Jtam-A4.dvi JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL AND APPLIED MECHANICS 51, 2, pp. 393-407, Warsaw 2013 CLOSED-FORM SOLUTIONS FOR TORSION ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURAL BEAMS CONSIDERING WEB-FLANGE JUNCTIONS FILLETS S-Zahra Shahpari, Mohammad R. Hematiyan Shiraz University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Shiraz, Iran e-mail: zahra.shahpari@gmail.com; mhemat@shirazu.ac.ir In this paper, an effective semi-analytical method is presented for torsion analysis of struc- tural beamswith various kinds of junctions such asT, I, H, E and+ beams. A fairly simple but precise formulation based on analytical and accurate numerical solutions is presented for evaluating the shearing stress at critical points and computing the torsional rigidity of a member under torsion. The problem is formulated based on Prandtl’s stress function. The cross-section is decomposed into several segments, including straight, curved, end, and junc- tion segments. The torsion problem is solved in each segment separately. Standard junction segments are analyzedusing the finite elementmethodwith a finemesh.Other segments are analyzedby analyticalmethods.Closed-formexpressions in terms of geometrical parameters are found for the shearing stresses at critical points of each segment.The torsional rigidity of the cross section is also expressed by a closed-form expression. The presented formulations can be used for analysis of a wide range of thin- to moderately thick-walled complicated sections. Key words: torsion, shearing stress, torsional rigidity, fillet 1. Introduction Inearly studieson the torsionproblem, simpleor thin-walled cross-sectionshavebeenconsidered. According to the thin-walled theory, the shearing stress and torsional rigidity of a simple open cross-section can be estimated by analyzing a thin rectangle (Sadd, 2009). There exists an exact solution for a rectangular member under torsion (Pagano and Chou, 1992; Sadd, 2009). Although the formulation based on the thin-walled theory is relatively simple, but it cannot predict acceptable values for the shearing stress at corners (Pagano andChou, 1992;Timoshenko and Goodier, 1970). El Darwish and Johnston (1965) presented a method for approximate torsion analysis of some structural shapes such as T-beams. They used the finite difference method to solve the torsion Poisson equation in terms of Prandtl’s stress function. They presented a formulation for the evaluation of the torsional rigidity and shearing stress at the midpoint of the flange of the T-beam. However, evaluation of the shearing stress at the web-flange junction fillet of the T-beam is impossible by themethod presented by El Darwish and Johnston. Chen and Chen (1981) proposed an analytical solution based on the Laplace equation for torsion analysis of beams with +, I, [, T and some other similar cross-sections. They divided the cross-section of the beam into some rectangular sub-domains. In theirmethod, the unknown displacements on theboundariesof these sub-domainsare foundbysolvinga systemof equations. They presented some formulas for torsion of these beams; however, corner fillets were ignored in their formulation. Lee et al. (2007) studied behavior of a composite double T-section beam under torsional loading using the finite element method (FEM). They obtained stiffness matrix elements by minimization of the total potential energy. 394 S.Z. Shahpari, M.R. Hematiyan Hematiyan and Doostfatemeh (2007) proposed an analytical approximate method for ana- lyzing the torsion problem of a hollow isotropic polygonal shape. This method is capable of predicting the variation of the shearing stress across the thickness of the beam. Moreover, this method results in acceptable solutions for thin-walled to moderately thick-walled beams; howe- ver, the method cannot be used for open section members. Doostfatemeh et al. (2009) presented some analytical formulas for torsion analysis of beams, including straight and curved segmentswith different thicknesses. Their formulation can beused for hollowmembers, but it cannot be employed for torsion analysis of open sectionmembers such as T-beams. Arghavan andHematiyan (2009) extended themethod presented