On the Function and One Method of Stress Analysis of the Structures of Passenger Cars

Abstract

The strength of the side structures of railway passenger cars has usually been analyzed as a "composit beam", namely, by assuming that the side structures are made of two beams pin-jointed with struts between them. But the side structures are recently designed as rigidly jointed structures, i.e. rahmen structures. The method of slope-deflection analysis can be rationally applied to such structures. Assuming that the external normal load can be taken only by the side stuuctures, the theory of analysis was studied for the structures as shown in Fig. 1. The structural function of upper and lower beams and struts and their mutual action of cooperation were made clear. It was also found that the rigidity EI'/l' and the shear rigidity of struts have an important role for increasing the beam action of side structures so as to be a beam as a whole, and the larger their values are, the greater the effectiveness of struts becomes.