CIVL 3121 Deflections - Conjugate Beam 1/5

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Conjugate-Beam Method
 Heinrich Franz Bernhard Müller was
 The development of the conjugate beam method born in Wroclaw (Breslau) on 13 May
has been atributed to several strucutral engineers. 1851.
 In 1875 he opened a civil engineer's
 Many credit Heinrich Müller-Breslau (1851- office in Berlin. Around this time he
1925) with the develoment of this method in 1865, decided to add the name of his
while others, say the method was developed by hometown to his surname, becoming
Christian Otto Mohr (1835-1918). known as Müller-Breslau.
 He founded the so-called "Berlin School" of
structural theory.

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 Christian Otto Mohr was an
enthusiast for graphical tools and
developed the method for visually
representing stress in 3D known as
Mohr's Circle.
 He also developed methods for truss
displacements and for analyzing
statically indeterminate structures.
 He founded the so-called “Dresden School" of
applied mechanics and has differences of option
with Müller-Breslau throughout their careers.
Conjugate-Beam Method
 Conjugate beam is defined as the imaginary beam
with the same dimensions (length) as that of the
original beam but load at any point on the con-
jugate beam is equal to the bending moment at
that point divided by EI.
 The conjugate-beam method is an engineering
method to derive the slope and displacement of a
beam.
 This method relies only on the principles of statics,
so its application will be more familiar.

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The method is based on the similarity between the  The previous expressions relate the internal shear
relationships for loading and shear, and shear and and moment to the applied load.
moment.  The slope and deflection of the elastic curve are
related to the internal moment by the following
dV dM d 2M expressions
 w(x) V  w
dx dx dx 2 d M d 2y M
 
dx E I dx 2 E I
V   w ( x )dx M    w ( x )dx dx
M M
  dx y   dx dx
EI EI
CIVL 3121 Deflections - Conjugate Beam 2/5

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 Let’s compare expressions for shear, V, and the  Let’s compare expressions for bending moment,
slope,  M, and the displacement, y

dV d M d 2M d 2y M
w  w 
dx dx E I dx 2 dx 2 EI
 What do you see?  What do you see?
 If you replace w with the term M/EI the  Just as before, if you replace w with the term
expressions for shear force and slope are M/EI the expressions for bending moment and
identical displacement are identical

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 We will use this relationship to our advantage by w

constructing a beam with the same length as the w = w(x)
Real beam with applied loading.
Determine the bending moment
real beam referred to as the conjugate beam. (draw the bending moment
x diagram)

 The conjugate beam is loaded with the M/EI

diagram, simulating the external load w. M
Conjugate beam where the
EI
applied loading is bending
moment from the real beam

x Note the sign of loading w and

the M/EI on the conjugate beam.

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Therefore, the two theorems related to the Conjugate-Beam Supports

conjugate beam method are:
 Theorem 1: The slope at a point in the real beam
is equal to the shear at the corresponding point
in the conjugate beam.
When the conjugate beam is drawn, it is important that the
shear and moment developed in the conjugate beam
correspond to the slope and displacement conditions in the
real beam.
Real Support Conjugate Support

 Theorem 2: The displacement of a point in the V

real beam is equal to the moment at the 

corresponding point in the conjugate beam. Pin or roller Pin or roller

=0 0 M=0 V0

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Conjugate-Beam Supports Conjugate-Beam Supports

Real Support Conjugate Support Real Support Conjugate Support

M V R VL VR
L

Free end Fixed end Interior support Hinge

0 0 M0 V0 =0 L = R  0 M=0 VL = VR  0

VL VR
L R

Fixed end Free end Hinge

Interior roller
=0 =0 0
L and R may have
M=0 V=0 M0 VL and VR may have
different values
different values

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 As a rule, statically determinant real beams Procedure for analysis

have statically determinant conjugate beams
and statically indeterminate beams become
unstable conjugate beams.
 However, the M/EI loading may provide the
necessary “equilibrium” to hold the conjugate
beam stable.
1. Construct the conjugate beam with the M/EI loading.
Remember when the M/EI diagram is positive the loading is upward and
when the M/EI diagram is negative the loading is downward.
2. Use the equations of equilibrium to solve for the
reactions of the conjugate beam.
This may be difficult if the moment diagram is complex.
3. Solve for the shear and moment at the point or points
where the slope and displacement are desired.
If the values are positive, the slope is counterclockwise and the
displacement is upward.

