BEAM DEFLECTION WHEN THE MOMENT OF INERTIA IS VARIABLE

Author(s): T. F. Hickerson
Source: Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society , December 1952, Vol. 68, No. 2
(December 1952), pp. 172-179
Published by: North Carolina Academy of Sciences, Inc.

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/24334350

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 BEAM DEFLECTION WHEN THE MOMENT OF INERTIA
IS VARIABLE*

By T. F. Hickerson

Kenan Professor of Applied Mathematics, University of North Caro

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

If bending forces are applied to a beam, say AB in Fig. 1, each elem

segment will rotate through an angle Ad as expressed by

A* = ^\ . (1)
in which

M = bending moment (usually in inch-pounds) ;

As = length of elementary segment;
E = modulus of elasticity of the material;
I = moment of inertia of the cross-sectional area about the centroidal axis.

As a check on the validity of Eq. (1), it follows that the product M As properly
belongs in the numerator while EI is in the denominator. This is true since
angular rotation increases with the amount of bending and the length, and
decreases with stiffness of the material and size of the cross section.
The deflection of the beam when loaded vertically must be small to keep the
stresses within allowable limits, hence Ax may be substituted for As without
appreciable error.
Since the angle 6ba (greatly exaggerated) between tangents at A and B,
Fig. 1, is the sum of the angles between tangents at the ends of all segments
Ax from A to B, we may write

fBMdx fL M dx ^
dba = JA IT "J, ~ËT ■ (2)
Also, since yba is the sum of the portions Ay corresponding to all segme
Ax from A to B, we may write

_ fL ,t \a _ fLM(L - x)dx ,.v

yba J {E Xjdba (3)
It follows that the expressions in Eqs. (2) an
so that in the ordinary case of loaded beams i
forms than to carry out the integrations.
Thus if M be plotted as ordinate for all valu
I were constant, then Eq. (2) represents the v
ment curve between A and B, and Eq. (3) repr
* Presented at the Mathematics Section of the 49th
emy of Science at Greensboro, May 2-3,1952.
172

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1952] Beam Deflection When Moment of Inertia Is Variable 173

the area of the moment curve between A and B. In case the moment of inertia
is not constant (the case primarily under consideration), the curve M/EI will
be used instead of the curve M, but the reasoning would be similar through
out. Hence

fL M dx _ y F
Jo EI V EI
and

jf M(L - x) dx =

Area
^-Area p

R' R"

Fig. 1.

in which F and x denote respectively areas under the bending moment curves
and distances from their centroids to point B.
In Fig. 1, the deflection y, at any point C, from the straight line AB is given by

y = KM — KC = j^yta — Vca (4)

Hence

Ely
Lj = yFx- F'x', (5)
where F, F', x, and x' are indicated in Fig. (1).

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174 Journal of the Mitchell Society [December

Now if the moment-area ordinates between A and B be

tinuous loading on the beam supported at A and B, counting
for each unit of area, the left-hand reaction at A, called R', due t
loading is (Fx/L), and therefore

Ely = R'x - F'x'. (6)

In similar fashion, if R" is the right-ha

M/A7-loading on this so-called "Conju

Ely = R"(L - x) - F"x", (7)

where F" and x" apply to the "uncrossed" area

In determining deflections of points along the be
Eq. (7) may involve less work than Eq. (6).
Consider now a simple beam, that is, one with
as if hinged. Actual restraints due to adjacent s
are assumed to be superposed separately on the

24 EI

Fig. 2.

to deflect the beam in question up or down depending upon the combination of

loads, hence the resultant deflection may be the algebraic sum of two or three
effects.

Simple Beam: Uniform Load

(a) EI Constant
Let the simple beam of span L ft carry a uniform load of w lbs per ft, or a
total load of W( = wL), as indicated in Fig. 2.
The moment curve (7 constant) is a parabola with maximum ordinate (at
the center) = %wL2 = j/glFL.
At any section x ft from the left end, in Fig. 2a, the ordinate to the moment
curve is 3^m(L — x), which becomes }s^wL2 when x — }/2L.
Making use of the Conjugate Beam principle, the end reactions to the beam
under the M/EZ-loadiug become

wL3 WL2
ß' = Ä» = ^F = M4^ = ^4^.

