Curved Beam

P M SINGRU
 Nonsymmetrical bending
The moment M = (Mx , My) is not parallel to either of the
principal axes. The bending of beam is said to be
nonsymmetrical bending.
 Introduction to Curved Beam Bending
• Ratio of radius of curvature to depth for a beam is less than 5 then
the theory must also include the curvature.
• Two important differences wrt Straight Beams:
– Flexural stress distribution in a curved beam is nonlinear
(neutral axis does not coincide with centroid axis)
– Radial stress have important design implications for thin-wall
cross sections and for materials with relatively low tensile
strength in radial direction (like wood, unidirectional composites)
 Introduction
• Timoshenko and Goodier- Rectangular Cross section:
– Radial stress -
– Circumferential stress -
– Shear stress -
 Circumferential Stresses
• Assumptions: Circumferential
– Plane section remains plane stress -
– Radial stress and shear
stress are sufficiently small,
so state of stress is
essentially one dimensional
Circumferential Stresses

• Cross section of beam has a

plane of symmetry and polar
coordinates (r, θ) lie in plane of
symmetry, with origin at O, the
centre of curvature of beam
• Assume applied load lie in the
plane of symmetry.
• Positive moment : One that
causes radius of curvature at
each section of the beam to
increase in magnitude.
 Circumferential Stresses
• FBD of element FBCH
• N-normal traction at centroid of the
cross section, V-shear, Mx – moment
acting on face FH (all +ve direction)
• These forces must be balanced by the
resultants due to normal stress , and
shear stress, that act on the face BC.
• Effect of shear stress on the
computation is small , except for
curved beams with very thin webs.
• Practical curved beams are not
designed with thin webs because of
possibility of failure by excessive radial
stresses, so this assumption is
reasonable.
To determine approximate
formula for on section BC
Curved Beam Cross Section

Let z-axis be normal to

face BC.
 Circumferential Stresses
• By equilibrium of forces in the z-
direction and of moments about the
centroidal x- axis ,

(1)

(2)
 Circumferential Stresses
• Integrals (1 and 2) can not
be evaluated until is
expressed in terms of r.
• Functional relationship
between and R is obtained
from the assumed geometry
of deformation and stress –
strain relation for the
material.
• Curved beam element
FBCH- un-deformed state
• F*B*C*H*- deformed
element with BC
coinciding with B*C*
 Circumferential Stresses

• Plane B*C* and F*H* remain

plane under deformation.
• Face F*H* forms an angle
w.r.t. FH, intersection at
neutral axis. (=0), at a
distance Rn from centre of
curvature.
• Movement of O to O* is
exaggerated in Figure to
illustrate geometry change.
Circumferential Stresses
• For infinitesimally small
displacements, the movement of
the centre of curvature is
infinitesimal.
• The elongation d of a typical
element in the θ direction=
distance between faces, FH and
F*H* and varies linearly with the
distance (Rn-r).
• Corresponding strain is a
nonlinear function of r, since the
element length r dθ also varies
with r. (this fact distinguishes
curved beam with straight
beam)
Circumferential Stresses
From geometry,

(3)

∆ (𝑑𝜃) (4)
𝜔=
𝑑𝜃
 Circumferential Stresses

• It is assumed that the transverse normal stress is sufficiently

small so that it may be neglected, hence curved beam
problem is considered to be a plane stress problem.
• Neglecting effect of Radial stress - on Circumferential stress
-

Hooke’s law for 1D case

(5)

Substituting (5) in equilibrium equation (1 & 2) and solving

the integral gives (6)
Circumferential Stresses
Similarly,

(7)

(8)
Now,

(9) (10)
 Circumferential Stresses
Substituting, and

into,
Gives,
(11)

Normal stress distribution

is hyperbolic, varies with 1/r
 Circumferential Stresses

(11)

Eq (11) is based on several simplifying assumptions, so

needs verification with elasticity , experiments and FEM
solutions.
Circumferential Stresses
Circumferential Stresses No. of significant
digits retained in
calculating Am must
be greater than that
required for since
RAm approaches A as
R/h becomes large.
Use 8 digits after
decimal points in
calculation of Am
Circumferential Stresses
Circumferential Stresses
 Circumferential Stresses
For composite cross section:

and

Location of neutral axis:

On neutral surface,
Example 1:
Sol: For square or rectangular cross
section

a
Example 2:
Sol: For composite cross section
 RADIAL STRESSES IN CURVED BEAMS
• Curved beam formula (11) is based on assumption that effect of radial
stresses is small and hence neglected.