byDoostfatemeh et al. (2009) to analyze non-homogenous hallow members under torsion. Hematiyan and Estakhrian (2011) presented an approximate analytical method for torsion analysis of members with open cross-sections containing straight and curved segments with a uniform thickness. They solved Poisson’s equation in each segment separately, and obtained closed-form formulas for the shearing stress and torsional rigidity of the member. This is a simple and accurate method for torsion analysis of thin-walled as well as moderately thick- walled sections; however, it cannot be used for torsion analysis ofmemberswith a junction, such as a T-beam. Thetorsionproblemofmemberswith three- and four-way segments, suchasT, Iand+beams havebeen studied rarely.The thin-walled theory couldnotpredict anaccurate value for theangle of twist of thesemembers.Moreover, it is impossible to evaluate the value of the shearing stress at fillets using the thin-walled theory. The objective of this paper is to present a formulation for torsion analysis of open-section memberswith three- and/or four-way segments. Closed-form expressions in terms of geometrical parameters are found for the evaluation of torsional rigidity and shearing stresses at critical points of the member. The presented formulations are practical and can be used for analysis of a wide range of thin- to moderately thick-walled complicated sections. Beams with three- or four-way segments are widely used in various industries such as aeronautics, aerospace, and marine. These beams may be subjected to a combination of torsion and other loadings such as bending moment, shear, and axial forces. This paper is focused on the torsion analysis. If the beam is subjected to a compound loading, the total stresses can be easily found using a simple superposition technique. 2. Governing equations Consider a uniform member with an arbitrary open cross-section, including three-way and/or four-way segments as shown in Fig. 1. The member is subjected to two equal torques with opposite directions at two its ends.The z-direction coincides with the longitudinal axis, and the cross-section is in the xy plane. Fig. 1. Torsion of a general open-section beam consisting of three- and four-way segments Closed-form solutions for torsion analysis of structural beams... 395 Boundaryconditionsandgoverning equations of the torsionproblemcanbeefficiently expres- sed in terms of Prandtl’s stress function (Sadd, 2009). The shearing stresses in the cross-section can be expressed as follows: τxz = ∂φ ∂y τyz =− ∂φ ∂x (2.1) where τxz and τyz are the shearing stresses in the x- and y-direction, respectively, and φ is Prandtl’s stress function. The governing equation for Prandtl’s stress function can be expressed as ∇2φ=−2Gα (2.2) where G is the shearmodulus of elasticity, andα is the angle of twist per unit length. Equations (2.1) and (2.2) satisfy equilibriumandcompatibility equations. Since the considered cross-section is a simply connected domain, the boundary condition on boundaries of the cross-section can be expressed as φ=0. The applied torque can be expressed in terms of φ as follows T =2 ∫∫ φdxdy (2.3) The torsionproblemcanalso be expressed in adimensionless form, see for exampleGorzelańczyk (2011). The dimensionless relationships can be derived by defining the following dimensionless parameters x∗ = x tf y∗ = y tf t∗w = tw tf r∗ = r tf φ∗ = φ Gαt2 f τ∗ = τ Gαtf T∗ = T Gαt4 f (2.4) where x∗ and y∗ are dimensionless coordinates, φ∗ is dimensionless Prandtl’s stress function, τ∗ is the dimensionless shearing stress, and T∗ is the dimensionless torque. tf is a characteristic length denoting the thickness of the flange. Substituting the parameters given in Eq. (2.4) into Eqs (2.1), (2.2), and (2.3) the following relationships are found τ∗xz = ∂φ∗ ∂y∗ τ∗yz =− ∂φ∗ ∂x∗ ∂2φ∗ ∂x∗2 + ∂2φ∗ ∂y∗2 =−2 T∗ =2 ∫∫ φ dxdy (2.5) The boundary condition on boundaries of the cross-section can be expressed as φ∗ =0. 3. Problem modeling and formulation An open cross-section containing a three-way and a four-way segment is shown in Fig. 2. The section shown in Fig. 2 is not a standard section, but it can be considered as a general section that most of practical members such as I-, T- and L- beams may be extracted from. Contour lines of constant φ are also shown in Fig. 2. To solve the torsion problem over a cross-section, like the one shown in Fig. 2, the cross-section is decomposed into several straight, curved, and end segments.A three-way anda four-way segment as shown inFig. 