STRAIN ENERGY

Introduction
When a structure is subjected to loading it will deflect and
the points of application of the loads will be displaced.
Which means that work has been done by the loads to
displace the points where they are applied.
Strain Energy
Strain Energy
Strain Energy
• If the structure remains elastic, upon removal of loading the
points of application of the loads will return to their original
positions. This means that, work done by the loads has been
stored in the structure, available to return the points of
application of the loads to their original positions.
Strain Energy
• The work or energy stored in the structure is known as
STRAIN ENERGY and is given the symbol U.
• Based on the principle of conservation of energy, work done
by the loads equals to the strain energy stored in the
structure.
Strain energy due to direct stress
Strain energy
𝑃
• 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑠, 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑒 = × ∆
2
𝜎
• 𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠, 𝐸𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑚𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑢𝑠 𝐸 =
𝜀
𝑃
𝑃 ∆𝐿 𝑃𝐿
• 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝜎 = 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝜀 = ∴𝐸= 𝐴
∆𝐿 𝑆𝑜 𝐸 =
𝐴 𝐿 ∆𝐿𝐴
𝐿
•
𝑃𝐿
• 𝑁𝑜𝑤, 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 ∆𝐿 𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡: ∆𝐿 =
𝐴𝐸
Strain energy
𝑃 𝑃 𝑃𝐿
• ∴ 𝐸𝑥𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑒 = 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑈 = × ∆ = × =
2 2 𝐴𝐸
𝑃2 𝐿
2𝐴𝐸
•
• 𝐼𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑠𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑠, 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒
• 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑟 𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑒,
• 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦
𝑃2 𝐿
• 𝑈 = σ
2𝐴𝐸
Strain energy
• Example: Deflection of a pin-jointed truss:

• If Young’s Modulus for all members of the pin-jointed truss

shown is 200 GPa and all members have a cross section 20
mm square, find the vertical deflection of point C.
Strain energy
Strain energy
• External work done = Strain energy (U) stored in the structure
𝑃 𝑃2 𝐿
• ×∆=σ
2 2𝐴𝐸
Support reactions:
Support reactions (cont.)
• σ 𝑀𝐴 ↷+ = 0
•
• 40 × 3 − 𝐻𝐷 × 4 = 0
•
• 𝐻𝐷 = 30 →
•
• σ 𝑀𝐷 ↷+ = 0
•
• 40 × 3 − 𝐻𝐴 × 4 = 0
•
• 𝐻𝐴 = 30 ←
Support reactions (cont.)
• σ 𝑀𝐵 ↷+ = 0
•
• −30 × 4 + 𝑉𝐴 × 3 = 0
•
• 𝑉𝐴 = 40 ↑
Free board diagram
Forces in the members
Calc. Of deflection
𝑃 𝑃2 𝐿
• ×∆=σ
2 2𝐴𝐸
• 𝑃 = 40 𝑘𝑁, 𝐴𝐸 = 0.020 × 0.020 × 200 × 106 = 80 × 103 𝑘𝑁
40 15200
• ×∆=
2 2×803
•
2×15200
• ∆=
40×2×80×103
•
• ∆ = 4.75 × 10−3 𝑚 = 4.75 𝑚𝑚 ↓
Strain energy
• In this case A and E was the same for all the members, so the
division by AE can be done after the summation. However, if
say A had been different for the various members, then an
extra column for F2L/AE would have been necessary and the
summation of this would give the actual value of deflection.
Strain energy
• If the structure dealt with was subjected to more than one
load, or the desired deflection measurement was not at the
point where the load is applied, or not in the direction of the
applied load, the basic strain energy equation cannot be
used as it is to solve for deflection Δ.
Example
Example (cont.)
𝑊1 𝑊2 𝑃2 𝐿
• 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 ∶ × ∆1 + × ∆2 = σ
2 2 2𝐴𝐸

• It is found that there are two unknowns 1 and 2 and only

one equation, so 1 and 2 cannot be found.
Strain energy
• CASTIGLIANO’S FIRST THEOREM
•
• The displacement of the point of application of any load,
along the line of action of the load, equals the partial
differential coefficient of the total strain energy with respect
to that load.
•
Example
Support reactions
• σ 𝑀𝐴 ↷+ = 0
•
• 𝑊 × 3 − 𝐻𝐷 × 4 = 0
•
• 𝐻𝐷 = 0.75𝑊 →
•
Support reactions (cont.)
• σ 𝑀𝐷 ↷+ = 0
•
• 𝑊 × 3 − 𝐻𝐴 × 4 = 0
•
• 𝐻𝐴 = 0.75𝑊 ←
Support reactions (cont.)
• σ 𝑀𝐵 ↷+ = 0
•
• −0.75𝑊 × 4 + 𝑉𝐴 × 3 = 0
•
• 𝑉𝐴 = 𝑊 ↑
Free board diagram
Forces in the members