(11)

This assumption is valid for cross sections like circular , rectangular, trapezoidal
etc , but not for cross sections with thin webs, like T,H, I etc.

a) Side view b) Cross-sectional shape C) Element BDGF

 RADIAL STRESSES IN CURVED BEAMS
• Consider tensile radial stress, induced due to +ve moment,
that occurs in a curved beam at radius r from the center of
curvature O of the beam (fig a).
• Consider equilibrium of the element BDGF of the beam,
shown enlarged in Fig c.
• Faces BD and GF, subtending infinitesimal angle dθ, have
area A’ shown shaded in Fig b.
• Distribution of on each of these areas produces a resultant
circumferential force T,

a) Side view b) Cross-sectional shape C) Element BDGF

 RADIAL STRESSES IN CURVED BEAMS
• Distribution of on each of these areas produces a resultant circumferential
force T,
r
Component of
circumferential forces along
T  dA (12)
a
line OL are balanced by
radial stress, acting on the  d 
area (tr dθ), where t is  r
F  0   rr trd   2T sin 
 2 

thickness of C.S. at the
distance r from O  d  d
sin   
 2  2
 d 
 Fr  0   rr t rd  2T  2 
Tensile stress
T
 rr  (13)
resulting from +ve tr
moment is
 RADIAL STRESSES IN CURVED BEAMS

Force T is obtained by substitution of (11) in (12)

r r r
N MxA dA M x Am
T   dA     dA
Aa A  RA m  A  a r A  RA m  A  a
A M x AAm M x A m A
T N  (14)
A A  RA m  A  A  RA m  A 

T
A
N
 AAm  AA m  M
A  RA m  A 
x
A
r r
dA
Am   A   dA (15)
a
r a

Substitution of (14) into (13) yields relation for radial stress, retaining only
moment term
Substitution of (14) into (13) yields relation for radial stress,

 A  AAm  AA m  
 N Mx  (16)
 A A  RA m  A  
 rr 
tr

Ignore normal force term

retaining only moment term

 rr 
 AAm  AA m 
Mx
(17)
trA  RA m  A 
 I and T Section

• If curved beam formula is used to calculate

circumferential stresses in curved beams having thin
flanges, computed stresses are having error and it is
conservative.
• Error is due to radial forces developed causes tips of
the flanges to deflect radially, distorting cross section.
This results in:
• Decreasing stiffness of curved beam
• Decrease in circumferential stresses in the tips of
the flanges
• Increase in circumferential stresses in the flanges
near the web.
 I and T Section
• Consider short length of a thin flanged I-section beam,
included between faces BC and FH, form an infinitesimal
angle dθ.
• For +Mx : Circumferential stress distribution results in a
tensile force T acting on the inner flange and a
compressive force C acting on outer flange.
 I and T Section
• If CS doesn’t distort, these forces would be uniformly
distributed along flange (Fig b)
• Two portions of the tension and compression flanges
acts as cantilever beams fixed at the web. The resulting
bending because of cantilever beams action causes
flanges to distort (Fig c)
 I and T Section
• Consider portion of curved beam ABCD (Fig d)
• Sections AB and BD are separated by angle, θ in the
unloaded beam. When curved beam is subjected to a +ve
moment , centre of curvature moves from O to O* , section AC
moves to A*C* and BD moves to B*D*, included angle
becomes θ*. If the c.s. doesn’t distort, the inner flange AB
elongates to A*B*.
 I and T Section
• Since tips of the inner flange moves radially inward relative
to the undistorted position (Fig C), the circumferential
elongation of the tips of the inner flange is less than that
indicated Fig d. Hence in the tips of the inner flange is less
than that calculated using the curved beam formula.

