1/27/2021
NR-Deflections-Virtual Work Method
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER EXAM
VERTICAL FORCES (GRAVITY/OTHER)
REVIEW CLASS
Foued Zayati, Ph.D., S.E., P.E.
DEFLECTIONS-VIRTUAL WORK METHOD
© 2021 Dr. Foued Zayati, Ph.D., S.E., P.E. 1
1/27/2021
DEFLECTIONS-VIRTUAL WORK METHOD
BEAM DEFLECTION:
PRINCIPLE OF VIRTUAL WORK:
External virtual work of the applied loads is EQUAL to
the internal virtual work of the stresses caused by the
applied loads
𝑊 =𝑊
𝑊 = 1×∆
𝑚 𝑀
𝑊 = 𝑑𝑥
𝐸𝐼
𝑚 = Internal virtual moments caused by the unit
virtual load,
𝑀 = Internal moments caused by applied loads,
𝐸 = Modulus of elasticity of the beam material
𝐼 = Moment of inertial of the beam 9may vary along
the length of the beam, and
𝐿 = Total length of the beam.
DEFLECTIONS-VIRTUAL WORK METHOD
BEAM DEFLECTIONS:
Example 1.6
For the beam shown in the figure, use the Virtual Work
method to determine the deflection at beam’s free end.
Solution:
Follow these steps:
1. Determine beam moments as a function of x
𝑀 𝑥 = −𝑃𝑥
2. Apply a vertical unit load at the tip of the cantilever
and compute the moment:
𝑚 𝑥 = −𝑥
3. Compute 𝑚 𝑥 𝑀 𝑥
𝑚 𝑥 𝑀 𝑥 = 𝑃𝑥
© 2021 Dr. Foued Zayati, Ph.D., S.E., P.E. 2
1/27/2021
DEFLECTIONS-VIRTUAL WORK METHOD
BEAM DEFLECTIONS:
Example 1.6-Solution:
Follow these steps:
4. Compute Deflection
⁄
𝑚 𝑥 𝑀 𝑥 𝑃𝑥 𝑃𝑥
∆= 𝑑𝑥 = 𝑑𝑥 + 𝑑𝑥
𝐸𝐼 𝐸𝐼 ⁄ 2𝐸𝐼
𝑃𝑥 𝑃𝑥 𝑃𝐿 𝑃𝐿 𝑃𝐿
∆= + = + −
3𝐸𝐼 6𝐸𝐼 24𝐸𝐼 6𝐸𝐼 48𝐸𝐼
𝟗𝑷𝑳𝟑
∆=
𝟒𝟖𝑬𝑰
DEFLECTIONS-VIRTUAL WORK METHOD
BEAM DEFLECTIONS:
Example 1.7
For the beam shown in the figure, use the conjugate
Beam method to determine the deflection at beam’s
free end.
Solution:
Follow these steps:
1. Determine beam moment diagram:
2. Dive Moment diagram by the beam’s EI
3. Apply the M/EI diagram to the conjugate beam
4. Determine the moment reaction at the right end of
the conjugate beam.
© 2021 Dr. Foued Zayati, Ph.D., S.E., P.E. 3
1/27/2021
DEFLECTIONS-VIRTUAL WORK METHOD
BEAM DEFLECTIONS:
Example 1.7-Solution:
Follow these steps:
4. Determine the moment reaction at the right end of the
conjugate beam.
𝑀 =0 ⇒
𝑃𝐿 𝐿 𝐿 2 𝐿 𝑃𝐿 𝐿 𝐿 𝐿 𝑃𝐿 𝐿 2 𝐿
𝑀= + + + +
4𝐸𝐼 4 2 3 2 4𝐸𝐼 2 2 4 2𝐸𝐼 4 3 2
5𝑃𝐿 3𝑃𝐿 𝑃𝐿 𝑃𝐿
⇒ ∆= + + = 5+9+4
96𝐸𝐼 32𝐸𝐼 24𝐸𝐼 96𝐸𝐼
𝟗𝑷𝑳𝟑
⇒ ∆=
𝟒𝟖𝑬𝑰
DEFLECTIONS-VIRTUAL WORK METHOD
TRUSS DEFLECTIONS:
The external work of a unit virtual load is computed as:
𝑊 =1×∆
The internal virtual work is computed as:
𝑃𝐿
𝑊 = 𝑝
𝐸𝐴
Where
𝑝 = Internal virtual axial force in the 𝑖 truss member
caused by the unit virtual load,
𝑃 = Internal axial force in the 𝑖 truss member caused by
the applied loads,
𝐿 = Length of the 𝑖 truss member
𝐸 = Modulus of elasticity of the truss material (steel,
aluminum, wood …),
𝐴 = Cross-section area of the 𝑖 truss member, and
𝑛 = Number of elements in the truss.
© 2021 Dr. Foued Zayati, Ph.D., S.E., P.E. 4
1/27/2021
TRUSS ANALYSIS
ZERO FORCE MEMBERS (Page 2-10):
Given a truss configurations, and loading, zero
force members are those members of the truss
whose axial load is equal to zero under the applied
loads.
Identifying zero force members simplifies the
analysis.
For planer trusses there are three rules for
identifying zero force members:
1. Two non-collinear members that frame into
a truss joint and there are no external forces
or support reactions acting on the joint.
Example:
Joints A and F fall under Rule #1
Remove Members AD, AB, CF, and EF
TRUSS ANALYSIS
ZERO FORCE MEMBERS (Page 2-10):
For planer trusses there are three rules for identifying zero
force members:
2. Two non-collinear members frame into a truss joint,
and there is a load or support reaction that is collinear
with one of the members => the other non-collinear
member is a zero force member.
3. When three members frame into a truss joint, where
two of the members are co-linear, and no external
forces or support reactions are acting on the joint, the
third member is a zero force member.
Example:
Joint B falls under Rule #2
Joints C and D fall under Rule #3
Remove Members AB, AC, and AD
© 2021 Dr. Foued Zayati, Ph.D., S.E., P.E. 5
1/27/2021
DEFLECTIONS-VIRTUAL WORK METHOD
TRUSS-DEFLECTIONS:
Example 1.8:
For the truss in the figure, use the virtual work method
to compute the vertical deflection Node B. Assume EA is
the same for all truss members:
Solution:
Members AE, BE, and BF are zero force members =>
Eliminate these members and simplify the truss
DEFLECTIONS-VIRTUAL WORK METHOD
TRUSS-DEFLECTIONS:
Example 1.8:-Solution:
Determine the axial force in each member under Load P:
Determine the axial force in each member under 1 kip load
at the same location and same direction as load P
Compute deflection as:
𝑝 𝑃𝐿
∆=
𝐸𝐴
2P
∆=
2𝑃 × 2 × 60 𝑃 × 1 × 30 −𝑃 5 × − 5 × 30 5
+ + 2 1
𝐸𝐴 𝐸𝐴 𝐸𝐴
240𝑃 30𝑃 335.41𝑃 P 1 - 𝟓
∆= + +
𝐸𝐴 𝐸𝐴 𝐸𝐴 -P 𝟓
𝟔𝟎𝟓. 𝟒𝟏𝑷
∆=
𝑬𝑨
© 2021 Dr. Foued Zayati, Ph.D., S.E., P.E. 6
