New Zealand Diploma
in Engineering Level 6
MECH4001 (DE4101)
ENGINEERING FUNDAMENTALS
VERSION 1 LEVEL 4 CREDIT 15
Laboratory 3
Simple Beam
TUTOR:
STUDENT: _____________________________________
ID: _____________________________________
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
· Enter your name above.
· Complete these exercises during scheduled class time.
· Have each exercise checked by the tutor when complete.
· Due Date:
Acknowledgements: Sourced from Wellington Institute of Technology Te Whare Wananga o te Awakairangi
LABORATORY 2
SIMPLE BEAM REACTION
OBJECTIVE
To familiarise students with the apparatus.
To find experimentally the support reactions for a simply supported beam, under point and distributed loads, and compare the experimental results with calculated values.
EQUIPMENT
· Two force indicators
· One digital deflection indicato
· Two weight hangers
· A set of weights
· One of the beams (
ass 1.35m)
METHOD 1 (without UDL)
Procedure
1) Set up the load cells to match the dimensions in the diagram.
2) Ensure that the load cells have their locking pins removed.
3) Fit the beam and the three mass hangers to the beam, as shown above.
4) Push the origin button on each force indicator to set zero.
5) Add the specified masses to each hanger and note the readings on both force indicator gauges.
Results Analysis
1) Calculate the reactions for the beam as loaded in the diagram.
2) Compare the theoretical results with the actual readings.
3) Comment on any variation between the two sets of results.
METHOD 2 (with UDL)
Procedure
1) Set up the load cells to match the dimensions in the diagram.
2) Ensure that the load cells have their locking pins removed.
3) Push the origin button on each force indicator to set zero.
4) Fit the beam and the three mass hangers to the beam, as shown above.
5) Add the specified masses to each hanger and note the readings on both force indicator gauges.
Results Analysis
1) Calculate the reactions for the beam as loaded in the diagram but this time include a uniformly distributed load of 10.52 N/m across the full length of the beam.
2) Compare the theoretical results with the actual readings.
3) Comment on any variation between the two sets of results
© Toi Ohomai New Zealand Diploma in Engineering Level 6 Page 2