HOME
ME128 – Project 1: Interactive Computation and Graphics of Simple Beams

Purpose: To create an interactive MATLAB program which calculated shear, bending moment, slope, deflection, and stress in a fixed-simply supported I-beam with an applied point load, point moment, and distributed load. These results were then compared to those determined by a FEM analysis.

Method: The MATLAB code iterated hand-derived equations for the desired behaviors. A full 2-dimensional stress distribution was then iteratively created for each 0.1” element of the beam. A CAD model of the beam was analyzed in FEMPRO to compare the results.

The entire report (34 pgs) can be downloaded in Word document and Adobe PDF form. (doc) (pdf)