On the Static Flexural Response of Shear Deformable Isotropic Rectangular Nanobeams under the Parabolic Loading

It is well known that size-dependent effects, which are insignificant for macroscopic structures, become significant for small-scale structures like nanobeams. In addition, effects of the beam transverse shear deformation, which are insignificant for slender beams, become significant for shear deformable beams. Hence the need arises for a beam theory which is simple-to-use as well as which accounts for just-mentioned features of shear deformable nanobeams. Recently, the authors have developed a single variable new first-order shear deformation nonlocal beam theory (NFSDNBT, doi: 10.1007/s40430-019-2128-6). The NFSDNBT is applicable for the flexure of linear isotropic nanobeams undergoing small deformations. Displacement functions of the NFSDNBT give rise to the constant transverse shear strain through the beam thickness. Hence similar to the nonlocal Timoshenko beam theory (NTBT), the NFSDNBT also requires a shear correction factor. In the NFSDNBT, nonlocal differential stress-strain constitutive relations of Eringen are utilized, through which size-dependent effects have been taken into account. These relations relate not only the beam axial stress with the beam axial strain but also the beam transverse shear stress with the beam transverse shear strain. The governing equation of the NFSDNBT is obtained by utilizing beam gross equilibrium equations and it has a strong resemblance with the governing equation of the nonlocal Bernoulli-Euler beam theory (NBEBT). In this paper, the NFSDNBT is utilized for finding the static flexural response of shear deformable isotropic rectangular nanobeams under the action of parabolically distributed transverse loading. For the simply-supported, clamped-clamped and cantilever nanobeams, effects of variations in values of the nonlocal parameter of Eringen and beam thickness-to-length ratio on the maximum non-dimensional beam transverse displacement are presented. Obtained results are compared with corresponding results obtained by utilizing the NTBT and NBEBT so as to demonstrate the efficacy of the NFSDNBT. Along-the-length profiles of the non-dimensional beam transverse displacement for the just-mentioned cases of nanobeams, for various values of the nonlocal parameter and beam thickness-to-length ratio are also presented.