BENDING AND Torsion tN Horwzontatty Curvep BraMs BY I, OESTERBLOM* Horizontally curved beams are frequently used in building construe- tion and also in heavier engineering structures, but, while both straight and arched beams have been thoroughly treated by competent author- ities, the curved beam has received scant attention. What little information there is, usually is based on the assumption that the curved beam is statically determinate, which, obviously, it cannot be even in its most elementary form, It cannot be freely supported, except as a continuous beam; it generally is used as a fixed-end beam, In either case it contains one or more redundant elements. There are good reasons for omission of a general theory: there are mathematical difficulties seemingly out of proportion to the importance of the subject. A general solution is complicated, even more so than for arches, due to the forces being scattered in space, so to speak, and located apart from the plane of the curvature. It must hence be a solution in three dimensions. A general solution is hardly necessary, however. One may assume the simple case of complete fixity at the supports and also uniform loading and thereby cover the major part of the problems actually occurring in practice. Indeed the equations for this special case also will give fair approximations for concentrated loads, provided there are at least four and uniformly spaced. Assuming then this special and simple case it is quite possible to develop equations of general character and simple form, so that any problems within the range of the conditions assumed may be solved both quickly and accurately, It is the purpose of this article to develop the necessary equations and to extract from them all essential data, as they may be needed for purposes of analysis or design. Given this information the competent engineer may then provide his own modifications for various degrees of fixity, which, fortunately, is the smaller part of the problem. Chicago, Th (697)598 JOURNAL oF THE Aumnican Concrete Instirore—Proceedings First we need to know, because it is fundamental in all our subsequent work, the cantilever moment of a curved beam fixed at one end. Let the uniform loading be w, the bending moment Ms, and the torsion moment M,. For further symbols see plan view, Fig. 1 Distance from centroid of are AB to center of circle: rein i= 2 2 Lever arm for bending Using Lever arm for torsion: an eee rt eos = 1 — sin S on Fie. 1 Length of are AB = ra (a measured in radians); total load on are AB = wr a. Cantilever moments therefore: My = ura % sine S = dertsiot 0 vwra(r—™ sin £ con £) = 207 (S—sin con £). @) Now let us take a curved beam, fixed at both ends, as shown in Fig. 2, uniform unit loading as before to be w. ‘The symmetry conditions, which we have established by assuming uniformity of loading and equal fixity at the ends, will eause a no- ion at the midpoint C. Fig. 2 Should we therefore consider the portion CB of the beam with the one end severed at C and the other fixed at B, so that CB would act as a statically determinate canti- lever, it would only take a bending moment Mc at C to re-establish actual conditions of loading and support as assumed. Mc acting on CB would hence be our only redundant condition, On this basis let us select any point Q on the cantilever CB and write the equation for the actual bending and torsion moments at this point. We haveBending and Torsion in Horizontally Curved Beams 509 Meo = Me cosa —My = Me cos a — 2ur? sin? .... se @) Ma. = Mesina—M,= Me sin a unt (— ant « cos $) cee) tis now desired to know Mo. Unfortunately for the purpose of finding the redundant Mc there seem to be no special” or “short eut' methods applicable. We must resort to the fundamental ‘theorem of least work. Assuming that temperature and shear forces may be neglected, the total work in the beam between points A and B is given by the following equation: 1 ” 2 Hf wie + oe fate te. we voce ®) Following the method of Castigliano we may now differentiate the internal work in relation to the redundant and equate the derivative to zero. To conform with custom, which provides for more than one redundant, the form of partial derivatives is used. we 2 (7) ame. 2 ame” BJ. M® ame + Gr From ce (8) and (4) we find directly and quickly the partial derivatives under the integration signs: nO. O) sine +8) Using equations (3), (4), (7), and (8) equation (6) may now be transformed to read: Me [cu oan + HE fio ata = wrt Pe sort _ ET Jp 5 cs ada Ff asin a da ut (8a a sin © cos © sin ada..e..ceccceeseeee eee (9) Gi Jo 2 2 After all the trigonometric functions of this equation have been brought to ele- mentary forms, it may be integrated as noted. The limits: 0 for B and 0 for C, are ascertained from Fig. 2. The results are assembled in the following equation: 2(K + 1) sin 6 —~ 2K © cose U= K+ O— K—1) snd cosd ae oo BL x. @ a Me = wt U—1) voces a2) Here Mc is expressed entirely in known elements of the structure or material, the symbols of equation (11) being merely the conventional constants of cross sec tion and elasticity: E modulus of elasticity for direct stress G modulus of elasticity for shear equatorial moment of inertia600 JouRNAL oF THE Amenican Coxcrere Ivstirure—Proceedings I; torsional moment, of inerti With the redundant now expressed in known elements the general equations for ‘moments