2, should also be considered. Throughappropriateapproximations, the torsionproblemis solvedover each segment separately. The methods for analyzing the problem in straight, curved, and end segments are completely presented in (Hematiyan and Estakhrian, 2011). The focus of this work is to analyze the three- and four-way segments. Contour lines in straight and curved segments are assumed parallel to external boundaries (Hematiyan and Estakhrian, 2011). The solution in end segments can be found using the relationships for rectangular members (Hematiyan and Estakhrian, 2011). However, the problem ismore complicated in the three- and four-way segments. In the following sections, the methods for modeling and formulating the problem in straight, curved, and end segments are reviewed, and themethod for solving theproblem in junction segments ispresented. 396 S.Z. Shahpari, M.R. Hematiyan Fig. 2. Contour lines in an open cross-section, containing three- and four-way segments 3.1. Formulation for straight segments In straight segments, the contour lines are assumed parallel to the boundary, as shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 3. Contour lines in a straight segment The relationship for the shearing stress in a straight segment can be expressed as follows (Hematiyan and Estakhrian, 2011) τ = ∣ ∣ ∣ dφ dy′ ∣ ∣ ∣=Gα|t−2y′| (3.1) where y′ is the thickness coordinate as shown in Fig. 3. The relationship for the torque cor- responding to a straight segment with the length lstraight and thickness t is (Hematiyan and Estakhrian, 2011) Tstraight α =G lstraightt 3 3 (3.2) Closed-form solutions for torsion analysis of structural beams... 397 3.2. Formulation for curved segments A curved segment with the angle β, internal and external radii r1 and r2, and the polar coordinate system (r,θ) is shown in Fig. 4. The contour lines are assumed parallel to the boundary (Hematiyan and Estakhrian, 2011), as shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 4. The geometry and contour lines of a curved segment The relationships for the shearing stress in the inner and outer radius of a curved segment can be expressed as follows (Hematiyan and Estakhrian, 2011) τinner = GαtR r1 ln(r2/r1) −Gαr1 τouter =Gαr2− GαtR r1 ln(r2/r1) (3.3) where t and R are the thickness and mean radius, respectively. The torsional rigidity corre- sponding to the curved segment can be expressed as follows (Hematiyan and Estakhrian, 2011) Tcurve α =βGRt [1 2 (r21 +r 2 2)− Rt ln(r2/r1) ] (3.4) 3.3. Formulation for end segments An end segment is shown in Fig. 5. Dimensions of the end segment are t×2t. This segment can bemodeled with a very good approximation as one-half of a t×4t rectangle under torsion. Using the exact solutions for a rectangle under torsion, the relationship for torque corresponding to the end segment can be found as follows (Hematiyan and Estakhrian, 2011) Tend α =0.5620Gt4 (3.5) Themaximum shearing stress in the end segment is (Hematiyan and Estakhrian, 2011) τmax =0.9970Gαt (3.6) Fig. 5. Contour lines in the end segment 398 S.Z. Shahpari, M.R. Hematiyan 3.4. Formulation for three-way segments Athree-way segmentwithcontour lines is shown inFig. 6.Theflange thickness,web thickness and fillet radius are represented by tf, tw, and r, respectively. The dimensions and the critical points A and B are shown in the figure. It is assumed that this segment is connected to other three segments. In standard hot-rolled sections, tf is always greater than tw and less than 2tw (British Standard, 1993). In this work, we have assumed 1/3¬ t∗w ¬ 1, which is a range wider than that in the standard sections. The wide range 0.05¬ r∗ ¬ 2t∗w is considered for the fillet radius. Fig. 6. Geometry and contour lines in the three-way segment The main boundary of the segments is denoted by Γ , while the interface boundaries are represented by ΓI. It is also assumed that the contour lines are perpendicular to the interface boundaries ΓI. By numerical