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Using ANSYS, plot the deflection, bending moment, and shear force distribution of the beam. If you have four elements, what is the optimal mesh? Repeat the solution with the eight-element mesh, four for each span. Comment on the results. Is your solution right? How can you improve the finite element solution?

Tips:

1. In ANSYS, you need to specify E and I separately. You can pick them independently as long as you get the desired EI. You specify I by specifying the cross-section as we saw in the preceding tutorial. To keep things simple, just pick a square cross-section as in the tutorial.
2. Model the geometry using four lines. You will need to have vertices where you will be applying forces, moments or displacement constraints.
3. Apply a distributed load using Line Pressure as shown above.
4. Apply the simply supported constraints using Supports > Displacement. For example, the following settings can be used to apply the simply supported constraint at A or C. Note that ANSYS uses a generalized 3D beam formulation which includes z displacements. Since we don't have any deformation in the z direction, you can set the z displacements in simply supported conditions to zero.
   
   
   
   

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