TOPIC 1

Slope Deflection Method

for Statically Indeterminate
Beams
by:

ZAWANI BINTI ABU RAIS

CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
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 Learning Outcome

Upon completion of this topic, students should be

able to:

Understand the basic concept of slope deflection method for solving

the indeterminate beams:

1 State the slope deflection equation

2 Calculate the internal moments at support for continuous

beams subjected to point loads and distributed loads up to
Three unknowns using slope deflection method
3 Draw shear force and bending moment diagram
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 1.1 INTRODUCTION
1. Deflections of structures:
• can occur from various sources, such as loads, temperature,
fabrication errors or settlement.
• must be limited in order to provide integrity and stability of roofs
and prevent cracking of attached brittle materials such as
concrete, plaster or glass.
• caused by its internal loadings such as normal force, shear force
or bending moment

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 1.1 INTRODUCTION

2. When a structure is loaded, P specified points on it called nodes

will undergo unknown displacements.
P

A B
A

Where:
 = Displacement
A = Rotation (slope)

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 1.1 INTRODUCTION

3. Support that resist a force:

At pinned : At roller :
A B
A = 0 B = 0
A ≠ 0 B ≠ 0

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 1.1 INTRODUCTION

3. Support that resist a force:

At fixed :
A = 0
A = 0 B

At free :
 B = maxs
B = maxs
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 1.2 SLOPE DEFLECTION EQUATION

To develop the general form of the slope-deflection equations:

• The typical span AB of a continuous beam, subjected to some
loading and has a constant EI

Where:
L  length of the span AB
E  Young' s modulus for the beam material
I  moment of inertiaof the beam section
M AB  support moment at A
3 M BA  support moment at B
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 1.2 SLOPE DEFLECTION EQUATION

• To relate the beam’s internal end moments MAB and MBA in term of
its three degrees of freedom, namely its angular displacement A
and B and linear displacement,  which could be caused by a
relative settlement,  between the supports.
• Moments and angular displacements will be considered positive
when they act clockwise on the span.

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 1.2 SLOPE DEFLECTION EQUATION

Where:
M = Internal moments @ end moments (kNm)
 = rotation (slope)
 = settlement
L = Length of beam span
EI = Flexural Rigidity (kNm2)
3 FEM = Fixed End Moment
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 1.3 THE BEAM’S INTERNAL END MOMENTS

MA  0 MB = 0 MC = 0

MAB = ? MBA + MBC = 0 MCB = 0

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 1.3 THE BEAM’S INTERNAL END MOMENTS

MA  0 MB = 0 MC = 0 MC  0

MAB = ? MBA + MBC = 0 MCB + MCD = 0 MDC = ?

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 1.4 FIXED END MOMENT (FEM)

Reaction moments developed in a beam member under certain

load conditions with both ends fixed.
FEMAB FEMBA
w / unit length

A
L
A B

w
FEMAB FEMBA

A L/2 L/2 B

3 NOTE : -ve for anticlockwise and +ve for clockwise moment 12

 1.4 FIXED END MOMENT (FEM)

w
FEMAB FEMBA

A a b B

3 NOTE : -ve for anticlockwise and +ve for clockwise moment 13

 1.5 SLOPE DEFLECTION METHOD

Step 1: Calculate Fixed End Moment (FEM) for each member

Step 2: Write Slope Deflection Equation

Step 3: Solve Equilibrium Equation and solve for unknown 

Step 4: Substitute  into Slope deflection Equation and calculate

the internal moment

Step 5: Calculate reaction and draw SFD and BMD

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