Tutorial 2.

Beam Bending Analysis

Consider the beam bending problem:

Assume that the beam is made of steel (E=30x106 psi, G=11.5x106 psi) and has a 2" deep x 5"
high rectangular cross section (Iz=(2)(53)/12=20.83 in4, Iy=(5)(23)/12=3.333 in4). Determine the
maximum deflection and stress in the bar and the using 8 beam elements. Compare the solution
to the beam theory solution.

Beam theory solution

Beam theory gives the following displacement solution:

Pbx 2 wx
v( x) = x + b2 − L2 + 2 Lx 2 − x 3 − L3 , 0 ≤ x ≤ a
6 EIL 24 EI
Pa( L − x) 2 wx
v( x) = x + a 2 − 2L x + 2 Lx 2 − x 3 − L3 , a ≤ x ≤ L
6 EIL 24 EI

where v(x) is the displacement, P is the concentrated force (-5000 lb), x is the distance from the
left end of the beam, EI is the flexural stiffness of the beam, wo is the uniform distributed load
(-50 lb/ft = -4.167 lb/in), a=15 ft and b=5 ft. The displacement field and bending stress
distribution predicted by beam theory are shown below. Note that the maximum deflection,
approximately -1.89 in, occurs between x=11 ft and x=12 ft and the maximum bending stress is
approximately 29,700 psi at x=15 ft.

5
 4
x 10
0 3

-0.2
2.5
-0.4

-0.6
2

Bending stress (psi)

Displacement (in)

-0.8

-1 1.5

-1.2
1
-1.4

-1.6
0.5
-1.8

-2 0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
x (ft) x (ft)

Finite Element solution

Start => All Programs => Abaqus 6.X => Abaqus CAE => Create Model Database With
Standard/Explicit Model
File => Set Working Directory => Browse to find desired directory => OK
File => Save As => save beam_tutorial.cae file in Work Directory

Module: Sketch
Sketch => Create => continue
Add=> Point => => select 'red X'
Add => Line => Connected Line => enter coordinates (0,0), (180,0), (240,0), right click =>
Cancel Procedure => Done

Module: Part
Part => Create => select 2D Planar, Deformable, Wire, Approx size 200 => Continue
Add => Sketch => select 'Sketch-1' => Done => Done

Module: Property
Material => Create => Name: Material-1, Mechanical, Elasticity, Elastic => set Young's
modulus = 30e6, Poisson's ratio = 0.3 => OK
Profile => Create => Generalized => A=10, I1 = 20.83, I12=0, I2=3.333, J=0 => OK
Section => Create => Name: Section-1, Beam, Beam => Continue => Section Integration –
Before Analysis => Profile Name: Profile-1 => Linear Properties => E=30e6,
G=11.54e6 => Output Points => enter (x1, x2) = (0,-2.5) and (x1, x2) = (0,2.5) => OK
Assign Section => select all elements by dragging mouse => Done => Section-1 => Done =>
OK
Assign Beam Section Orientation => select full model => Done => n1 direction = 0.0,0.0,-1.0 =>
OK =>Done

Module: Assembly
Instance => Create => Create instances from: Parts => Part-1 => Dependent (mesh on part) =>
OK

6
Module: Step
Step => Create => Name: Step-1, Initial, Static, General => Continue => accept default settings
=> OK

Module: Load
Load => Create => Name: Load-1, Step: Step 1, Mechanical, Line Load => Continue => select
full model => Done => set Component 1 =0, Component 2 = -4.167 => OK
Load => Create => Name: Step-1, Step: Step 1, Mechanical, Concentrated Force => Continue =>
select point at (180,0) => Done => set CF2=-5000 => OK
BC => Create => Name: BC-1, Step: Step-1, Mechanical, Displacement/Rotation => Continue
=> select point at (0,0) => Done => U2=0 => OK
BC => Create => Name: BC-1, Step: Step-1, Mechanical, Displacement/Rotation => Continue
=> select point at (240,0) => Done => U1=U2=0 => OK

Module: Mesh
Set Model: Model-1, Object => Part: Part-1
Seed => Edges => select entire beam by dragging mouse => Done => Method: By size, Bias:
None, Sizing Controls, Element Size=30 => OK => Done
Mesh => Element Type => select entire truss by dragging mouse => Done => Element Library:
Standard, Geometric Order: Linear: Family: Beam, Cubic interpolation (B23)=> OK =>
Done
Mesh => Part => OK to mesh the part Instance: Yes

Module: Job
Job => Create => Name: Job-1, Model: Model-1 => Continue => Job Type: Full analysis, Run
Mode: Background, Submit Time: Immediately => OK
Job => Manager => Submit => Job-1
Job => Manager => Results (transfers to Visualization Module)

Module: Visualization
Viewport => Viewport Annotation Options => Legend => Text => Set Font => Size=14, Apply
to: Legend, Title Block and State Block => OK => OK
View => Graphics Options => Viewport Background = Solid=> Color => White (click on black
tile to change background color)
Options => Common => Labels => select 'Show element labels: Black' and 'Show node labels:
Red’ => OK
Plot => Deformed Shape
Ctrl-C to copy viewport to clipboard => Open MS Word Document => Ctrl-V to paste image
Result => Field Output => select S, Component: S11 => Section Points => Top and Bottom =>
OK
Plot=> Contours => On Deformed Shape
Report => Field Output => Variable => Position: Unique Nodal => select Spatial displacement:
U2: Spatial Displacements, Rotational displacement: UR3 => OK
Report => Field Output => Variable => Position: Unique Nodal => select Stress components:
S11, Section points - All => OK
Cut and paste tabulated results from 'Abaqus.rpt' file to MS Word document.

7
Results:

Deformed Mesh

Bending Stress Contours

8
Tabulated Output:

Node S.S11 Node U.U2

Label @Loc 1 Label @Loc 1
--------------------------------- ---------------------------------
1 37.5090 1 -1.68753E-33
2 29.7425E+03 2 -1.50146
3 37.5085 3 -4.18754E-33
4 6.11361E+03 4 -642.937E-03
5 11.7396E+03 5 -1.21341
6 16.9155E+03 6 -1.64391
7 21.6413E+03 7 -1.87232
8 25.9169E+03 8 -1.84194
9 15.1150E+03 9 -840.968E-03

Minimum 37.5085 Minimum -1.87232

At Node 3 At Node 7
Maximum 29.7425E+03 Maximum -1.68753E-33
At Node 2 At Node 1
Total 127.259E+03 Total -9.55695

Node S.S11 Node UR3

Label @Loc 2 Label @Loc 1
--------------------------------- ---------------------------------
1 -37.5090 1 -21.8438E-03
2 -29.7425E+03 2 17.0429E-03
3 -37.5085 3 29.0450E-03
4 -6.11361E+03 4 -20.6136E-03
5 -11.7396E+03 5 -17.0429E-03
6 -16.9155E+03 6 -11.3119E-03
7 -21.6413E+03 7 -3.60058E-03
8 -25.9169E+03 8 5.91106E-03
9 -15.1150E+03 9 26.0144E-03

Minimum -29.7425E+03 Minimum -21.8438E-03

At Node 2 At Node 1
Maximum -37.5085 Maximum 29.0450E-03
At Node 3 At Node 3
Total -127.259E+03 Total 3.60058E-03