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1952] Beam Deflection When Moment of Inertia Is Variable 175

Then applying Eq. (6) for the deflection y at any section X ft from the le
end, we get

Ely = i44wL3X - V2w JX x(L - x)(X - x) dx

"H^[f +
Hence

CWÜ
y = ~eT ' <8)
where C represents the expression in th
Values of C for each hundredth interva
author. Hence using Eq. (8), with W, L, E
uniformly loaded beam can be determine

gT*JVAR M (I CONSTANT)
giuVARIABLEWg M (j CONSTANT)

Fig. 3.

Since the beam itself is symmetrical, the deflections at the right half will equal
those at corresponding positions in the left half.

(b) EI Variable

In Fig. 3, the load is uniformly distributed but the beam may or may not be
symmetrical, since I is variable. Deflection coefficients will now be determined
on the basis of the unit beam, where L = 1, W = 1, E = 1, and 7=1. The
actual deflection is found by multiplying the appropriate coefficient by WL3/EI,
in which I will usually be taken as /(minimum).
For the unit beam, the ordinate to the M/EI-curve, distant x from the left
end, becomes y,x{ 1 — x) ; otherwise it is divided by r, the ratio of the actual I
at that section to /(minimum).
Let the unit beam be divided into 20 equal parts each of length 0.05; and at
sections through points 1, 2, 3, etc, if /0 = /(minimum), let n = /1//0, r2 =
/2//0, r-i = /3//0, etc, where /1, /», /», etc, equal the actual moment of inertia
of the corresponding sections.

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 176 Journal of the Mitchell Society [December

Next, let mi, m%, m3, etc, equal the actual ordinates
and noting that the ordinates to the unit M/EI-curv
, , (.05) (.95) .02375 ,,(.10) (.90) .045
mi = M = , m2 = y% 1^ = ,
n rl r2 r2

,,(.15)(.85) .06375
m3 = y - - = , etc.
n r3

The area under the M/E

3, where the shaded area
triangles are bounded by
right part of Au . It foll
/».0b r
.0011979
Ai = 1/rj 1 }4x(l - x) + ymi(.05) =
J0 Ti

, ,nrA .0031875 , ,Acv .0046875

A3 = (.05)m3 = ; Ab = (.05)m5 = ;
r3 rB

, ,ntA .0056875 , ,Acs .0061875

Ai = (.05)m7 = ; As = (.05)ra9 = ; etc.
r7 r9

Let A2, A4
the top by
'-15 .00227083
A%
J.Qb
= l/r2 [ yx(l - x)

a 1/ f25i/ /1 ^ i/,a i a\ .00402083

At = l/r4 / yx(l — x) — y(A3 + As) =
J. i5 r4

, r35,/,. s . .8 .00527083
As = l/r6
J.
/ yx(l
25
— x)
r6
- y(A6 + At) =

, t/ r46!//i i is/A , A\ -00602083

As = l/r-8 / yx(l - x) - y (At + A/) =
J. 35 r8
.00627082
A io = 2/no
etc.
r io

Summing up the areas A1} A2, A3, etc, we have

"11.98 22.71 31.87 4021 46.87 52.71
F=1
10,000 L n r2 r3 ri rs n
(9)
56.87 6021 61.8
Tt rs r9 rw ru r19 .

If the member is symmetrical, rw = r\, r48 = r2, r17 = r3, etc., then Eq. (9)
becomes

96 45.42 63.74 80.42 93.74 105.42

1 [ 23.'
10,000 L r. ri r2 r3 r4 r5 r6 , N
(10)
, 113.74 , 120.42 , 123.76 , 62.71
H 1 1 r
tt rs r9 rw _

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1952] Beam Deflection When Moment of Inertia Is Variable 177

If the r's = 1 (/ constant), Eq. (10) reduces to —- [833.33] =K2> whi

lU,0uu
is a check, since the area under a parabolic curve equals % X (the circumscri
rectangle) = KX1XM = Y\i
To find the left-hand reaction R' to the unit conjugate beam (Fig. 3), w
apply Fx = Ai X .95 + A2 X .90 + A3 X .85 + • • • + X .05, which re
duces to

1 [11.38 , 20.44 , 27.09 . 32.17 , 0.60l /1tx

R-ïmooL— + ~ + 1T + — + '"^J (11)
If the r's = 1 (/ constant),

R' = Jq^qq [416.67] = which is a check, since Y2 X Yï =

Likewise the right-hand reaction R" = F — Fx = A\ X .05 + A2 X .10 +
Az X .15 + Ai X .20 + • • • X .95, which leads to

y 10,000
'[!» +L»» + r3
n r2 *»r18+ r19
...+J (i2)
Substituting in Eq. (6), and reducing, we may find t
of the 20 points along the beam. Thus, at the 4th pt,

