Lab 02

Simply Supported Beam Analysis with Uniformly Distributed Load.

Problem Statement
To calculate the maximum deflection of 900 mm long simply supported beam which fixed
support at one end and roller at the other end. If this beam is loaded with uniformly distributed
load of 8000 N and Young's modulus of the material is 210000 N/mm2 while height and width
are 35 mm and 44 mm, respectively. Do simulation on ANSYS and compare results with hand
calculations.

Introduction
A simply supported beam is a structural element that is supported at two points and is free
to rotate at those points. It is one of the most common types of beams used in structural engineering
because of its simplicity and ease of design. Simply supported beams are typically used to span
relatively short distances, and they are commonly found in buildings, bridges, and other structures.
The two supports of a simply supported beam are typically referred to as the "fixed support" and
the "roller support". The fixed support is a rigid connection that prevents the beam from rotating,
while the roller support allows the beam to rotate freely. The beam is loaded with a force, which
can be applied in different ways depending on the specific application. In the case of a uniformly
distributed load (UDL), the force is spread evenly along the length of the beam. When a simply
supported beam is subjected to a UDL, it experiences bending stresses that cause it to deflect or
deform. The magnitude of the deflection and the stresses in the beam depend on a number of
factors, including the properties of the beam material, its cross-sectional dimensions, the
magnitude and distribution of the load, and the spacing of the supports. A simply supported beam
is shown in figure 1.

Figure 1: Simply Supported Beam.

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To design a simply supported beam, it is important to determine the maximum deflection and
stresses that it will experience under the expected loads. This is typically done using classical beam
theory, which provides mathematical formulas for calculating the deflection and stresses in a beam
based on its dimensions and the applied loads. Finite element analysis (FEA) software, such as
Ansys, can also be used to simulate the behavior of a simply supported beam and calculate the
deflection and stresses under different loading conditions. The objective of this study was to
investigate the behavior of a simply supported beam under the influence of a uniformly distributed
load (UDL) using both hand calculations and finite element analysis (FEA) simulations. The
analysis focused on determining the directional deformation, total deformation, and equivalent
stress of the beam. The hand calculations were performed using classical beam theory, while the
FEA simulations were carried out using Ansys software. The results obtained from the hand
calculations were then compared to the results obtained from the FEA simulations to evaluate the
accuracy of the FEA approach. The study aimed to provide insights into the advantages and
limitations of both methods for predicting the behavior of structures subjected to loading
conditions, which has important applications in engineering design and analysis.

Methodology
Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is a numerical method that is used to solve complex
engineering problems. The process of FEA involves creating a computer model of the object or
system to be analyzed, dividing it into small, interconnected elements, applying mathematical
equations to each element, and solving the resulting system of equations. This allows engineers to
predict the behavior of structures and components under different operating conditions, without
the need for expensive and time-consuming physical testing. In the case of the simply supported
beam with a uniformly distributed load (UDL) applied, FEA was used to simulate the behavior of
the beam under the applied load and boundary conditions, and to calculate the directional
deformation, total deformation, and equivalent stress of the beam. The Ansys software was used
to perform the FEA analysis. Once the analysis is complete, the results can be examined and used
to make decisions about the design and behavior of the object or system. The results of FEA
typically include visualizations of the object or system under different loading and environmental
conditions, as well as numerical data such as stresses, strains, and displacements. The results were
used to evaluate the behavior of the beam and compare it to hand calculations. FEA has become

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an essential tool in engineering design and analysis because it allows engineers to predict the
behavior of structures and components accurately and efficiently, and to optimize their designs
accordingly. Steps of Modeling and Analysis in Static Structure. The steps involved in modeling
the solution of simply supported beam under the UDL of 8000 N, are explained below in detail.

➢ Create Analysis System

Form left Analysis System Toolbox Opening Statie Structure Analysis form and set the required
units. Save the project now as shown in figure 2. The given problem is related to static structure
problem. Therefore, static structure model is dragged from toolbox to define project schematic.

Figure 2: Create analysis system and save as Lab 02.

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➢ Engineering Data

To define the engineering data in Ansys Workbench, click on the Engineering Data system in the
Project Schematic window. In the Engineering Data window, select the appropriate material from
the Material tree. If the material you want to use is not available in the Material tree, you can create
a new material by clicking on the "Add Material" button. In the Material Properties section, the
Young's modulus can be defined, Poisson's ratio, and other material properties. To define the
Young's modulus as 210000 N/mm2, simply enter this value in the appropriate field. After defining
the material properties, click on the "Apply" button to save the changes. The engineering data is
shown in figure 3.