may be re-written in terms of these elements: --(03) Mg = we [(U=1) cova 2st] = wt cova — 1) and Mer 1 wr [= 0) in «2 (an con 2)] = wr sin a=). Using these equations the moments at the supports are found by making a = © Mm = (UV cos 0 —1)...... coves (05) and Mons = 18 (U sin @ 0). o.oo cece ceeeeeeees (08) Moment Data We=2, U=T.39 Mess390F Mabe an Mex 23690? | Mot ob1we oar2B4 [ou 5705" Fic. 3—HorIZ0NTALLY CURVED BEAM. TYPICAL MOMENT DIAGRAM tis quite clear from the simple form of the four equations (13) to (16) as well as equation (12) that all the moments may be quickly figured as soon as U is known. ‘The equations so far found may now be used to establish the magnitude as well as points of location of maximum and zero moments. For maximum bending differentiate equation (13), equate the derivative to zero and solve for a: from whieh, sina =0 and a =O. a7) ‘Maximum bending is therefore at the midpoint @ and Max . Moy = Mo = wrt (U —1) ‘There is obviously also a maximum at each point of support, but thi erable by differentiation, because the curve of moments is points, We have hence also: Max. Mas = w*? (U cos © —1).... ceeeenee 19) jon we have from equation (14): d Me. da In like manner for tor = wt (U cosa—1) = 0 from whichoor Bending and Torsion in Horizontally Curved Beams SINaKOW NorsuOL SUNaKON saNawox ALVIOaRWAENT RANIXY “SHE NOISUOL LNIOd ANA “SKVAME oNIGNae INIOd CK “SRYGE aAung XTIVEXoZIHOH—9 “D1 aaauno KTIVINOZO_—€ “OLY aaaund KVIvENOZTIOY[—F ‘OKT al 7 =r a8 2 404304 qua PL

T fe L IZ | peepee Sa aew = Fic. 8—GrapH SHOWING LOCATION OF CRITICAL POINTS601 Jounvat-o” tap Anntcax Coxcnsne Ixsnruns-—Procetings we a oa) ee o 12, is 12, By combining equations (28), (28), and (28) we eet <= ogy tlt, WOU + he) ne k= 235th IMEI a (4 e) In practice h/b should vary between the limits of 1 and 4; a study of equation (10) will show that one should not go below I and a know- ledge of torsional shear distribution that one should not go above 4. (For details of torsional shear see the works of de St. Venant, Foppl, Bach, and Swain.) Assuming these limits we may then tabulate K values. ‘rante IK vanues ee Yoko FH 5d OH oh 4 sos ‘The labor involved makes it quite out of the question to figure U-values for all these K-values as well as the O-values most likely to occur in practice. Fortunately the range of U-values between maxi- mum and minimum K-values is not very large and the intermediate K-values of the table need not be used unless greater accuracy be needed than may be obtained by interpolation from the table of U- values or moment graphs derived therefrom. Assuming then a maximum, an average, and a minimum K-value, also @-values in increment of +/2 we have the very important and useful Table 2, Although the work on this table is considerable, it has been completely checked by independent refiguring, and is there- fore believed to be accurate. ‘Kein Tos 102s ara It is in the nature of the solution and at the same time very curious that the bending moment should be a function of the eross section of the beam; it is equally curious that this feature, through caneellation of elements, disappears for the special case of @ = x/12. For this case all the U-values are the same, and naturally also all the moments depending on these U-values.Bending and Torsion in Horizontally Curved Beams 7 7 7 oF. A ina es en Sid a Lf na [esiftefn 2 Toro ORIZONTALLY CURVED BEAMS Graphic Solution of Equation ae U | {|_| | te locate point of Zero Torsion 3s | ‘ h Ne a jr [ozo u U- ee et eee Fic. 9—HorionTatty CURVED BEAMS. GRAPHIC SOLUTION OF EQUATION TO LOCATE POINT OF ZERO TORSION 605606 JOURNAL OF THE Amenican Concrete INsrrrure—Proceedings Based on the table of U-values we may now figure corresponding values for all the equations from (12) to (24) and assemble these in a general table to assist in the rapid design and analysis of uniformly loaded and fixed ended curved beams. We may also plot the principal items in a series of graphs to assist in the task, when interpolation is required. ‘To assist in the interpretation of the table and the graphs the sym- bols used, and their meaning, are repeated and assembled: Mr = Bending moment at point of support fa, = Torsion moment at point of support Me = Bending moment at midpoint. ‘Memes. = Maximum torsion moment, intermediate. ‘as = Angle from Y-axis to radius for point of zero bending. ‘a; = Angle from Y-axis to radius for point of zero torsion ‘TABLE 3 HORIZONTALLY CURVED BEAMS—MOMENT FACTORS AND POINT ANGLES The support moments, obviously, have reference to the axis of the curved beam at the points of support. Support is usually provided by a lintel beam longitudinally and a cross beam transversly. Ample provision for proper stiffness and strength in the direction of these two beams must now be provided, For each problem a diagram of moments therefore must be drawn for the points of support and the magnitude of the reaction moments ascertained by graphic or analytic method. It is essential that the building frame be made both stiff enough and strong enough to resist the moments set up by the overhang of the ‘curved beam, and in attending to this it should be remembered that the stiffness is even more important than the strength. ‘Readers are referred lo the Jounat. for November (Vol. 29) for diseussion which may develop. Such discussion should reach the Secretary by Seplember 1, 1982.