Chapter Nine

Deflections Using
Energy Methods
Outline
 External work & strain energy

 Principle of virtual work

 Method of virtual work: trusses

 Method of virtual work: beams & frames

9-1 External Work & Strain Energy
 For more complicated loadings or for structures such as trusses
& frames, it is suggested that energy methods be used for the
computations

 Most energy methods are based on the conservation of energy

principal

 Work done by all external forces acting on a structure, Ue is

transformed into internal work or strain energy Ui

Ue = Ui eqn 9.1
 External Work--- Force

 When a force F undergoes a disp. dx in the same direction as

the force, the work done is
d Ue = F dx

 If the total disp. is x, the work becomes:

x

U e  Fdx
0
eqn 9.2
 Consider the effect caused by an axial
force applied to the end of a bar as
shown in Fig 9.1(a)
 F is gradually increased from 0 to
some limiting value F = P
 The final elongation of the bar
becomes 
 If the material has a linear elastic
response, then F = (P/ )x

1
U  2 P
e eqn
9.3
which is the shaded

areaunder Fig
9.1(a)
 External Work--- Moment
 The work of a moment = magnitude of the moment (M) x
the angle (d) through which it rotates, Fig 9.2
d Ue = M d

 If the total angle of rotation is  rad, the work becomes


eqn 9.5
Ue  0
 If the moment is applied gradually to
 a linear elastic
Mdhaving
a structure
response from 0 to M, then the work
done is:

1
Ue  2 M eqn 9.6
 Strain Energy--- Axial Force

 When an axial force N is applied

gradually to the bar in Fig 9.3, it will
strain the material such that the
external work done by N will be
converted into strain energy

 Provided the material linearly

is elastic, Hooke’s Law is
valid
 = E
 If the bar has a constant x-
sectional area A and length L
 The normal stress is  = N/A
 The final strain is  = /L
 Consequently, N/A = E(/L)
 Final deflection:

NL eqn 9.8

AE
 Substituting into eqn. 9.3 with P =
N,
N2
eqn 9.9
Ui  L
2AE
  Strain Energy--- Bending Moment

 Consider the beam shown in Fig

9.4(a)

 P & w are gradually apply

 These loads create an internal

moment M in the beam at a section
located a distance x from the left
support
 Hence,

M 2 dx
dU i  eqn 9.10
2EI

 The strain energy for the beam is determined by integrating this

result over the beam’s length

L M 2dx
eqn 9.11
Ui   2EI
0
9-3 Principle of virtual work
 In general, the principle states
that:

 P   u
Work of Work of
Ext Int
loads loads
1.  u.dL eqn 9.13

1.  u  .dL eqn 9.14

9-4 Method of virtual work: Trusses
 9-4 Method of virtual work: Trusses
 External loading

nNL
1.   eqn 9.15
AE

1  ext virtual unit load acting on the truss joint in thestated

direction of 
n  int virtual normal force in a truss member caused by theext
virut al unit load
  ext joint disp caused by thereal loads on the truss
N  internal normal force in a truss member caused by thereal load
L  length of the member
A  cross - sectional area of member
E  modulus elasticity of a member
 Temperature
 In some cases, truss members may change their length due
to
temperature
L  TL

 The disp. of a selected truss joint may be written

as

1.   nTL eqn

9.16
  ext joint disp caused by temperature
change
  coefficien t of thermal expansion of
member
T  change in temperature of a member
Example
1
Example
2
Example
3
9-5 Method of virtual work:
Beams & Frames

L
mM eqn 9.18
1.  0 dx
EI on the beam or frame in the direction of
1  external virtual unit load acting

m  internal virtual moment in the beam or frame, expressed as a function
of x & caused by theext virtual unit load
  ext disp of the point caused by real loads acting on the beam or frame
M  int moment in the beam or frame, expressed as a function of x &
caused by thereal loads
E  modulus of elasticity of the material
I  moment of inertia of cross - sectional area, computed about the
 L
m M eqn 9.19
dx
1.  0
EI
1  external virtual unit moment acting on the beam or frame in the direction
of 
m  internal virtual moment in the beam or frame, expressed as a function
of x & caused by theext virtual unit load
  ext disp of the point caused by real loads acting on the beam or frame
M  int moment in the beam or frame, expressed as a function of x &
caused by thereal loads
E  modulus of elasticity of the material
I  moment of inertia of cross - sectional area, computed about the
neutral axis
Example
4
Example
5
Example
6
Example
7
Example
8
Example
9