experiments using the FEM, it can be shown that this assumption is valid with a very good accuracy. The boundary conditions for the three-way segment, in a dimensionless form, can be expressed as follows φ∗ =0 on Γ and ∂φ∗ ∂n∗ =0 on ΓI (3.7) where n∗ represents the dimensionless coordinate in the direction perpendicular to ΓI. We want to find a closed-form relationship for expressing the torque in terms of geometrical dimensions. Two formulas for the shearing stresses at the critical points A and B should be found too. For this purpose, many reference cases with different geometrical dimensions are considered, and the torsion problem is analyzed in each case using the FEM with a fine mesh. A developed MATLAB code based on the method described in the book by Reddy (1993) has beenused for thefinite element analysis.Quadrilateral 8-nodequadratic elements are used in the FEM.Because of the symmetry, only one-half of the segment area ismodeled in thefinite element analysis. After solving the reference problems, the closed-form relationships for the torque and shearing stresses are found by an appropriate curve fitting. The employed curve fitting method is described in Appendix A. 3.4.1. Relationship for shearing stress at point A The maximum shearing stress on the top edge of the three-way segment occurs at the po- int A (Fig. 6). The results for variation of the shearing stress at the point A with respect to the dimensionless web thickness (t∗w = tw/tf) and dimensionless fillet radius (r ∗ = r/tf) are demonstrated in Fig. 7. These results have been obtained by solving a large number of problems using the FEM with a fine mesh. As it can be seen, for a fixed flange thickness, increasing the web thickness or increasing the fillet radius results in an increase in the shearing stress. Closed-form solutions for torsion analysis of structural beams... 399 Fig. 7. Variation of the dimensionless shearing stress at the point A on the three-way segment versus the dimensionless fillet radius for different thickness ratios To find a closed-form relationship for the shearing stress at the point A, the following six- constant function is considered τ∗A = τA Gαtf =A1+A2t ∗ w+A3t ∗ w 2 +A4r ∗+A5r ∗2+A6r ∗3 (3.8) After curve fitting, the following values for constants are obtained A1 =0.9704 A2 =0.037997 A3 =0.1742 A4 =0.1232 A5 =0.1640 A6 =−0.03469 (3.9) Themaximumerror in the results obtained fromEq. (3.8) in comparisonwith the original FEM results is only 1.4%.The R2 value for the curve fit is 0.9988, which shows a very good agreement of Eq. (3.8) to the FEM results. 3.4.2. Relationship for shearing stress at point B Similar FEM results were obtained for the shearing stress at the point B. Figure 8 de- monstrates variation of the dimensionless shearing stress with respect to the dimensionless fillet radius for different thickness ratios.As it canbe seen, the shearing stresshas adownward-upward trend. Because of the presence of stress concentration at the fillet, the shearing stress goes to infinity when the fillet radius approaches to zero. This means there should be a singularity at r∗ =0 in the relationship expressing the shearing stress. Fig. 8. Variation of the dimensionless shear stress at the point B on the three-way segment versus the dimensionless fillet radius for different thickness ratios To find a relationship for the shearing stress at the point B, a function including three constants with a singular term is considered. The power of the singular term is selected by a 400 S.Z. Shahpari, M.R. Hematiyan trial and error process in the curve fitting procedure. The function with the three constants is as follows τ∗B ≡ τB Gαtf =A′+B′r∗+C′ 1√ r∗ (3.10) The computed values for the constants appearing in Eq. (3.10) for different thickness ratios are given in Table 1. Themaximum error of this formula is 1.33%, and the R2 value is 0.9994. Table 1.Numerical values of coefficients in Eq. (3.10) t∗w A ′ B′ C′ 1 0.7752 0.4480 0.4801 0.9 0.7820 0.4301 0.4379 0.8 0.7887 0.4123 0.3958 0.7 0.7980 0.3940 0.3586 0.6 0.8103 0.3687 0.3242 0.5 0.8278 0.3488 0.2838 0.4 0.8541 0.3159 0.2483 0.33 0.8804 0.3029 0.2130 Table 1 represents the values of coefficients appearing in Eq. (3.10) for different thickness ratios. These coefficients can also be expressed bymathematical expressions. After curve fitting, the following relationships are obtained A′ =0.05257 1 t∗w +0.7226 B′ =0.0985+0.35058 √ t∗w C′ =0.08739+0.3903t∗w (3.11) By combining Eqs. (3.10) and (3.11), the following relationship is obtained τB Gαtf =0.05257 1 t∗w +0.7226+(0.0985+0.35058 √ t∗w )r ∗+(0.08739+0.3903t∗w) 1√ r∗ (3.12) The shearing stresses computed using Eq. (3.12) has an error less than 1.6%. 