Deflections of Beams using the

Conjugate Beam Method

Deflections and rotations for basic cases
Deflections and rotations for basic cases
 Conjugate‐Beam method
(Developed by H. Müller‐Breslau in 1865 to handle beams with varying stiffness)
 Conjugate‐Beam method
• The basis for the method comes from similarity equations.

Real beam Conjugate beam
 Conjugate‐Beam method
• The conjugate beam is loaded with the M/EI diagram
derived from the load q on the real beam. its
equilibrium solution gives the slopes and deflections of
the real beam.
• We can state 2 theorems related to the conjugate beam
1. The slope at a point in the real beam is
numerically equal to the shear at the
corresponding point in the conjugate beam
2. The displacement of a point in the real beam   
is numerically equal to the moment at the 
corresponding point in the conjugate beam
 Conjugate‐Beam method

When drawing the conjugate 
beam, it is important that 
the shear & moment 
developed at the supports of 
the conjugate beam account 
for the corresponding slope 
& disp of the real beam at its 
supports.
 Conjugate‐Beam method
• If the real beam is statically determinate then the 
conjugate beam is also statically determinate. The 
opposite is not true!
• For consistency of the solution: if the bending moment
is causing tension at the lower side of the real beam,
then it will be applied as an equivalent force of M/EI
acting downwards on the conjugate beam, and vice
versa.
• As a result: a moment that is causing tension at the
lower side of the conjugate beam means a downloads
deflection of the real beam, and vice versa.
Example 1 – Cantilever beam
Example 2 ‐ Simply supported beam with point load
Example 3 ‐ Simply supported beam with UDL
Example 4 ‐ Beam with variable EI
Example 5 ‐ Beam with intermediate hinges
Example 6 – Application to statically indeterminate beams
Once the structure is statically indeterminate, the redundant
Reaction forces and/or moments are released, kept as unknowns,
and then determined from compatibility.