CURVED BEAMS

Hereby we do consider beams with solid section and with simple curvature (hence we dismiss beams with
helical axis and similar)

We perform the analysis of such beams under loads acting in the plane containing the beam axis.

Cinematic Model

Under the hypothesis of plane section we proceed as follows.

Beam element

R=radius of the beam axis

In cylindrical coordinate system , , , we have:

s =us -y
sr =ur

Generalized displacements

Deformations computation

1 1
 ! #
" "
Generalized deformations

%
$ "

& "
#
"
!

Principle of Virtual Works

/
'( )0 *+ , + , -, . Integration along the centroid axis

8 /
'1 2 314 , 14 5 2 72 314 , 14 * . 9 : 2 72 314 , 14 :9
6 ; 0 0 ;

* .

2 314 , 14 : 2 *3 , < , . :
; ;

2 = 3 *, ,$. < ,& > :

;

2 3 :, 2 3 : ,$ 2 < : ,& ?, @,$ A,&

; ; ;

'1 )0 *?, @,$ A,&.

/

'( '1
/ /
2 *+ , + , -, . 2 *?, @,$ A,&.
0 0
/
, , , , ,
2 ?B C @ AB , C
0
D?, E/0 D@, E/0 DA, E/0
/
? A A ? @
2 , B C , B C , B AC
0

Equilibrium:
 ? A
I + 0
G
A ?
+ 0
H
G @
F A - 0

It can be also obtained directly from the following figure

Constitutive law

3 J J D $ E

? 2 3 : J2 : J2 :$
; ; ;

Taking into account that:

K"LM
K"LM 2 N
: 2 : 2 : 2 :
; ; ; ;

And that:

K"LM
2 : 2 : 2 : : N
; ; ;

Then we have:

K"LM K"LM
? J B: N
C J $

K"LM
@ 2 3 : J JK"LM $
;

K"LM
A O B: N
C&
Inverse law:

? @ 1 @
B? C
J: J: J:
@ 1 ? @
$ B C
JK"LM J: N

R _
Q1 @ 1 @ 1 1 ^
3 J QJ: ? ? @ ^
J: JK"LM STUTV
J: STUTV
J:
Q
N
^
P
"WX Y Y [ "WX \ \
" " L; "L;]
Z Z
" L; L;

? @1 @
3
: : K"LM

Hyperbolic shape

` efgh Ze
a 0.25 then a 1%
" e
For the rectangular shape, if that

`
If "
a 0.1, then the non-linear contribution is negligible and the shape is similar to the standard St. venants
solution for straight beams.

Important: note that other than there are r too.

See the following figure, under the hypothesis of b=const.

3 *3 3 .* . 3 3 3 3 3 3

3
3 3

1
3 2 3
"j
 1 X
3 2 3
Z

N

Note: in hollow profiles with circular cross-section the 3 deform and flatten the section, thus reducing the
flexural rigidity.

If b is not constant, then we have:

1 1 X
3 2 3 k
k Z

N