3.4.3. Relationship for torque corresponding to three-way segment Accurate finite element results for the dimensionless torquewith respect to the dimensionless fillet radius for the three-way segment are shown in Fig. 9. The dimensionless torque rises with the increase of the dimensionless fillet radius. Furthermore, it can be seen that the dimensionless torque rises with the increasing thickness ratio t∗w. According to the results shown in Fig. 9, a quadratic function is considered for expressing the torque. The dimensionless torque for the three-way segment can be expressed as follows T∗three−way ≡ Tthree−way Gαt4 f =ATr ∗2+BTr ∗+CT (3.13) The coefficients in Eq. (3.13) are found using the curve fitting procedure for different values of t∗w. Appropriate relationships in terms of t ∗ w have also been found for expressing the coefficients in Eq. (3.13). The final relationship for torque can be expressed as follows Tthree−way Gαt4 f =1.175t∗w 0.670 r∗ 2 + ( 0.03459 1 t∗w −0.08582 ) r∗ + ( 2.299−3.445 √ t∗w 3+4.794t∗w 2 ) (3.14) Themaximum error of Eq. (3.14) is less than 1.7%, and the R2 value is 0.9996. Closed-form solutions for torsion analysis of structural beams... 401 Fig. 9. Variation of the dimensionless torque versus the dimensionless fillet radius for different thickness ratios of the three-way segment 3.5. Formulation for four-way segments A four-way segment with contour lines is shown in Fig. 10. The thicknesses are indicated by tf and tw. The fillet radius is denoted by r. Other dimensions and the critical point C are shown in the figure. The boundary conditions for this for-way segment can be expressed as follows φ∗ =0 on Γ and ∂φ∗ ∂n∗ =0 on ΓI (3.15) where Γ represents the traction free boundaries, and ΓI represents the four interface lines of the segment. n∗ represents the dimensionless coordinate in the direction perpendicular to ΓI. The formulation is obtained for 1/3¬ t∗w ¬ 1, and 0.05¬ r∗ ¬ 2t∗w. Fig. 10. Geometry and contour lines in the four-way segment The sameapproach as the oneused for three-way segments is used for the four-way segments. The final form of the derived formulas for the shearing stress at the point C and the torque can be expressed as follows τC Gαtf =0.01434 1 t∗w +0.8427+(0.4074+0.2588t∗w)r ∗+(0.05947+0.4602t∗w) 1√ r∗ Tfour−way Gαt4 f =4.156−4.358 √ t∗w+5.216t ∗ w 2 + ( 0.3736+1.693 √ t∗w 3 )√ r∗3 +(0.4994+0.4801t∗w)r ∗3 (3.16) 402 S.Z. Shahpari, M.R. Hematiyan The maximum error of Eq. (3.16)1 is 2.2% and the R 2 value is 0.9987. The maximum error of Eq. (3.16)2 is 1.8% and the R 2 value is 0.9999. 4. Formulation for torsional analysis of some structural beams In this Section, closed-form formulas for the torsional rigidity and the shearing stresses at critical points of two important structural beams are presented. 4.1. T-beams Consider a T cross-section as demonstrated in Fig. 11. This section includes three straight segments, three end segments, and a three-way junction segment. Using the torque formulas given in Eqs. (3.2), (3.5) and (3.14) for the straight, end and three-way segments, the closed form torque formula for the whole T cross-section can be found. This formula can be expressed as follows T Gα = (d−5tw− tf)t3w 3 + (b−10tf − tw)t3f 3 +0.5620t4w +1.1240t 4 f + t4f { 1.175 (tw tf )0.670( r tf )2 + ( 0.03459 tf tw −0.08582 ) r tf + [ 2.299−3.445 √ (tw tf )3 +4.794 (tw tf )2 ]} b­ tw+10tf d­ tf +5tw (4.1) Fig. 11. T cross-section The shearing stresses at the points A and B can be expressed as follows τA =Gαtf [ 0.9704+0.037997 tw tf +0.1742 (tw tf )2 +0.1232 r tf +0.1640 ( r tf )2 −0.03469 ( r tf )3] τB =Gαtf { 0.05257 tf tw +0.7226+ ( 0.0985+0.35058 √ tw tf ) r tf + ( 0.08739+0.3903 tw tf ) √ tf r } (4.2) The shearing stress at the point S on the straight segment can found using the expression τS =Gαtw. Closed-form solutions for torsion analysis of structural beams... 