Advanced Structural Analysis with Dynamics

Work and Energy Method

Dr Christoforos Dimopoulos
Lecturer in Civil Engineering | Teesside University
 Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the lecture you will be able to:

• Appreciate the concept of work produced by forces.

• Appreciate the principle of work and energy.

• Apply the principle to solve problems that involve force, velocity, and
displacements.
 Sources

Please refer to this publication for more information, theory

and examples.

Hibbeler RC (2017), ‘Engineering Mechanics – Dynamics’, 14th edn, Pearson Education.

 The Work of a Force

• A force F does work on a particle only when the particle undergoes a

displacement in the direction of the force.
• Consider the force acting on the particle
• If the particle moves along the path s from position r to new position r’,
the displacement would be dr = r’ – r
 The Work of a Force
❖ This unit combines the units for force and displacement.
❖ 1 joule of work is done when a force of 1 newton moves 1 meter along
its line of action
1J = 1N.m
❖ Moment of a force has this same combination of units, however, the
concepts of moment and work are in no way related.
❖ A moment is a vector quantity, whereas work is a scalar.
 The Work of a Constant Force

Work of a Constant Force Moving Along a Straight Line.

❖ If the force Fc has a constant magnitude and acts at a constant angle θ from
its straight line path, then the components of Fc in the direction of
displacement is Fc cos θ
 The Work of a Force

o If 0º< θ < 90º, the force component and the displacement has the same sense
so that the work is positive.
o If 90º < θ < 180º, the force component and the displacement has the opposite
sense so that the work is negative
o dU = 0 if the force is perpendicular to the displacement since cos 90º = 0 or if
the force is applied at a fixed point where displacement = 0.
o Basic unit for work in SI units is joule (J).
 The Work of Weight
o Consider a particle which moves up along the path s from s1 to position s2.
o Work done is equal to the magnitude of the particle’s weight times its
vertical displacement.

𝑈1−2 = −𝑊Δy

1. If W is downward and ∆y is upward, work is

negative
2. If the particle is displaced downward (-∆y), the
work of the weight is positive.
 The Work of a spring force exerting on a particle

1 1 1 2 1 2
𝑈1−2 = − 𝐹𝑠,2 𝑠2 − 𝐹𝑠,1 𝑠1 = − 𝑘𝑠2 − 𝑘𝑠1
2 2 2 2

This equation represents the trapezoidal area

under the line 𝐹𝑠 = 𝑘𝑠
 Work done by frictional forces due to sliding
In real conditions when a body slides on another body due to the roughness of
the interface a frictional force will be developed. This frictional force depends on
the reaction force N and it will be equal to:

𝐹𝑓 = 𝜇𝑘 𝑁

The work done by the frictional force will be equal to:

𝑊𝑓 = 𝜇𝑘 𝑁 ∙ 𝑠
 Principle of Work and Energy

1
𝑇1 + ෍ 𝑈1−2 = 𝑇2 𝑇 = 𝑚𝑣 2
2
𝑚 = 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠, 𝑣 = 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦

The particle’s initial kinetic energy plus the work done by all the forces
acting on the particle as it moves from initial to its final position is equal to
the particle’s final kinetic energy.

T1 is the kinetic energy at the initial position (or point 1).

T2 is the kinetic energy at the final position (or point 2).
σ 𝑈1−2 is the work done by all forces acting on the particle as the particle moves from point
1 to point 2
 Example 1
The 𝟏𝟕. 𝟓𝒌𝑵 automobile is traveling down the 𝟏𝟎° inclined road at a speed
of 𝟔 𝒎/𝒔 . If the driver applies the brakes, causing his wheels to lock,
determine how far s his tires skid on the road. The coefficient of the
kinetic friction between the wheels and the road is 𝝁𝒌 = 𝟎. 𝟓.

Source: Hibbeler 2016, Example 14.2

 Example 1
Work (Free-Body Diagram). The normal force 𝑵𝐴 does no work since it never
undergoes displacement along its line of action. The weight 𝟏𝟕. 𝟓𝒌𝑵 , is
displaced 𝒔 ∙ 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝟏𝟎° and does positive work. The frictional force 𝑭𝐴 does
negative work since it is in the opposite direction to displacement.
 Example 1
Applying equation of equilibrium normal to the road,

+ ෍ 𝐹𝑛 = 0 ; 𝑁𝐴 − 17500𝑐𝑜𝑠10𝑜 = 0
𝑁𝐴 = 17234.1𝑁
𝐹𝐴 = 0.5𝑁𝐴 = 8617.1𝑁

𝑇1 + ෍ 𝑈1−2 = 𝑇2

1 17500𝑁 2
6 𝑚 Τ𝑠 + 17500 ∙ 𝑠 ∙ 𝑠𝑖𝑛10𝑜 − 8617.1 ∙ 𝑠 = 0
2 9.81 𝑚Τ𝑠 2

Solving for 𝑠 yields: 𝑠 = 5.75 𝑚

 Example 2
The 𝟏𝟎𝒌𝒈 block shown in the figure rests on the smooth incline. If the spring is
originally stretched 0.5 𝑚, determine the total work done by all the forces acting
on the block when a horizontal force 𝑷 = 𝟒𝟎𝟎 𝑵 pushes the block up the plane 𝒔 =
𝟐 𝒎.
 Example 2

Free-body diagram

Work of horizontal force P

The work will be equal to the displacement times the component of force in the direction
displacement, i.e.
𝑈𝑝 = 400𝑁𝑐𝑜𝑠30𝑜 2𝑚 = 692.8𝐽
Spring force Fs
In the initial position the spring is stretched 𝑠1 = 0.5𝑚 and in the final position it is
stretched 𝑠2 = 0.5𝑚 + 2𝑚 = 2.5𝑚. We require the work to be negative since the force
and displacement are opposite to each other. The work of 𝐹𝑠 is thus:

2 2
𝑈𝑠 = − 0.5 ∙ 30 𝑁Τ𝑚 ∙ 2.5𝑚 − 0.5 ∙ 30 𝑁Τ𝑚 ∙ 0.5𝑚 = −90𝐽
 Example 2

Free-body diagram

Work of weight W
Note that it is also possible to consider the component of weight in the direction of
displacement; i.e.,
𝑈𝑤 = − 98.1𝑁𝑠𝑖𝑛30𝑜 2𝑚 = −98.1𝐽
Normal force NB
Note that it is also possible to consider the component of weight in the direction of
displacement; i.e.,

Total work
𝑈𝑇 = 692.8𝐽 − 90𝐽 − 98.1𝐽 = 505𝐽
 Problem
Work and Energy Problem 2 (F14.1 [1])
The spring is placed between the wall and the 10 − 𝑘𝑔 block. If the block is subjected to a
force of 𝐹 = 500 𝑁, determine its velocity when 𝑠 = 0.5 𝑚 . When 𝑠 = 0, the block is at rest
and the spring is uncompressed. The contact surface is smooth.
[1] Hibbeler R.C. (2016) ‘Engineering Mechanics – Dynamics’, Pearson, 4th Edition.
END OF PRESENTATION