Engineering

MEC2403-Lecture 5
Beam Deflection
Objectives:

1- To obtain the expressions for the deflection of a beam.

2- To calculate the deflection of a beam under transverse loadings.
3- To relate the various quantities we have defined so far.
Applied Load
(W)

Bending Moment Shear Forces

(M) (V)

Bending Stresses Deflection

within the cross section along the length
M E 
  v Or y
I  y
MEC2403-Lecture 5 2
 d




MEC2403-Lecture 5 3
 Since  is very small we can say:

ds tan   
 dy
dy dy
dx tan     (Eq.1)
dx dx
Since  is very small we can also say:

ds  dx
d 1 d 1
On the other hand ds is an arc of a circle so: ds   d 
   (Eq. 2)
ds  dx 
Putting Eq.1 into Eq.2 we will have: d  1  d ( dy )  1  d y  1
2
(Eq. 3)
dx  dx dx  dx 2

On the other hand in last lecture we saw that:
Very
M E M 1
   (Eq. 4) Important
I  EI  Equation

d2y M
Mixing Eq.3 and Eq.4 we will get:
2
 (Eq. 5)
dx EI

MEC2403-Lecture 5 4
Alternate method for finding Equation of the Elastic Curve
From elementary calculus, based on the definition of curvature we have:
d2y
1 dx 2 d2y
 
   dy  2 3 2 dx 2
1    
  dx  
Equation of the Elastic Curve in a Beam
By integrating from M(x) equation we can get slope and deflection in a beam:
d2y
EI 2  M  x 
dx
x
 M  x dx  C1
dy
dx 0
EI   EI

x x
EI y   dx  M  x  dx  C1 x  C2
0 0

MEC2403-Lecture 5 5
Equation of the Elastic Curve
Constants are determined from boundary conditions
x x
EI y   dx  M  x  dx  C1x  C2
0 0
Three cases for statically determinant beams,

– Simply supported beam Note: In a simply

supported beam
y A  0, yB  0
with symmetrical
loading slope at
– Overhanging beam
mid-span is zero.
y A  0, yB  0
– Cantilever beam
y A  0,  A  0

More complicated loadings require multiple

integrals and application of requirement for
continuity of displacement and slope.
MEC2403-Lecture 5 6
Direct Determination of the Elastic Curve From the Load Distribution

For a beam subjected to a distributed load,

dM d 2M dV
 V x 2
   w x 
dx dx dx

Equation for beam displacement becomes

d 2M d4y
2
 EI 4
  w x 
dx dx

Integrating four times yields

EI y  x     dx  dx  dx  w x dx

 16 C1x3  12 C2 x 2  C3 x  C4

Constants are determined from boundary

conditions.

MEC2403-Lecture 5 7
Example: For the given beam:
(a) Derive the equation for the elastic curve P
(b) Determine the maximum deflection

Solution: (a) By finding M expression for a section

of the beam we can start integrating M to reach y.
L
P
M Section  0  P( x)  M  0
M M   Px
x d2y M d2y Px dy Px 2
V   2     C1
dx 2 EI dx EI dx 2 EI

We know that at a fixed support, slope is zero. So if x = L then dy/dx=0. Therefore the
first constant C1 will be found. PL2 PL2 dy Px 2 PL2
0  C1  C1     
2 EI 2 EI dx 2 EI 2 EI
Px 2 PL2 Px 3 PL2
y    dx   (  ) dx    x  C2
2 EI 2 EI 6 EI 2 EI
We know that at a fixed support deflection is also zero. So if x = L then y=0. Therefore
the second constant C2 will be found.
MEC2403-Lecture 5 8
 xL y0
PL3 PL2 PL3
0  L  C2  C2  
6 EI 2 EI 3EI

Therefore the final result for y is:

Px 3 PL2 PL3
y  x
6 EI 2 EI 3EI
(b) The maximum of y happens at x=0 so we can have:

PL3 PL3
x  0  ymax  00  ymax  
3EI 3EI

Note: The negative sign of ymax means that the deflection is downward.

MEC2403-Lecture 5 9
MEC2403-Lecture 5 10
 Example

For portion AB of the overhanging beam,

(a) derive the equation for the elastic curve,
(b) determine the maximum deflection

SOLUTION:
1) Develop an expression for M(x) 2) Integrate differential equation twice
and derive differential equation for and apply boundary conditions to
elastic curve. obtain elastic curve.

3) Locate point of zero slope or point (4) Find the corresponding maximum
of maximum deflection. deflection.

MEC2403-Lecture 5 11
SOLUTION:
1) Develop an expression for M(x) and
derive differential equation for elastic
curve.
- Reactions:
Pa  a
RA   RB  P1   
L  L

- From the free-body diagram for section AD,

a
M  P x 0  x  L 
L

- The differential equation for the elastic

curve,
d2y a
EI 2  M   P x
dx L
MEC2403-Lecture 5 12
 2) Integrate differential equation twice and apply
boundary conditions to obtain elastic curve.

d2y a dy 1 a
EI 2
  P x EI   P x 2  C1
dx L dx 2 L
1 a
EI y   P x3  C1x  C2
6 L
at x  0, y  0 : C2  0
1 a 1
at x  L, y  0 : 0   P L3  C1L C1  PaL
6 L 6
Substituting,
dy PaL   x 
2
dy 1 a 1 Slope
EI   P x 2  PaL  1  3  
dx 2 L 6 dx 6 EI   L  
1 a 1
EI y   P x3  PaLx
PaL2  x  x 
3
6 L 6
y     Deflection
6 EI  L  L  
MEC2403-Lecture 5 13
 3) Locate point of zero slope or point
of maximum deflection.

