Analytic responses of slender beams supported by rotationally restrained hinges during support motions

This paper presents an analytic solution procedure of the rotationally restrained hinged-hinged beam subjected to transverse motions at supports based on EBT (Euler-Bernoulli beam theory). The EBT solutions are compared with the solutions based on TBT (Timoshenko beam theory) for a wide range of the rotational restraint parameter (kL/EI) of slender beams whose slenderness ratio is greater than 100. The comparison shows the followings. The internal loads such as bending moment and shearing force of an extremely thin beam obtained by EBT show a good agreement with those obtained by TBT. But the discrepancy between two solutions of internal loads tends to increase as the slenderness ratio decreases. A careful examination shows that the discrepancy of the internal loads originates from their dynamic components whereas their static components show a little difference between EBT and TBT. This result suggests that TBT should be employed even for slender beams to consider the rotational effect and the shear deformation effect on dynamic components of the internal loads. The influence of the parameter on boundary conditions is examined by manipulating the spring stiffness from zero to a sufficiently large value.