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Draw the conjugate beam, including supports, for the Draw the conjugate beam, including supports, for the
following beams following beams

Conjugate beam and supports Conjugate beam and supports

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Draw the conjugate beam, including supports, for the Example: Determine the slope and the displacement at point C for the
following beam. Assume that E = 30,000 ksi and I = 300 in4.
following beams
10 k M 50
EI k ft.
10 ft.
EI
A 10 ft. B
C
10 ft. 10 ft.

Construct the conjugate beam and apply the M/EI diagram as loading
50
k ft.
EI
Remember positive (+) bending
moment is a positive (+) loading on
A B the conjugate beam.
Conjugate beam and supports
10 ft. C 10 ft.

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Example: Determine the slope and the displacement at point C for the Example: Determine the slope and the displacement at point C for the
following beam. Assume that E = 30,000 ksi and I = 300 in4. following beam. Assume that E = 30,000 ksi and I = 300 in4.

FCE 50 50
k ft. k ft.
EI 1  50k ft.  EI
FCE    (20ft.)
2  EI  VC
A B A B
M
10 ft. C 10 ft. 10Cft. C 10 ft.

Ay Ay 250 k ft 2
By By
EI

 10 ft.   250 k ft 
2
1  50k ft.  250 k ft 2 1  50 k ft 
  M A  0  (20 ft.)(10 ft.)  By (20 ft.) By     MC  0  MC   (10 ft.)     EI  (10 ft.)
2  E I  EI 2  E I   3   
1  50k ft.  250 k ft 2 1,666.6 k ft 3 1,666.6 k ft 3 1,728 in3

  Fy  0  (20 ft.)  By  Ay Ay   MC       0.32in.
2  E I  EI EI (30,000ksi)(300in4 ) ft 3

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Example: Determine the slope and the displacement at point C for the Example: Determine the slope and the displacement at point C for the
following beam. Assume that E = 30,000 ksi and I = 300 in4. following beam. Assume that E = 30,000 ksi and I = 300 in4.

50 50
k ft. k ft.
EI EI
VC VC
A B A B
M M
10Cft. C 10 ft. 10Cft. C 10 ft.

Ay 250 k ft 2 Ay 250 k ft 2
By By
EI EI

 Therefore, the displacement of the beam at point C is equal to the

1  50 k ft.   250 k ft 2  moment at point C on the conjugate beam and the slope is equal to

  Fy  0   (10 ft.)     VC VC  0
2  E I 
the shear in the conjugate beam.
 EI 
 In this problem. the displacement at point C is -0.32 in and
the slope is zero.
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Example: Determine the slope and the displacement at point B for the Example: Determine the maximum displacement at the mid-span of the
following beam. Assume that E = 29,000 ksi and I = 800 in4. following beam. Assume that E = 30,000 ksi and I = 800 in4.

5k 5k

B
15 ft. 15 ft. A 9 ft. 3 ft. B
A

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Example: Determine the slope at point B and the dis-placement at point Example: Determine the slope at A and the displacement at mid-span.
E for the following beam. Assume that E = 29,000 ksi and IAB = IDE =
400 in4, and IBD = 800 in4.

8k 8k
B D A
A E L B
C
10 ft. 10 ft. 10 ft. 10 ft.

Are there any disadvantages to the conjugate beam method for

uniform or high-order loading functions?

End of Defections – Part 2

Any questions?