Basic Equations

q(x)
M(x) M(x+dx)
x
V(x) V(x+dx)
k w(x)
dx
z,w

dV
= ( qW + q) = k w q
dx

dM
=V
dx

d 2M
= kw q
dx 2

d 2w
M = E I
dx 2

d 3w
V = E I
dx 3

d 4w
EI + kw = q
dx 4

homogeneous equation

d 4w
EI + kw = 0
dx 4

d 4w
4
+ 4 4 w = 0
dx

k
4 =
4E I

general solution of the homogeneous differential equation

 w = e x

w '''' 4 w = 0 w '''' + 4 4 w = 0

4 = 4 4 , 2 = 2 i 2 , = 2 i = (1 i )

w = e xe i x

w = ex (C1 sin x + C2 cos x ) + e x (C3 sin x + C4 cos x )

example

w = ex sin x

w ' = ex (sin x + cos x )

w '' = 2 2 ex cos x

w ''' = 2 3 ex (cos x sin x )

w '''' = 4 4 ex sin x or w '''' + 4 4 w = 0

 short-hand notation

Ax = e x (cos x + sin x ) , Bx = e x sin x

Cx = e x (cos x sin x ) , Dx = e x cos x

differentials

2 3
1 dDx 1 d Cx 1 d Bx
Ax = = =
dx 22 dx 2 23 dx 3

2 3
1 dAx 1 d Dx 1 d Cx
Bx = = = 3
2 dx 22 dx 2 4 dx 3

2 3
1 dBx 1 d Ax 1 d Dx
Cx = = 2 =
dx 2 dx 2 23 dx 3

2 3
1 dCx 1 d Bx 1 d Ax
Dx = = 2 =
2 dx 2 dx 2 43 dx 3

distributions

Bx = e x sin x Dx = e x cos x

40 1
D(x)
20
B(x), D(x)

B(x), D(x)

B(x)
0 0
B(x)
-20 D(x)

-40 -1
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
x x
 Semi-Infinite Beams with Concentrated Loads

Po

Mo
x wo x
o
z,w z,w

general solution of the homogeneous differential equation

w = ex (C1 sin x + C2 cos x ) + e x (C3 sin x + C4 cos x )

boundedness

w = e x (C3 sin x + C4 cos x ) = C3 Bx + C4 Dx

boundary conditions

d 2w
M o = M ( x = 0) = E I
dx 2 x = 0

d 3w
Po = V ( x = 0) = E I
dx 3 x = 0

w '' = 2 2C3 Dx + 2 2C4 Bx

w ''' = 2 3 C3 Ax + 2 3 C4 Cx

Bx ( x = 0) = 0 and Ax ( x = 0) = Cx ( x = 0) = Dx ( x = 0) = 1

Mo 2 2 M o
M o = 2 E I 2C3 or C3 = =
2 E I 2 k

2 Po 2 2 M o
Po = 2 3 E I (C3 + C4 ) or C4 =
k k
full solution

2 2 M o 2 Po 2 2 M o
w = Bx + ( ) Dx
k k k

Cx = Dx Bx

2 Po 2 2 M o
w = Dx Cx
k k

2 2 Po 4 3 M o
= w' = Ax + Dx
k k

Po Bx
M = E I w '' = + M o Ax

V = E I w ''' = Po Cx 2 M o Bx

end force load end moment load

Po
Mo
x x

z z

2
x x

4
w
w
4
3
4
x x

M M
Infinite Beams with Concentrated Loads

Po

z,w

symmetric deflection

w( x ) = w( x )

w '( x ) = w '( x )

w '(0) = 0

Po /2 Po /2
Mo Mo

2 2 ( Po / 2) 4 3 M o 2 Po 4 3 M o
w '(0) = Ax (0) + Dx (0) = + = 0
k k k k

Po
Mo =
4

2 ( Po / 2) 2 2 ( Po / 4 ) Po
w = Dx Cx = (2 Dx Cx )
k k 2k

Po
w = Ax
2k

2 2 ( Po / 2) 4 3 ( Po / 4 ) 2 Po
= w' = Ax + Dx = ( Ax Dx )
k k k

2 Po
= Bx
k
 ( Po / 2) Bx P
M = E I w '' = + ( Po / 4 ) Ax = o (2 Bx Ax )
4

Po
M = Cx
4

P
V = E I w ''' = ( Po / 2) Cx 2 ( Po / 4) Bx = o ( Cx + Bx )
2

P
V = o Dx
2

Po

z 3
4
x

x

4

M
2
Po
x

V
 Mo

z,w

symmetric deflection

w( x ) = w( x )

w(0) = 0

w '( x ) = w '( x )