PaL2  x  x 
3
y    
6 EI  L  L  

PaL   m 
2
dy x L
0 1  3    0  x max   0.577 L
dx 6 EI   L   3

4) Find the corresponding maximum deflection by

inputting xmax into the y equation. .

ymax 
PaL2
6 EI

0.577  0.577 3 
PaL2
ymax  0.0642
6 EI

MEC2403-Lecture 5 14
 Method of Superposition

Principle of Superposition:
Deformations of beams subjected to
combinations of loadings may be Procedure is facilitated by tables of
obtained as the linear combination of solutions for common types of
the deformations from the individual loadings and supports.
loadings

MEC2403-Lecture 5 15
Methods of Superposition
Table: Cantilever Beam
Example: Method of Superposition
Statically Indeterminate Beam
Sample Problem 1

 Method of superposition may be applied to  Determine the beam deformation without

determine the reactions at the supports of the redundant support
statically indeterminate beams

 Treat the redundant reaction as an unknown

 Designate one of the reactions as
load which, together with the other loads,
redundant and eliminate / modify the
must produce deformations compatible
support
with the original supports

MEC2403-Lecture 5 19
Sample Problem 2
For the uniform beam, determine the reaction at
A, derive the equation for the elastic curve, and
determine the slope at A. (Note that the beam is
statically indeterminate to the first degree)

SOLUTION:
Develop the differential equation for the
elastic curve (will be functionally
dependent on the reaction at A).

Integrate twice and apply boundary

conditions to solve for reaction at A
and to obtain the elastic curve

Evaluate the slope at A.

MEC2403-Lecture6-Part 1 20
Sample Problem 2

Consider moment acting at section D,

MD  0
1  w0 x 2  x
RA x  M 0
2  L  3

w0 x3
M  RA x 
6L

The differential equation for the elastic curve,

d2y w0 x3
EI 2  M  R A x 
dx 6L

MEC2403-Lecture6-Part 1 21
 Integrate twice
4
dy 1 2 w0 x
EI  EI  R A x   C1
dx 2 24 L
5
1 3 w0 x
EI y  R A x   C1x  C2
6 120 L

Apply boundary conditions:

2 3
d y w0 x
EI  M  R A x  at x  0, y  0 : C2  0
dx 2 6L
3
1 2 w0 L
at x  L,   0 : RA L   C1  0
2 24
4
1 3 w0 L
at x  L, y  0 : RA L   C1L  C2  0
6 120
Solve for reaction at A
1 1 1
RA L3  w0 L4  0 RA  w0 L 
3 30 10

MEC2403-Lecture6-Part 1 22
Substitute for C1, C2, and RA in the elastic
curve equation,
5
1 1  3 w0 x  1 
EI y   w0 L  x   w0 L3  x
6  10  120 L  120 

y
w0
120 EIL

 x5  2 L2 x3  L4 x 

Differentiate once to find the slope,


dy

w0
dx 120 EIL

 5 x 4  6 L2 x 2  L4 
w0 L3
at x = 0, A 
120 EI

MEC2403-Lecture6-Part 1 23
Sample Problem 3

For the uniform beam and loading shown, determine the

reaction at each support and the slope at end A.

SOLUTION:
Release the “redundant” support at B, and find deformation.
Apply reaction at B as an unknown load to force zero displacement at B.

MEC2403-Lecture6-Part 1 24
 Distributed Loading:
wl wx 2
C
M  0 M  2 x 2
wL 2 w 3
EI   Mdx  x  x  C1
4 6
wL 3 w 4
EIy   dx  x  x  C1 x  C2
12 24
Boundary Conditions:
x 0 ,x  L  y 0  C 1 
wL3
24
, C2  0   y w   w
24 EI

x 4  2 Lx 3  L3 x 

At point B, x  23 L
w  2  
4 3
2  3 2 
 yB w   L   2 L L   L  L 
24 EI  3  3   3 
wL4
 0.01132
EI

MEC2403-Lecture6-Part 1 25
 Redundant Reaction Loading:
Pb Pa
Reactions: RA  , RC 
L L
C Pb
0  x  a   M  0  M  RA x  x
L
Pb x 2
EI   Mdx   C1
L 2
Pb x 3
EIy   dx   C1 x  C2
L 6
Pb 3
Boundary Conditions:  EIy  [ x  ( L2  b 2 ) x]
6L

For a  23 L and b  13 L and P  RB

RB L3
y  0.01646
EI

MEC2403-Lecture6-Part 1 26
Sample Problem 9.8

For compatibility with original supports, yB = 0

wL4 RB L3
0   y B w   y B R  0.01132  0.01646
EI EI
RB  0.688wL 

From statics,
RA  0.271wL  RC  0.0413wL 

MEC2403-Lecture6-Part 1 27
Sample Problem 9.8

Slope at end A,

wL3 wL3
 A w    0.04167
24 EI EI

 A R 
 

Pb L2  b 2 0.0688wL  L   2  L  
2
   L      0.03398
wL3
6 EIL 6 EIL  3    3   EI

wL3 wL3 wL3

 A   A w   A R  0.04167  0.03398  A  0.00769
EI EI EI

MEC2403-Lecture6-Part 1 28
Appendix

MEC2403-Lecture 5 29
For portion AB of the overhanging beam,
(a) derive the equation for the elastic curve,
(b) determine the maximum deflection