Engineering Structures Analysis of a three hinged arch problem By: Ahmed Essam Mansour Reg.

#: 0045854 Date: May 2, 2006

Table of contents:

Introduction Problem Approach Solution Approach Calculation of reactions Obtaining the equations The diagrams Conclusion

1 3 3 4 5 8 9

Introduction:
An arch is a curved beam in which horizontal movement at the support is wholly or partially prevented, hence there will be horizontal thrust induced at the supports, the primary load in an arch is compression. Arches are preferred than beams when long spans with reduced bending moment is required. In the analysis of Arches problem arise from: o The Centroidal axis of the bar is curved. o The loads in general are not normal to the axis of the bar. o The corresponding end stresses at left and the right of any section are not always parallel. In order to face these problems, all geometric and static quantities are resolved into components parallel into a selected system of coordinate.

Arches can be one of three types according to the structural behaviour:

Fixed Arches: The supports are fixed and it is statically indeterminate.

Two hinged Arches:

Rib of the arch

Rise

Hinged only at the supports and it is statically indeterminate.

Span Hinges at the support

Hinged at the crown

Three hinged Arches: Hinged at the supports and the crown and is statically determinate.
Springing Span

Rise

Hinged at the support

Problem Approach:We are dealing with a three-hinged Arch Structure where a transverse distributed load of intensity = 2kN/m from the support A to support B, the Arch is forming a Semi circle of radius equal to 50m. The transverse load is a load orthogonal to the structure at every point. The main problem faced here is hoe to deal with the load, if this is know the problem can be solved easily as other normal problems.

Solution Approach:
First; the reactions at the supports are found simply by sectioning at the hinge and applying the equilibrium equations for either section. Then reapply the equilibrium equations again but this time to the whole structure. Remark: In Converting the Uniformly distributed load to concentrated load for purposes of applying the equilibrium equation, the intensity shall be multiplied by the length of the Arch s S=R R: radius : Angle facing the arch.

Second; find the equations of normal force, shear force and bending moment. As the arches shape is a part of a circle (in our problem is semicircular) all the internal loads will be related to the angle , where is equal to zero at the hinge and positive to the right and negative to the left.

Third; The constants in the equations are to be found, and this is done by taking boundary condition for the equations as follows

Conclusion:
The obtained diagrams were much unexpected as the structure is symmetrical in both dimensions and loading, but the diagrams were not. In the bending moment diagram the weirdest result was obtained in that there was moment existed at the pin supports! These results were obtained from the equations and that was the best I could do about is though I know it is not right!