Fig C
 I and T Section
• To satisfy equilibrium, it is necessary that for the portion of
the flange near the web be greater than that calculated using
the curved beam formula.
• Compression of outer flange : CD shortens to C*D* if c.s.
doesn’t distort. As in Fig c, because of distortion, tips of the
compressive flange moves radially outward, requiring less
compressive contraction. So in the tips of the compression
outer flange is less than that by the curved beam formula, &
the magnitude of in the portion of compression flange near
the web is larger than that calculated by the curved beam
formula.
 I and T Section
• Circumferential stress distribution is as shown below. As we
assumed that circumferential stress is independent of x,
corrections are required if the formula is to be used in the
design of curved beams having I, T c.s etc.
• Approach 1: to prevent radial distortion of the c.s. by
welding radial stiffeners to curved beams
• Approach 2: Use Bleich correction factor.
 Deflections of Curved Beam
• Use Castgliano’s theorem
• Deflection and rotation of the free end of the curved beam
• Component of deflection of free end, in the direction of load
P1
, (18)
U- total elastic strain energy in curved beam.
• Angle of rotation of free end in the direction of M0

(19)
 Deflections of Curved Beam
• Total strain energy density U0 over volume
• There is symmetry of loading relative to the (y, z) plane,

• Also Transverse normal stress is neglected.

• Strain energy density
U0= (20)
• Radial normal stress: =,
• Circumferential normal stress: = ,
• Shear stress:
• In addition, the effect of is small for curved beams of
practical dimensions, so neglected
U0= (21)
• - contribute to UN, - contribute to US
 Deflections of Curved Beam
• - contribute to UM as well as stain
energy UMN :because of coupling
effect between moment M and traction
N.
• It is sufficiently accurate to
approximate strain energies US and
UN by formulas of straight beam. But
formula for UM must be modified.
• Strain energy increment dU for a
linearly elastic material undergoing
small displacement is independent of
the order of application of load, let
shear load V and normal load N be
applied first. Next the moment is
increased from zero to Mx
Deflections of Curved Beam

• Strain energy increment resulting

from bending is
(22)
Where is change in d
=are due to Mx alone
• Hence can be determined from (10)
with N = 0.
• Eq (10 and 22) with N = 0 gives
d (23)
 Deflections of Curved Beam
• During the application of Mx, additional
work is done by N because the
centroidal surface is stretched by .
• -strain energy increment caused by
stretching of the middle surface = work
done by N as it moves through the
distance .
• = N = NRd (24)
• - elongation and strain of centroidal
axis.

(3)
r=R

(9)
(10)
 Deflections of Curved Beam
With (3,9,10,23) , r = R and N = 0, we get

= (24)

Total strain energy U for curved beam

U = US+UN+UM+UMN

U=
(25)

• Eq (25) is an approximation due to assumption that plane

section remain plane after deformation and radial stress
is neglected. Radial stresses might increase strain
energy, so (25) yields low estimate .
 Deflections of Curved Beam

• If Mx and N have same sign, UMN is negative. UMN is small

and in many cases negative. So it is recommended that UMN
be discarded from (25) if it is negative. This raises estimate
of actual strain energy when UMN is negative and
compensate to some degree for lower estimate caused by
discarding radial stress.

• Deflection of curved beams is much less influenced by the

curvature of curved beam than the circumferential stress, . If
R/h > 2, strain energy resulting from bending can be
approximated by that for straight beam, i.e. third and fourth
term on RHS of (25) can be replaced by
(26)
 Deflections of Curved Beam
• Deflection of a rectangular cs curved beam with R/h = 2 is
7.7% greater when the curved beam is assumed to be
straight than when it is assumed to be curved.