MEPC12 - Strength of Materials

Problem Sheet 3

• Assignment 2: Students need to submit the solutions to the following problems:

• The remaining problems are for practice and need not be submitted.

• Many of the following problems are taken from the reference/text books mentioned in class. Students
must practice similar problems (belonging to the same topics) from the book of their choice while
preparing for the exam.

Energy Methods:
1. Using Castigliano’s theorem find all the support reactions and displacement at the point of application
of load P . Verify your solution with the one you obtained in the previous assignment.

y
x

L/2 P L/2

2. Using Castigliano’s theorem find the spring displacement for the following beam arrangement.Verify
your solution with the one you obtained in the previous assignment.

y
x k

L P a

3. Find the equation of the elastic curve of the deformed beam by using Castigliano’s theorem. Verify
your solution with the one you obtained in the previous assignment. [Hint: Apply a zero force Q at
x = x′ ; followed by y(x′ ) = (∂U/∂Q)|Q=0 ]

y w

x
L

1
4. Find the Vertical reactions at the supports for the following beam problem.

L
y 2 P

x
L L

13P/32, 11P/16, −3P/32

5. Find the vertical displacement of the point of application of the load P . The cross-section is circular
with diameter d such that d << R.

3πP R3 /2EI

6. Find the horizontal displacement of the point of application of the load P . Consider the dimensions of
the cross-section to be very small as compared to the radius R.

d R

φ P

πP R3 /2EI

7. Find the Vertical displacement of the point of application of the load P . Also, find the horizontal
reaction forces at the supports.

d R

δ = 0.01894P R3 /EI, RH = P/π

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 Theory of Columns:
8. A long cantilever beam of length L = 5 m is subjected to compressive load P as shown in the figure
below. Take the flexural rigidity to be EI = 3000 N m2 . Find the maximum value of load P that can
be applied.

y
x P

L
4.7 kN

9. A cantilever strut is subjected to compressive load P as shown in the figure below. Take the Young’s
modulus to be E = 10 GPa. The maximum allowable stress in the material is σmax = 2 MPa. The
beam has a rectangular cross-section with b = 40 mm and h = 50 mm. Find the maximum value of
load P that can be applied for the following lengths: (a) L = 1 m, (b) L = 5 m.

y
x P

L
4000 N, 263.18 N

10. A fixed-ended column as shown is free from stress at a temperature T0 . If the column buckles at the
temperature T1 = T0 +∆T , express ∆T in terms of a, length L and the coefficient of thermal expansion
α.

L
a
2a
∆T = π 2 a2 /3αL2

11. A so-called beam-column carries a transverse load Q at mid-span and a compressive end load P as shown
in figure below. For P < Pcr = π 2 EI/L2 , setup the differential equation of the elastic line and calculate
the vertical deflection at the midspan. The beam has uniform flexural rigidity EI and length L. Hint:
The particular solution to the ODE: (D2 +k 2 )y = hx−ai is given by yp (x) = [khx−ai−sin(khx−ai)]/k 3

y
P P
x Q

p
y(L/2) = (QL/4P )([tan(kL/2)]/(kL/2) − 1); k = P/EI

12. A simply supported beam-column of uniform flexural rigidity EI and length L is subjected to com-
pressive loads P < Pcr and a couple of moment M0 as shown in the figure below. Set up a differential
equation for the elastic curve y = f (x) and solve it.

3
 y M0
P P
x
p
y(x) = (M0 /P )([sin(kx)]/[sin(kL)] − x/L); k = P/EI

Combined Loading
13. The torsional pendulum shown in the figure consists of a circular disk weighing W = 500 N suspended
by a steel wire (G = 80 GPa) of length L = 1 m and diameter d = 4 mm. Calculate the maximum
angle of rotation φmax that the disk can have without exceeding allowable stress in tension of 80 MPa
and allowable stress in shear of 50 MPa in the wire. (Consider only the in-plane shear stresses.)

W
φmax = 0.287 rad

14. The axis of a cantilever ring forms a horizontal quarter circular arc of radius R. The cantilever is
loaded at the free end with an out-of-plane vertical load P . Find the vertical deflection at the free end
considering that the diameter d of the cross-section is very small as compared to the R radius of the
arc.

x z
d
R y
P

δv = (P R3 /4)[(3π − 8)/GJ + π/EI]

15. A 13-kN force is applied as shown to the 60-mm-diameter cast-iron post ABD. At point H, determine
(a) the principal stresses, (b) the maximum shearing stress.

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 σ1 = 4.3 MPa, σ2 = −93.43 MPa, τmax = 48.86 MPa

16. The axis of a cantilever ring forms a horizontal semi circular arc of radius R. The cantilever is loaded
at the free end with an out-of-plane vertical load P such that each section of the ring is subjected to
both bending and torsion. Find the angle φ that locates the section with maximum principal stress
σ1 . Consider the diameter d of the cross-section to be very small as compared to the R radius of the
arc so that the theory of bending of straight bars may be used.

φ
R

φ = 1200

17. The figure shows a solid circular shaft transmitting a torque T = 1 kNm between two pulleys mounted
upon it. Bearings support the shaft at each end (consider the shaft as a simply-supported beam between
the bearings). The distance between the pulleys is L = 1 m, each located at a = 25 cm from the nearest
bearing. The left and right pulley diameters are 80 cm and 50 cm, respectively. Assume that P1 = 2P2
and Q1 = 2Q2 . FInd the maximum bending moment acting on the shaft. If the maximum allowable
normal stress is 100 MPa and maximum allowable shear atress is 40 MPa, find the minimum diameter
required for the shaft.

a L a
P1

Q2
Q1 P2

2519.46 Nm, 70.14 mm

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 Thick Cylindrical Pressure Vessel
18. For a thick cylindrical pressure vessel containing gas at 500 kPa gauge pressure, plot the distribution of
tangential stress σθ (r) and radial stress σr (r) with the radial distance being r. Find the maximum val-
ues of radial and tangential stresses. The inner and outer diameters of the pressure vessel are 200 mm
and 240 mm respectively. Hint:

a 2 b2
 
1
σr = 2 (a2 pi − b2 po ) − (pi − po ) ,
b − a2 r2
a 2 b2
 
1
σθ = 2 (a2 pi − b2 po ) + (pi − po ) .
b − a2 r2