1.

GENERAL THEORY
• When a beam bends it takes up various shapes such as that illustrated in figure
The shape may be superimposed on an x – y graph with the origin at the left
end of the beam (before it is loaded). At any distance x meters from the left end,
the beam will have a deflection y and a gradient or slope dy/dx and it is these
that we are concerned with in this tutorial.
• We have already examined the equation relating bending moment and radius of
M E
curvature in a beam, namely =
I R
• M is the bending moment.
• I is the second moment of area about the centroid.
• E is the modulus of elasticity and
• R is the radius of curvature.
 M 1
• Rearranging we have IE = R
• Figure 1 illustrates the radius of curvature
which is defined as the radius of a circle
that has a tangent the same as the point on
the x-y graph.

• Mathematically it can be shown that any

curve plotted on x - y graph has a radius
of curvature of defined as
𝑑2 𝑦
1 𝑑𝑥2
= 3
𝑅 𝑑𝑦
[1+𝑑𝑥]2
• In beams, R is very large and the equation may be simplified without loss of
accuracy to
1 𝑑2 𝑥
=
R 𝑑𝑦 2
𝑑2𝑥 M
=
𝑑𝑦 2 IE
𝑑2𝑥
M = EI
𝑑𝑦 2
• The product EI is called the flexural stiffness of the beam.

• In order to solve the slope (dy/dx) or the deflection (y) at any point on the
beam, an equation for M in terms of position x must be substituted into equation
(1A). We will now examine this for the 4 standard cases.
 A cantilever beam with a point load at the end.
 A cantilever beam with a uniformly distributed load.
 A simply supported beam with a point load at the middle.
 A simply supported beam with a uniformly distributed load.
• CANTILEVER WITH POINT
LOAD AT FREE END

• Deflection at free end

𝑤𝑙 3
y=
3𝐸𝐼
• Slope at free end
𝑤𝑙 2
θ=
2𝐸𝐼
• CANTILEVER WITH A
UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED LOAD

• Deflection at free end

𝑤𝑙 4
y=
8𝐸𝐼
• Slope at free end
𝑤𝑙 3
θ=
6𝐸𝐼
• Cantilever Beam – eccentric load P at
any point

• Deflection at free end

𝑤𝑎2
Y= (3𝑙 − 𝑥)
6𝐸𝐼
• Slope at free end
𝑤𝑎2
θ=
2𝐸𝐼
• Cantilever Beam – Couple moment M at
the free end

• Deflection at free end

𝑀𝑙 2
Y=
2𝐸𝐼
• Slope at free end
𝑀𝑙
θ=
𝐸𝐼
• SIMPLY SUPPORTED BEAM
WITH POINT LOAD IN MIDDLE

• Deflection at free end

𝑤𝑙 3
y=
48𝐸𝐼
• Slope at free end
𝑤𝑙 2
θ=
16𝐸𝐼
• SIMPLY SUPPORTED BEAM
WITH A UNIFORMLY
DISTRIBUTED LOAD

• Deflection at free end

5𝑤𝑙 4
y=
348𝐸𝐼
• Slope at free end
𝑤𝑙 3
θ=
24𝐸𝐼
• Beam Simply Supported at Ends –
Couple moment M at the right end

• Slope at free end

𝑤𝑙
θ1 =
6𝐸𝐼
𝑤𝑙
θ2 =
3𝐸𝐼
• Deflection at free end
𝑀𝑙 2
y=
16𝐸𝐼
Gandhinagar Institute of Technology : Department of Civil Engineering