THE EFFECT OF INCLINED LOADS ON THE LARGE DEFLECTION BEHAVIOR OF ELASTOPLASTIC WORK-HARDENING STRAIGHT AND PRE-BENT CANTILEVERS

A theoretical analysis is presented to examine the effect of inclined tip load on the large deflection behaviour of an elastoplastic cantile ver with linear work hardening. The cantilever is either initially str aight or pre-bent to a tip angle of phi (see Fig. 1). When the load is large enough, the overall deformation of a pre-bent cantilever is sma ller than that of an initially straight one as a result of the influen ce of the guided end. The maximum plastic region s(pm) in the cantilev er increases with the force angle phi and the plastic-elastic modulus ratio alpha, but decreases as the beam flexibility parameter beta incr eases. Some unstable deformation may occur in the initially straight c antilever when phi > pi/2 and this depends on the value of alpha and b eta. Reasonable agreement is obtained between the theoretical analysis and experimental results.