Elastic solutions of a functionally graded cantilever beam with different modulus in tension and compression under bending loads

This paper considers a functionally graded cantilever beam with different modulus in tension and compression. The beam is subjected to bending loads, including pure bending, shear force at the free end and uniform pressure on the upper lateral, respectively. Its modulus values in tension and compression both change with the thickness coordinate as arbitrary functions, which could bring the beam a broader range of applications in engineering. The problem is treated as a plane stress case and described by Airy stress function. By using semi-inverse method, the elastic solutions for the beam are obtained, which can be easily degenerated into the ones for homogeneous beams. An example is finally presented to show the effect of nonhomogeneous materials with different modulus on the elastic field in a cantilever beam. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.