Determining Elastic Deflections Castiglianos Method

Work = Energy = Fs and Work = Energy = T

Force F is gradually applied to an elastic body

The force does work as the body deforms

This work can be calculated from

is the work- absorbing displacement of the point of

application of F

is the displacement component in the direction of F

1

=
0
d F U
Castiglianos Method
2
If the stress is below the proportional limit, then F is
proportional to , as shown
then

= =

F d F U
2
1

0
Castiglianos Method
3

Elastic load defection curve for the completely

general case

The load Q can be any force or moment

The displacement being the corresponding

linear or angular displacement
Stored Elastic
Energy
Complementary
Energy
dQ U d dU Q U U =

= and
2

dQ
dU
=
Castiglianos Theorem

The defection in the direction of Q and at the

point where Q is applied is found by taing the
derivative while all other loads are held constant!
When a body is elastically defected by any
combination of loads, the defection at any point
and in any direction is equal to the partial
derivative of strain energy (computed with all
loads acting) with respect to a load located at
that point and acting in that direction.

Q
U

=
Load Types Q E!i"alent E!i"alent
#$ial %orce
&
'ending
M
Torsion
T
(hear
)
!
P
U

=
M
U

=
T
U

=
V
U

=
#pplication of Castiglianos Theorem
"ote# $or %&'T problems, the e(ects of
'hear will be negligible
Q
U

=
"
Deflection %orm!las
&age *+,
#
Consider the #$ial Load

$ %eflection &'ial $ %eflection &'ial in Energy 2( 1(
AE
PL
P U Q U
axial
= =

=
2
)
2


) Elasticity of *odulus +arying ,ossibly
section) - cross .arying
/ /ength of 0ar
$ on 1ubstituti ( 3( dx
AE
P
U
L E
AL!
AE
L P
U
L

=
0
2 2
2
* +
2
2
Table -./ 0p. 1213
(!mmary of Energy and Deflection E!ations for 4se with Castigliano5s
Method.
6ow to 4se Castiglianos Theorem
1( 3btain the proper e'pression for all components
of energy

4se the e5uations for U in Table -./

2( Taking the appropriate partial deri+ati+e to
obtain deflection
or
3( 4se the techni5ue of differentiating under the
integral sign) represented by the deflection
e5uations in the final column of Table !(3(
6

Q
U

=
17
#pplication of Castiglianos Theorem
In general, the strain energy of a bar sub,ected to combined
loading is obtained by superimposing the contributions of a-ial
loading, torsion, and bending#
The deflection i . /0 $i is best evaluated by differentiating
inside the integral signs before integrating! This procedure is
permissible because $i is not a function of -!
1-ial 2oad
Type#
Torsio
n
3endi
ng
11
#pplication of Castiglianos Theorem
)! If no load acts at the point where the
defection is desired

1 dummy load in the direction of the

desired defection must be added at that
point
2! 1fter di(erentiating but before integrating

'et the dummy load e4ual to 5ero

+this avoids integration of terms that will eventually be set
e4ual to 5ero*
6! 7enote the dummy load by 8

The displacement in the direction of 8 thus

is
12
13
6andbook 7nformation for Comparison
1

Q
U

=
3ending
%oment
Transvers
e 'hear
$or this
problem, Q
is a
concentrate
d load, P
1!
1"
1#
12
16
27
21
22
$or this
problem, Q
is a
concentrate
d load, P
23
2
8eometry of the (ample &roblem
2!
P = F cos
M = F (R-
Rcos )
= FR(1 -
cos )
= F sin

2"
$or this
problem, Q
is a
concentrate
d load, F
2#
!o to
"a#le $%&
22

26
!o to
"a#le $%&
37
9ed!ndant 9eactions by Castiglianos Method
31

8edundant 8eaction

& supporting force or moment that is not necessary for

e5uilibrium

&s the magnitude of a redundant reaction is +aried) deflections

change but e5uilibrium remains

9astigliano:s Theorem

The deflection associated with any reaction ;or applied load<

that can be +aried without up-setting e5uilibrium is equal to the
partial derivative of total elastic energy with respect to that
reaction ;or load<(
=n the pre+ious section) the loads were all known and a desired deflection
sol+ed for(
=n this section) the deflection is known and we will sol+e for the
corresponding load(
32
33
The term in parentheses must be e4ual to 5ero, giving
$ . 29:0 "!
Comment:
"ote the answer is completely independent
of E and '!
F
U
dx
E"
M
U #ending
L

=
=

0
2
2

3
&n elastic prismatic beam is loaded as
shown( 4se 9astigliano:s Theorem to find
an e'pression for the deflection due to
bending at point 0 where the force P is
applied(
= dx E" M U * 2 0+
2
dx
P
M
E"
M
P
U
L

=
0
1olution$
The e'pression for the internal strain energy in bending is
1ince according to 9astigliano:s Theorem the re5uired deflection is a deri+ati+e of this
function it is ad+antageous to differentiate the e'pression for U before integrating( =n
problems where M is a comple' function) this scheme is particularly useful( =n this case the
following relation becomes applicable$
E5n ;1<
Deri"ation of Deflection in a 'eam
E5n ;2<
3!
dx
E"
Px
L
=
2 0
0
2
:
2
,roceeding on this basis) from & to 0
x
P
M
2
+ =
2
x
P
M
+ =

and
1ubstitute these into E5n ;1< and utili>ing the symmetry of the problem)
=ntegration yields
E"
PL L
E"
P x
E"
P
L
:; 6
* 2 0 +
:
2
6 :
2
6 6
2 0
0
6
= = =
The positi+e sign indicates that the deflection takes place in the direction of the applied force(
Deri"ation of Deflection in a 'eam