403 4.2. Formulation for + beams Consider a + cross-section as shown in Fig. 12. Having the torsional rigidity formulas given in Eqs (3.2), (3.5) and (3.16)2 for straight, end, and four-way segments, the closed-form torque formula for the whole + cross-section can be expressed as follows T Gα = (f−10tw − tf)t3w 3 + (e−10tf − tw)t3f 3 +1.1240(t4w + t 4 f) + t4f { 4.156−4.358 √ tw tf +5.216 (tw tf )2 + [ 0.3736+1.693 √ (tw tf )3 ] √ ( r tf )3 + ( 0.4994+0.4801 tw tf )( r tf )3 } e­ tw+10tf f ­ tf +10tw (4.3) The shearing stress at the fillet point C can be computed from Eq. (3.16)1, which yields to τC =Gαtf [ 0.01434 tf tw +0.8427+ ( 0.4074+0.2588 tw tf ) r tf + ( 0.05947+0.4602 tw tf ) √ tf r ] (4.4) Fig. 12. + cross-section 5. Numerical study In this Section, a numerical example for torsion analysis of T beams is presented. The results obtained by the proposed method are compared with those obtained from the FEM with a fine mesh. In some cases, the results are also compared with those obtained using the method presented by El Darwish and Johnston (1965). In the example, it is assumed that G=70GPa and α= 0.1rad/m. A beam with the T cross-section similar to the one shown in Fig. 11 with d=0.4m and b=0.44m is considered. The torsion analyses have been carried out for different values of the thickness and fillet radius. Figure 13 shows the shearing stresses at the two critical points A and B with tf = tw = 0.02m for different values of the fillet radius. The results obtained by the present method are compared with the FEM solutions. The thin-walled theory solution and the results for the shearing stress at the point A obtained by El Darwish and Johnston method (1965) are also presented in Fig. 13. The method presented by El Darwish cannot predict the shearing stress at the point B. Figure 13 shows that the results obtained by the presented formulas are in excellent agreement with the FEM results. It can also be seen that the results obtained by the thin-walled theory for the shearing stress are considerably less thanvalues of the shearing stresses at the points A and B. Variation of the torque with respect to the fillet radius is illustrated in 404 S.Z. Shahpari, M.R. Hematiyan Fig. 13. Variation of the shearing stresses in the T-beamwith respect to the fillet radius Fig. 14. Variation of the torque in the T-beamwith respect to the fillet radius Fig. 14. The obtained results are compared with the FEM solution and the results based on the El Darwish and Johnstonmethod. Figure 15 shows the shearing stresses at the two critical points A and B with r=0.008m for different values of the thickness (tf = tw). The results obtained by the present method are compared with the FEM solutions. The results obtained using the thin-walled theory and the El Darwish and Johnston method are shown in this figure. The results for the torque with respect to the thickness in comparison with the FEM solution and the results obtained by the El Darwish and Johnstonmethod are shown in Fig. 16. As it can be seen fromFigs. 15 and 16, the results obtained by the present method are in excellent agreement with the accurate FEM solutions. 6. Conclusion Amethod for torsion analysis of structuralmembers, including three- or four-way junctionswas presented. By the presented method, closed-form formulas can be derived for the evaluation of the torsional rigidity and the shearing stresses in a beam containing corner fillets. With these closed-form formulas, one can simply analyze, design, or optimize a structural member under torsion.For example, for aT-beamunder torsion, itwas shownthat there is anoptimumvalue for the corner radius tominimize themaximum shearing stress. By presenting numerical examples, it was seen that the accuracy of the proposed method is excellent. However, the thin-walled theory cannot estimate an acceptable value for the shearing stress at the corner points even for thin-walled members. The method presented in this paper can be used efficiently for thin- to moderately thick-wall members. In this paper, the focus was on the torsion analysis. When a Closed-form solutions for torsion analysis of structural beams... 