Po
Mo /2

/2
Po Mo

2 Po 2 2 ( M o / 2) 2 Po 2 M o
w(0) = Dx (0) Cx (0) = = 0
k k k k

Mo
Po =
2

2 ( M o / 2) 2 2 ( M o / 2) 2 M o
w = Dx Cx = ( Dx Cx )
k k k

2 M o
w = Bx
k

2 2 ( M o / 2) 4 3 ( M o / 2) 3M o
= w' = Ax + Dx = ( Ax 2 Dx )
k k k

3 M o
= Cx
k
 ( M o / 2) Bx Mo
M = E I w '' = + ( M o / 2) Ax = ( Bx Ax )
2

Mo
M = Dx
2

Mo
V = E I w ''' = ( M o / 2) Cx 2 ( M o / 2) Bx = (Cx + 2 Bx )
2

Mo
V = Ax
2

Mo

x

4

2
Mo
x

M
3
4

V
 Continuous running load on an infinite beam

q( x)
a b
x

z,w

q( x) q(x+dx)
x

z,w

dP = q(x ) dx

z,w

dP 2 dP dP dP
dw = Ax , d = Bx , dM = Cx , dV = Dx
2k k 4 2

for running load between x = a and b:

b
w = Ax q ( x) dx
2k a

etc.

Constant running load intensity on an infinite beam

q0 b
w = Ax dx
2k a
 Uniformly distributed load on a semi-infinite beam

q0

x x

z z
d 4w
EI + k w = q0
dx 4

q0
w =
k

q0

R
z q0
k
x

w
2 R q 2 R q0
w = Dx + 0 so that w(0) = + = 0
k k k k

q0
R =
2

q0 q0 q0 q
w = (1 Dx ) , = Ax , M = Bx , V = 0 Cx
k k 2 2 2
 q0

x
Mw R

z q0
k
x

2 R 2 2 M w q
w = Dx + Cx + 0
k k k

2 2 R 4 3 M w
= Ax Dx
k k

2 R 2 2 M w q0 2 2 R 4 3 M w
w(0) = + + = 0 and (0) = = 0
k k k k k

q0 2 2 2 R q0 q0
0 = , R = , Mw =
2 2 4 3 M w 2 2

q0
w = (1 2 Dx + Cx )
k

2 q0
= ( Ax Dx )
k

q0
M = (2 Bx Ax )
2 2

q0
V = (Cx + Bx )

q0 2 q0 q0 q0
w = (1 Ax ) , = Bx , M = Cx , V = Dx
k k 2 2
 Uniformly distributed load on an infinite beam

A
q0

x
Q
a b

q0 d

d
q0
x
Q O

q0 d q0 d
dwQ = Ax () if 0 and dwQ = Ax () if > 0
2k 2k

b q0 0 b
wQ = dwQ = Ax () d + Ax () d
= a 2 k a 0

q0 a b q0 1
a
1
b
wQ = x
A ( ) d + Ax () d = Dx + Dx
2k 0 2k 0 0
0

q0
wQ = 2 Da Db
2k

wQ q0 Da a Db b
Q = =
x 2k a x b x

a b
= 1, = 1
x x
 q0 q0 q0
Q = Aa Ab , MQ = Ba + Bb , VQ = Ca Cb
2k
4 2
4

maximum bending moment

q0
VQ = Ca Cb = 0
4

short loading span, A

only one zero at a = b = A / 2

q0
M max = BA / 2
2 2

long loading span, A > 2

dominant zero close to left end b > 2

q0
VQ Ca = 0
4

Ca = e a (cos a sin a ) = 0 or a =
4

q0 q
M max B / 4 0.0806
2
4 2
Beams of finite length

A
Po

a b

general deflection solution

wA ( x ) = ex (C1A sin x + C2A cos x ) + e x (C3A sin x + C4A cos x ) if a x 0

wr ( x ) = ex (C1r sin x + C2 r cos x ) + e x (C3r sin x + C4 r cos x ) if 0 x b

boundary conditions

wA ''( a ) = 0 , wA '''( a ) = 0 , wr ''(b) = 0 , wr '''(b) = 0

Po
wA (0) = wr (0) , wA '(0) = wr '(0) , wA ''(0) = wr ''(0) , wA '''(0) = wr '''(0)
EI

symmetric loading

Po

A/2 A /2

w( x ) = w( x )

w( x ) = ex (C1 sin x + C2 cos x ) + e x (C3 sin x + C4 cos x ) if 0 x A / 2

w( x ) = D1 cosh x sin x + D2 cosh x cos x + D3 sinh x sin x + D4 sinh x cos x

boundary conditions

Po
w ''( A / 2) = 0 , w '''( A / 2) = 0 , w '(0) = 0 , w '''(0) =
2E I

Po 2 + cosh A + cos A
w0 = w(0) =
2k sinh A + sin A

Po cosh A cos A
M 0 = M (0) =
4 sinh A + sin A

Po Po
lim w0 = and lim M 0 =
A 2k A 4

Po 4 P
lim w0 = = o and lim M 0 = 0
A 0 2 k 2 A kA A 0