2/4 = R' X .20 - Ai X .15 - A2 X .10 - As X

which reduces to

1 0.479 , 1.817 , 3.824 , 0.454 , 0.120

2/4 = 1 1 r • • • I (13)
10,000 . n 7*2 n ris r 19 J

If the r's = 1,2/4 = .,, [77.33], and the actual deflection is

10,000

2/4 = (.007733) ~ . (14)

For the special case (not unusual) when the member

2/18 = 2/2, etc, then we have
1 0.60 , 2.27 , 4.78 , 7.71 , 9.37 , 10.54 , 11.37
2/4 = f- -j 1- q
10,000 . n r2 r3 r4 rs r6 r7
(15;
6.271
, 12.04 , 12.38 , """
H r t
n r9 7*10 J

Table A gives deflection coefficients applying to each of the 20 points of equal

division along symmetrical beams. This table represents in effect 10 different
formulas, one of which is Eq. (15). The first column indicates the subscript of
y (the section); the first row gives the subscript of r; and the tabular quantities
are the numerators of the several fractions. The quantities in the last column
apply to the special case of beams with constant section throughout, where
ri = r2 = r3, etc = 1.

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178 Journal of the Mitchell Society [December

Deflections under other loadings such as concentrated

combinations on the span, have been treated in similar f
TABLE A

Deflection Coefficients for Symmetrical Beam Uniformly Loaded

SUM IF
l 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
r's = 1

] 0.57 1.14 1.59 2.01 2.34 2.63 2.84 3.01 3.09 1.57 20.7
2 0.60 2.08 3.19 4.02 4.69 5.27 3.69 6.02 6.19 3.14 40.9
3 0.60 2.27 4.51 6.03 7.03 7.91 8.53 9.03 9.28 4.70 59.9
4 0.60 2.27 4.78 7.71 9.37 10.54 11.37 12.04 12.38 6.27 77.3
5 0.60 2.27 4.78 8.04 11.33 13.18 14.22 15.05 15.47 7.84 92.8
6 0.60 2.27 4.78 8.04 11.72 15.37 17.06 18.06 18.58 9.41 105.9
7 0.60 2.27 4.78 8.04 11.72 15.81 19.43 21.07 21.66 10.98 116.4
8 0.60 2.27 4.78 8.04 11.72 15.81 19.90 23.58 24.75 12.54 124.0
9 0.60 2.27 4.78 8.04 11.72 15.81 19.90 24.08 27.33 14.11 128.6
10 0.60 2.27 4.78 8.04 11.72 15.81 19.90 24.08 27.85 15.16 130.2

— U VARIABLE)
--^■(1 VARIABLE)

S 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
A,
L-l

Fig. 4.

End Restraining Moments

In a continuous beam arrangement constructed monolithically the deflec

caused by loads on other spans to the right and left of the member has b
evaluated for each twentieth point. Thus the upward (or downward) deflec
at the middle of an unsymmetrical beam is

MaL2 [0.6 2.5 . 5.6 . 10.0 . 15.6 , 22.5 , 30.6 , 40.0

y10 = 7 A aaa or r —" ^ 1 1 1" 1 1
10,000 EI |_ ri r-2 r3 r4 r5 r6 r7 r8
. 50.6 . 60.4 . 62.0 . 60.0 . 56.8 , 52.5 , 46.9 , 40.0 , 31.9
i 1 r H 1 1 1 h 1 (16)
r9 i"w Tu r i2 r i3 t i4 ru rn

[ 22.5
T18 T19 1*20 a
[ 11.9 | 2

where MA (Fig. 4) = restraining moment at the left

L = length of span; IQ = I (minimum); and E = mod

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1952] Beam Deflection When Moment of Inertia Is Variable 179

If the beam is symmetrical, where r20 = r0, r19 = ri, rw = r2, etc, Eq
becomes I

_ MaL2 f2.1 12.5 25.0 37.5 50.0 62.5

2/10 10,000 EI0 L r0 n r2 r3 r4 r5
,1
75.0 I87.5
I
100.0
I
112.5
I '
, 60.4]
I •
H r7 rs r9 r10 J
If the r'a = 1(1 constant),

Vl° = 10,000EI[625^ = 16 MaL

which is a check, since (for the unit conj
){XMXM = Me
By an analogous procedure, deflections caused by Ms alone at th
of beam AB may be found; and the same formulas may be used if the n
'*3 reckoned from right to left and MB is substituted for MA .

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