Experimental study of a flexible beam on a sand foundation

Summary

1. With the method given for determining the parameters of a sand base, the bending moments of a beam calculated from Winkler's model differ little from the experimental values. In a number of cases the curves of M (Fig. 1, 4), constructed from the theory of a linearly deformed half-space, differ markedly from the experimental curves; this may be explained by the fact that in the author's experiments there was an appreciable difference between the sand base and a linearly deformed half-space.

2. The curves of y constructed from both theories coincide fairly closely with the experimental curves, except for the curve constructed from the theory of a linearly deformed half-space (Fig. 1 and 4).

3. From an analysis of the experimental and theoretical curves of M and y (Fig. 1–6), we can take it that, in these conditions during loading by a flexible beam, a sand base behaves as though its density varies along the beam, being greater at the center and less at the ends.