) 
E I 2 6
 F 
   S( x a)  ( x  a ) 3  C3 x  C4 
 6  

8. Graphs of the shear, moment, slope, and deflection functions are shown below. Note that the beam slope
becomes increasingly negative for the portion of the beam between the support and the load and then is
constant to the right of the load. While not very apparent at the small scale of the figure, the beam deflection
is a straight line to the right of the point of application ( x = 4 in) of the load. If you wish, you may drag the
graphs to other locations and enlarge them by dragging the lower left corner of the outline box that
surrounds a graph after it has been selected.

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MACHINE DESIGN - An Integrated Approach, 4th Ed. Example 4-5-3

(b) Shear Diagram (c) Moment Diagram

500 500

400 0

Moment, lb-in
 500
Shear, lb

300

200  1000

100  1500

0  2000
0 2 4 6 8 10 0 2 4 6 8 10

Distance, in Distance, in

(d) Slope Diagram (e) Deflection Diagram

0 0

Deflection, thousandths of an inch

 0.0001
Slope, rad

1

 0.0002

 0.0003 2
0 2 4 6 8 10 0 2 4 6 8 10

Distance, in Distance, in

FIGURE 4-24
Example 4-5 Graphs

EX0405.xmcd