Figure 3: Engineering data.

➢ Geometry

After editing the value of Young’s Modulus to 210000 N/mm2. The next step is to draw the
drawing of simply supported beam according to the given dimensions. The drawing is made in
DesignModeler. To open the DesignModeler, double click on the “Geometry” in project
schematic. The DesignModeler will open. To draw the geometry, first select the XY-plane. Select
rectangle in “Draw” tab and draw a random rectangle at origin. To give dimensions, click the
“Dimension” tab and select “General”. Select the horizontal line and vertical line and assign the
dimensions of 45 mm and 35 mm, respectively. After applying the dimensions, the sketch is shown
in figure 4.

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Figure 4: Sketch of rectangular beam.

To give third dimension to the sketch, the extrude command is used and the depth is given of 900
mm in positive Z-axis. After applying extrude command, the final geometry is completed. The
geometry of rectangular beam is shown figure 5.

Figure 5: Final geometry of rectangular simply supported beam.

After completing the geometry, close the DesignModeler. The next step is the modeling of the
problem. The dimensions of final geometry are also shown in table 1.

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Table 1: Geometry.

Definition
Source D:\FEM Lab\Lab 02\Lab 2_files\dp0\SYS\DM\SYS.agdb
Type DesignModeler
Length Unit Meters
Element Control Program Controlled
Display Style Body Color
Bounding Box
Length X 45. mm
Length Y 35. mm
Length Z 900. mm

➢ Model

Adequate mesh density on contact surfaces can be used to distribute contact stresses smoothly.
The mesh should be able to capture the effects of nonlinearity if you want nonlinearity. Mash the
model now and apply mesh sizing value 5 mm, and then generate mesh. The mesh properties
including mesh sizing, number of nodes, number of elements are shown in table 2.

Table 2: Meshing.

Sizing
Physics Preference Mechanical
Element Size 5.0 mm
Statistics
Nodes 54582
Elements 11340

The figure 6 shows the beam is being meshed. The total number of mesh elements are 54582.
Whereas the total number of nodes are 11340.

Figure 6: Meshing.

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➢ Setup

After generating mesh, close the mesh and open the setup from project schematic. In setup, Select
horizontal edge of the left face facing downward and insert the fix support on it. Select the same
type of edge of the same face on right side of the beam and insert displacement. Put the value of
Y-axis and Z-axis zero. This means the motion of beam is restricted in these two axis and only
allow in X-axis. Then select the top face of the beam and apply the force of 8000N in downward
direction. The setup of beam is also shown in figure 7.

Figure 7. Setup of the beam.

➢ Solution

The required solutions are, total deformation, directional deformation, and equivalent stress. Open
the solution from project schematic and insert the above-mentioned solutions. In directional
deformation, change the axis from X-axis to Y-axis. The solutions selected are also shown in figure
8.

Figure 8. Solution information for the simply supported beam under UDL.

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➢ Results

The results are also generated in ANSYS report. The table of results are shown in table 3.
Table 3. Results. The figures are also shown below in figures 9,10, and 11 i.e., directional deformation, total deformation, and
equivalent stress, respectively.

Object Name Directional Total Equivalent Stress

Deformation Deformation
State Solved
Scope
Scoping Method Geometry Selection
Geometry All Bodies
Definition
Type Directional Deformation Total Deformation Equivalent (von-Mises)
Stress
Results
Minimum -2.2608 mm 0. mm 9.8769e-002 MPa
Maximum 0. mm 2.2653 mm 103.28 MPa
Average -1.4411 mm 1.457 mm 36.657 MPa
Minimum Occurs On Solid
Maximum Occurs Solid
On

Figure 9. Directional Deformation.

The results for total deformation are also shown below.

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Figure 10. Total deformation.

The equivalent stress results are shown in following figure.

Figure 11. Equivalent stress.

➢ Theoretical

To calculate the deflection of the beam, the given values are:

W = 8000N
b = 45mm
h = 35mm

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E = 210000 N/mm2

5Wl3
𝛿=
384EI

bh3
I=
12
45 x 353
=
12
𝐼 = 160781.25 mm4
5 ∗ 8000 ∗ 9003
=
384 ∗ 210000 ∗ 160781.25
𝛿 = 2.24906 mm

➢ Comments

• In this lab we have seen the analysis on beam with UDL, in which we have computed the
directional deformation, total deformation and equivalent stress on that beam.
• We have compared our experimental results of deflections with the theoretical results, and we
have seen that the experimental values of deflection are 2.2608mm and theoretical value of
deflection is 2.24906mm, both values are close to each other so error is minimum.

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