Structures and Stiffness

B. Furman K. Youssefi 20SEP2007

Engineering 10, SJSU

K. Youssefi and B. Furman

Outline
Newtons 3rd Law Hookes Law Stiffness Area moment of Inertia Orientation of cross section and stiffness Comparison of cross sections Materials and stiffness
Engineering 10, SJSU

K. Youssefi and B. Furman

Newtons 3rd Law

Lex III: Actioni contrariam semper et qualem esse reactionem: sive corporum duorum actiones in se mutuo semper esse quales et in partes contrarias dirigi. To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction: or the mutual actions of two bodies upon each other are always equal, and directed to contrary parts.

K. Youssefi and B. Furman

Engineering 10, SJSU

Newtons 3rd Law - example

Free body diagram

T, tension T, tension

Isolate the body of interest Put back the forces that are acting

M
M*g

K. Youssefi and B. Furman

Engineering 10, SJSU

Hookes Law
Robert Hooke (1635-1702)
Materials resist loads (push or pull back) in response to applied loads
This resistance is accomplished by deformation of the material (changing its shape)
Tension (stretching) Compression (shortening) Stretching or shortening of chemical bonds in atoms

The science of Elasticity concerns forces and deformations in materials

K. Youssefi and B. Furman

Engineering 10, SJSU

Hookes Law, cont.

Hooke found that deflection was proportional to load
Load, N
Slope of Load-Deflection curve:

slope, k

load k= deflection
The Stiffness
K. Youssefi and B. Furman Engineering 10, SJSU

Deflection, mm

Stiffness
Stiffness in tension and compression
Forces F applied, length L, cross-sectional area, A, and material property, E (Youngs modulus)

FL = AE

k=

F = FL AE

AE k= L
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K. Youssefi and B. Furman

Stiffness, cont.
Stiffness in bending
F Ri Ro B A

How does the material resist the applied load?

Think about what happens to the material as the beam bends
Inner fibers (A) are in compression (radius of curvature, Ri) Outer fibers (B) are in tension (radius of curvature, Ro)
K. Youssefi and B. Furman Engineering 10, SJSU

Review Question 1
Stiffness is defined as:
A. B. C. D. E. Force/Area Deflection/Force Force/Deflection Force x Deflection Mass/area

K. Youssefi and B. Furman

Engineering 10, SJSU

Concept of Area Moment of Inertia

The Area Moment of Inertia is an important parameter in determine the state of stress in a part (component, structure), the resistance to buckling, and the amount of deflection in a beam.

The area moment of inertia allows you to tell how stiff a structure is.
The Area Moment of Inertia, I, is a term used to describe the capacity of a cross-section (profile) to resist bending. It is always considered with respect to a reference axis, in the X or Y direction. It is a mathematical property of a section concerned with an area and how that area is distributed about the reference axis. The reference axis is usually a centroidal axis.
Mathematically, the area moment of inertia appears in the denominator of the deflection equation, therefore;

The higher the area moment of inertia, the less a structure deflects (higher stiffness)
K. Youssefi and B. Furman Engineering 10, SJSU

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Mathematical Equation for Area Moment of Inertia Ixx = (Ai) (yi)2 = A1(y1)2 + A2(y2)2 + ..An(yn)2
A (total area) = A1 + A2 + ..An

A2 A1

Area, A

y1
X

y2
X

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Moment of Inertia Comparison

1 Load Maximum distance of 4 inch to the centroid 2 x 8 beam I1 Load

I2 2

Maximum distance of 1 inch to the centroid

2 x 8 beam

I2 > I1 , orientation 2 deflects less

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Engineering 10, SJSU

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Moment of Inertia Equations for Selected Profiles

Round solid section (d)4 I= 64
d

Round hollow section

di

do

[(do)4 (di)4] I= 64 Rectangular hollow section

b

Rectangular solid section

1 bh3 12

I=

h b

h B

I=

1 hb3 12

I=
b h

1 1 BH3 bh3 12 12

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Example Optimization for Weight & Stiffness

Consider a solid rectangular section 2.0 inch wide by 1.0 high. I = (1/12)bh3 = (1/12)(2)(1)3 = .1667 , Area = 2
2.0 1.0

Now, consider a hollow rectangular section 2.25 inch wide by 1.25 high by .125 thick. b
B = 2.25, H = 1.25 b = 2.0, h = 1.0
h B H

I = (1/12)bh3 = (1/12)(2.25)(1.25)3 (1/12)(2)(1)3= .3662 -.1667 = .1995 Area = 2.25x1.25 2x1 = .8125 (.1995 - .1667)/(.1167) = .20 = 20% less deflection Compare the weight of the two parts (same material and length), compare areas. Material and length is the same for both profiles. (2 - .8125)/(2) = .6 = 60% lighter

So, for a slightly larger outside dimension section, 2.25x1.25 instead of 2 x 1, you can design a beam that is 20% stiffer and 60 % lighter
K. Youssefi and B. Furman Engineering 10, SJSU

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Review Question 2
Which cross section has the larger I?
A.
Rectangular Horizontal

B.
Rectangular Vertical

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Stiffness Comparisons for Different sections

Square
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Box

Rectangular Horizontal
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Rectangular Vertical
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Material and Stiffness

E = Elasticity Modulus, a measure of material deformation under a load. Deflection of a Cantilever Beam
Support

L = length

F = force Y = deflection = FL3 / 3EI

Fixed end

The higher the value of E, the less a structure deflects (higher stiffness)

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Engineering 10, SJSU

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Modulus of Elasticity (E) of Materials

Steel is 3 times stiffer than Aluminum and 100 times stiffer than Plastics.

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Density of Materials

Plastic is 7 times lighter than steel and 3 times lighter than aluminum.

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Wind Turbine Structure

The support structure should be optimized for weight and stiffness.

Support Structure

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Review Question 3
Which material has the higher stiffness?
A. B. C. D. E. Steel Aluminum Alumina ceramic Nylon Unobtanium

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Examples of Achieving Structural Stiffness

Boss

Gusset Ribbing

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Examples of Achieving Structural Stiffness, cont.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:FT_Rail.jpg
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Engineering 10, SJSU

Examples of Achieving Structural Stiffness, cont.

Welded box construction

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Examples of Achieving Structural Stiffness, cont.

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Examples of Achieving Structural Stiffness, cont.

Flange
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Engineering 10, SJSU

Examples of Achieving Structural Stiffness, cont.

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Engineering 10, SJSU

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