Member L (m) F (kN) F 2L

AB 3 0 0

BC 4 0 0

CD 3 -0.75W 27W2/16

AC 5 1.25W 125W2/16

Total 152W2/16
Calc. of deflection
𝑃2 𝐿 152𝑊 2
• 𝑈 = σ =
2𝐴𝐸 16×2×803

𝑑𝑈 2×152𝑊 304𝑊
• = =
𝑑𝑊 16×2×803 2560×103
•
• 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑊 = 40 𝑘𝑁

•
Calc. of deflection (cont.)

304×40
• ∴ ∆=
2560×103

• ∆ = 4.75 × 10−3 𝑚 = 4.75 𝑚𝑚 ↓ (𝑎𝑠 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑙𝑦 𝑜𝑏𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑)

Strain energy
• This does not save much work as compared with the
previous direct application of the basic strain energy
equation, but it is now possible to find the horizontal
deflection of point C.

• The 40 kN vertical load at C is replaced, but now an

imaginary horizontal load W is also placed at C and the
forces in the members found once more.
•
Example
Example (cont.)

Member L (m) F (kN) F2L

AB 3 (0+0) = 0 0
BC 4 (0+0) = 0 0
CD 3 (-30+w) 2700+180w +3w2
AC 5 (50+0) = 50 12500
Total 15200+180w+3w2
Example (cont.)
15200+180𝑊+3𝑊 2 𝑑𝑈 180+6𝑊
•𝑈 = = = ∆
2×803 𝑑𝑊 2×803
•
• 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑊 = 0
180+6 0
•∴ ∆=
2×803
•
• ∆ = 1.125 × 10−3 𝑚 = 1.125 𝑚𝑚 ←
Example (cont.)
• The deflection of, say, point B in any direction could have
been found by placing an imaginary load W in that direction
at B, calculating the forces in the members due to all loads
including W, calculating the strain energy, differentiating it
with respect to W and putting W in the final expression
equal to zero.
•
• This technique is known as the Partial Differential Method
•
Simplification of Castigliano’s first theorem
Example: Consider the truss shown below
Example (cont.)
• It is required to find the deflection of point X vertically
downwards under the loading shown.

• All the members of the frame will have a force F produced by

the actual loading W1, W2 and W3, which can be found by
normal methods of truss analysis.
Example (cont.)
• An imaginary vertical load W is now placed at point X, and
this will also produce a force in each member of the truss.
This force will be designated fW, which means of course that
f would be the force in that particular member as a unit load
was placed at X.

• The total force in any member now = F + fW

Example (cont.)
𝐹2𝐿 𝐹+𝑓𝑊 2 𝐿 𝐹 2 +2𝐹𝑓𝑊+𝑓2 𝑊 2 𝐿
• Now, 𝑈 = = =
2𝐴𝐸 2×𝐴𝐸 2𝐴𝐸
•
𝑑𝑈 2𝐹𝑓+2𝑓2 𝑊 𝐿 2𝐹𝑓𝐿+2𝑓2 𝑊𝐿
•∆= = =
𝑑𝑊 2𝐴𝐸 2𝐴𝐸
•
Example (cont.)
• 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑊 = 0
•
𝑑𝑈 2𝐹𝑓𝐿+2𝑓2 0 𝐿
•∴ ∆= =
𝑑𝑊 2𝐴𝐸
•
𝑑𝑈 2𝐹𝑓𝐿 𝐹𝑓𝐿
•∆= = =
𝑑𝑊 2𝐴𝐸 𝐴𝐸
𝐹𝑓𝑙
• For a number of members: ∆ = σ
𝐴𝐸
Example (cont.)
• Where it will be remembered F is the force in any member
due to the actual loading acting on the truss and f is the
force in any member due to a unit load acting at the point
where the deflection is required in the direction of the
desired deflection.
Application of Castigliano’s deflection equation
Example:
Example (cont.)
Example (cont.)
Example (cont.)
𝐹𝑓𝐿 380
•∆= = = 4.75 × 10−3 𝑚 = 4.75 𝑚𝑚
𝐴𝐸 80×103
•
• Similarly for horizontal deflection at C would be obtained as
follows:
• Is to remember that only member CD was affected by the
horizontal dummy /unit load at C.
Example (cont.)
Example (cont.)
𝐹𝑓𝐿 90
• ∆= = = 1.125 × 10−3 𝑚 = 1.125 𝑚𝑚 (𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒)
𝐴𝐸 80×103