405 Fig. 15. Variation of the shearing stresses in the T-beamwith respect to thickness Fig. 16. Variation of the torque in the T-beamwith respect to thickness beam is subjected to a combination of various loads such as torsion, bendingmoment, shear, and axial forces, the total deformations and stresses can be found using a superposition technique. A. Appendix – the curve fitting method Themethod for curvefittingused in this paper is basedon the least squaremethod.Thismethod is described briefly in this Section. A simple set, including n points (xi,yi), i = 1,2,3, . . . ,n, where xi is the independentvariable and yi is thedependentvariable, is considered.The function y = f(x;c1,c2, . . . ,cm) is going to fit on these data. c1 to cm in this function are unknown constants, which should be determined in a way that the summation of the squares of errors between the original and fitted values is minimum. This summation can be expressed as follows Serr = n ∑ i=1 [yi−f(xi,c1,c2, . . . ,cm)]2 (A.1) Theminimum of the above summation can be found by setting its gradient equal to zero ∂Serr ∂cj =0 j=1,2,3, . . . ,m (A.2) Therefore, m equations are generated, which should be solved simultaneously. Solving this sys- temof equations gives m constants appearing in the function f. In order to analyze the accuracy 406 S.Z. Shahpari, M.R. Hematiyan of the fitted curve, the coefficient of determination (R2) is evaluated. The coefficient of deter- mination can be found as follows R2 =1− Serr Stot (A.3) where Serr = ∑ i [yi−f(xi)]2 Stot = ∑ i (yi−y)2 y= 1 n n ∑ i=1 yi (A.4) R2 values near unity indicate a close relationship between the fitted function and original data. References 1. Arghavan S., Hematiyan M.R., 2009, Torsion of functionally graded hollow tubes, Europ. J. Mech. A/Solids, 28, 3, 551-559 2. British standards Institution, 1993, British Standard, Specification for hot-rolled sections, BS 4: Part 1 3. Chen Y.Z., Chen Y.H., 1981, Solutions of the torsion problem for bars with -, [-, +-, and T cross-section by a harmonic function continuation technique, International Journal of Engineering Science, 19, 6, 791-804 4. Doostfatemeh A., Hematiyan M.R., Arghavan S., 2009, Closed-form approximate formulas for torsional analysis of hollow tubes with straight and circular edges, Journal of Mechanics, 25, 4, 401-409 5. 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Reddy J.N., 1993,An Introduction to the Finite Element Method, New York:McGraw-Hill Inc. 12. SaddM.H., 2009,Elasticity; Theory, Application, andNumerics, Elsevier, 2ndEdition,Academic Press 13. Timoshenko S.P., Goodier J.N., 1970,Theory of Elasticity, McGraw-Hill Co. Closed-form solutions for torsion analysis of structural beams... 407 Rozwiązania w postaci zamkniętej problemu skręcania belek konstrukcyjnych z uwzględnieniem promieni przejściowych pomiędzy łączonymi segmentami Streszczenie W pracy przedstawiono efektywne, półanalityczne rozwiązanie problemu skręcania belek konstruk- cyjnych o różnych przekrojach, takich jak T, I, H, E oraz +. Całkiem proste, a jednocześnie dokładne sformułowanie zagadnienia oparte na rozwiązaniach analitycznych i numerycznych zaprezentowano dla przypadku obliczania naprężeń ścinających w krytycznych punktach przekroju oraz wyznaczania sztyw- ności torsyjnej elementu poddanego obciążeniu skręcającemu. Rozwiązanie zadania oparto na funkcji naprężeń Prandtla. Przekrój poprzeczny belek zdekomponowano na kilka segmentów, włączając w to elementy prostoliniowe i zakrzywione, końcowe oraz łączące. Problem skręcania rozwiązano dla każdego segmentu oddzielnie. Typowe elementy łączące przeanalizowano za pomocą metody elementów skończo- nych z zastosowaniem drobnej siatki. Pozostałe segmenty obliczono analitycznie. Rozwiązanie w postaci zamkniętej względem parametrów geometrycznych wyznaczono pod kątem naprężeń ścinających w kry- tycznych punktach każdego segmentu. Sztywność skrętną całego przekroju wyrażono również formułą w postaci zamkniętej. Zaprezentowane rozwiązania mogą być stosowane w analizie skręcania szerokie- go typoszeregu od cienko- po umiarkowanie grubościennych belek konstrukcyjnych o skomplikowanym kształcie przekroju poprzecznego. Manuscript received January 25, 2012; accepted for print July 11, 2012