Beam Reaction Lab Report: Forces Of A Simply Supported Beam Experiment

Introduction

In order to design a frame/beam that is required in a building, it is important to know the possible weak points. This includes the load or the magnitude, also the variety of support that joins them to each other. During the designing of the beam or the structure of it, it is important to calculate the reaction that can occur to any support. When it's come to the real-life applications, any failure or miscalculate in this particular structure could lead into a disaster. Those reactions can include any vertical, or horizontal forces, and any moment. These reactions can be solved using the General Equation of Equilibrium. This topic we will research in this "Forces Of A Simply Supported Beam Reaction Lab Report" paper.

Aim

To compare experimental & calculated values of Reaction Forces on a Simple Supported Beam model.

Procedure

Firstly, using the scales provided, weigh the steel strips and note down their masses. Also, measure their lengths with the rules provided. These strips are “uniformly distributed loads”. Also, check the weight of the hangers, masses & hooks to be used. Couples & Equivalent Point Loads may be applied using the specially designed bracket.

Place the wooden beam onto to the wooden blocks which rest on the kitchen Scales, ensuring the outermost markings on the beam line up with the “sharp” edge on the wooden blocks. Measure the “effective” length of the wooden beam (the distance between the indicator marks.) Set the kitchen scale dial to zero for both ends (i.e. The wooden beam is then effectively “weightless”).

Arrange the steel strips and hangers/masses & hooks in a desired combination. The combination of loading is your choice – Be imaginative! Don’t just use symmetrical loading. Make sure you sketch the loading configuration, ensuring that all significant dimensions are noted. Check the reaction forces at the supports and tabulate the values.

Repeat the previous step for three (3) times using different combination of weight.

Discussion

With the first test, the weights used were 20N on the left side and 5N on the right. With the scales, they recorded a force of 15.23N on the left hand side and 9.91N on the right. After this test, the calculations for the test as seen above; this shows that both the left and right have a small/ medium percentage of error, the left has 1.47% difference which is a fair amount of marginal error, whereas the right has 10% which is the biggest marginal error of all the tests conducted. The second test was done with half the weight on the left side, going 10N on the left and 5N on the right, as seen in the above results, the left had a margin of error of 1.72% and the right having 1.17%, both having a lot more equal of a marginal error. The left side produced a result of 5.08158 and 4.95405N on the right after putting 5N on either side, whereas the calculations came out to 5N on either side, but with a marginal error that low, it could be said that there may have been a minor human error, or the weights weren’t exact. On the final test, the weights used were again, 5N on the right, and 39.62N on the left, the weight being so odd due to the fact a 20N and a 20kg weights to make it, this producing the lowest error in practice to calculations out of all on the right side, but the left being the second lowest on it’s side. This test both showed that the practical test and the calculations on average had about 1.5% error. And that the wooden bar used in the test had a very minimal impact on the forces pushing down on it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a correct and accurate result cannot be obtained. Despite the fact of the impact that can be accrue due to human error when setting the equipment or the miscalculations that apply to the weight. As a recommendation, another experiment should be obtained taking into account the correct estimation of the weight and the kit used in the test.