TRANSILVANIA UNIVERSITY OF BRASOV

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING FACULTY

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
ONLY FOR STUDENTS

Course 9

Curved bars
9.1. Introduction
The beams with plane or spatial curved longitudinal axes are called curved bars. There are
considered two classes of problems:
a) initially curved beams where the depth of cross-section can be considered small in
relation to the initial radius of curvature.
b) those beams where the depth of cross-section and initial radius of curvature are
approximately of the same order, i.e. deep beams with high curvature.
c) The high curved bars bending theory was developed by Emile Winkler.

9.2. Initially curved slender beams

In this case the ration of

R
5 ... 6 , where R is the curvature ob the bar and h is the height
h

of the cross section.

Let considered the curved bar from Figure 9.1. Under the complex load consisting of forces
and
moments
generic
denoted
with
Pi (i 1, 2,..., n,..., q,...) , in the cross sections are
P
developed tensile and shear forces N, and T
and bending moments M b .
M
G
As is known the tensile force N generate
a
normal
stress uniformly distributed on the
N
T
cross section surface:
n

Pk

Pq
O

(9.1)

where A is the value of the cross section area.

The shear force T develop a shear stress
that is calculated with Juravski relationship:

Figure 7.1

N
,
A

T Sz
.
b Iz

STRENGTH OF MATERIALS - PART II

(9.2)

Prof.dr.ing. Ioan Calin ROSCA

TRANSILVANIA UNIVERSITY OF BRASOV

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING FACULTY
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
ONLY FOR STUDENTS

The normal stress generated by the bending moment is found out with the classical Naviers
relationship:

Mb
y.
Iz

(9.3)

9.3. Deep beams with high initial curvature

R
5... 6 , where R is the curvature ob the bar and h is the height of
h
the cross section, the bars are considered to have high initial curvature (i.e. small radius of
curvature). In this case the bending stress has to be calculate with the theory developed by Emile
Winkler.
The theory is based on the
following assumptions:
The longitudinal axes are situated in a
single plane;
This plane is, in the same time, a
symmetry plane of the bar;
All the loads are applied in the same
plane that is the symmetry plane;
The cross section is considered to be
constant along the bar;
The material satisfy the Hookes law;
It
is respected the Bernoullis
assumption which states that the
plane cross sections are normal to the
longitudinal axes before and after
deformation (the shape of the cross
section is changed, under loads, in a
neglected ratio and so one can
consider that remains the same);
It is neglected the compression
developed on radial direction by the
bending moment between the fibres.
It is considered a part of a plane
curved bar defined by angle d
(Figure 9.2).
There are made the following
Figure 9.2
notations:
R1 - inner fibre radius; R2 - external fibre radius; R - distance from the curvature centre C to the
centre of gravity G ; r - is the distance to the neutral axis O O ; - is the curvature radius of a
fibre.

In case of a ration of

STRENGTH OF MATERIALS - PART II

Prof.dr.ing. Ioan Calin ROSCA

TRANSILVANIA UNIVERSITY OF BRASOV

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING FACULTY
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
ONLY FOR STUDENTS

Under the action of the bending moment M b the end sections (end edges) of the considered
element rotate one to the other one with an angle equal with d . To simplify the calculation one
can consider that only one end edge is rotated around the neutral axe.
There are made the following specifications:
The fiber that is situated on the neutral axe dose not changes its length. The
neutral axe divides the cross section in two parts: one where the normal stress
is positive (tensile), and the other one where the value of stress is negative one
(compression);
In the case of curved bars the neutral axe is not the same with the axe of the cross
sections centers of gravity (longitudinal axe) and results that it is necessary to
find out the position of neutral axe.
It is considered a fiber that has the length equal with ds that is situated at a distance y from
the neutral axe. The length of the fiber can be calculate, based on Figure 9.2, as:

ds d .

(9.4)

Under the bending load, the fiber length growth with a quantity ds that, according with
Bernoullis assumption, is:
ds y d .

(9.5)

As it can be seen in Figure (9.2), between the two quantities and y exists the
relationship:
y r.

(9.6)

As was mentioned, it is considered that the material satisfies the Hookes law. This
assumption leads to the possibility to write, based on relationships (9.4) (9.6) the strain material
as:

ds
y d
r d
,

ds
d

(9.7)

and the normal stress as:

E E

r ds
d y

.
d
d r y

(9.8)

Observations:
From relationship (9.8) results that the variation of the normal stress , on the cross
sections, is represented by a hyperbolic function;
The highest values are developed in the fibres that are situated at the extreme edges of
the cross section;
In the neutral axe r or y 0 the normal stress is zero 0 .
3

STRENGTH OF MATERIALS - PART II

Prof.dr.ing. Ioan Calin ROSCA

TRANSILVANIA UNIVERSITY OF BRASOV

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING FACULTY
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
ONLY FOR STUDENTS

As it is known there are two relationships of equivalency written as:

that, based on (9.8) become:

dA 0 ;
A

y dA M b ,
A

(9.9)

dx r
E dx dA 0 ;
A

2
E dx r dA M .
b
dx A

(9.10)

From the first equation of (9.10) one can obtain the geometric position of neutral axe:

that leads to:

dA r

dA

A 0 ,

A
,
dA

(9.11)

(9.12)

and the integral from denominator has different values according with the cross section shape.
From the second relationship of (9.10) is obtained the relationship of strain:
d

Mb
r 2

(9.13)

dA

The value of integral from relationship (9.13) is:

r 2 dA r 2

dA

2r dA dA rA 2rA RA Ae . (9.14)
A

Introducing (9.14) in (9.13) one can obtain:

d M b

,
d EA e

(9.15)

that combined with (9.8) leads to the normal stress formula:

Mb r
1 ,
Ae

STRENGTH OF MATERIALS - PART II

Prof.dr.ing. Ioan Calin ROSCA

TRANSILVANIA UNIVERSITY OF BRASOV

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING FACULTY
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
ONLY FOR STUDENTS

or,

Mb y
.
Ae r y

(9.16)

Considering the geometrical notations there are obtained the following relationships for the
stresses developed in extremely edges:

M b y1
;
A e R1
M y
2 b 2 .
A e R2

inner edge:
outer edge:

(9.17)
(9.18)

In the case of a tensile load that is superposed on the bending load, the total stress is given
by:

N Mb y
.

A Ae r y

STRENGTH OF MATERIALS - PART II

(9.19)

Prof.dr.ing. Ioan Calin ROSCA