Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 August 2014
We present an exact analysis of the displacement and stress fields in an elastic 2-D cantilever subjected to axial force, shear force and moment, in which the end conditions are exactly satisfied. The problem is formulated on the basis of the state space formalism for 2-D deformation of an orthotropic body. Upon delineating the Hamiltonian characteristics of the formulation and by using eigenfunction expansion, a rigorous solution which satisfies the end conditions is determined. The results show that the end condition alters the stress significantly only near the end, and elementary solutions in the form of polynomials can give sufficiently accurate results except near the ends. Such a system would give rise to localized stresses and displacements in the immediate neighborhood of the ends, and the effect may be expected to diminish with distance on account of geometrical divergence.