Structural Analysis I

DEFLECTION OF BEAMS

Daniel Rumbi Teruna

School of Civil Engineering
University of North Sumatera

Deflections
Introduction
Deflection of beams and frames is the deviation of the configuration of
beams and frames from their un-displaced state to the displaced state,
measured from the neutral axis of a beam or a frame member. It is the
cumulative effect of deformation of the infinitesimal elements of a beam or
frame member. As shown in the figure below, an infinitesimal element of
width dx can be subjected to all three actions, thrust, T, shear, V, and
moment, M. Each of these actions has a different effect on the deformation
of the element

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Effect of thrust, shear, and moment on the deformation of an element.

The effect of axial deformation on a member is axial elongation or shortening, which is
calculated in the same way as a truss members. The effect of shear deformation is the
distortion of the shape of an element that results in the transverse deflections of a member.
The effect of flexural deformation is the bending of the element that results in transverse
deflection and axial shortening. These effects are illustrated in the following
figure.

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Effects of axial, shear, and flexural deformations on a member.

While both the axial and flexural deformations result in axial elongation or
shortening, the effect of flexural deformation on axial elongation is considered
negligible for practical applications. Thus bending induced shortening, , will not
create axial tension in the figure below, even when the axial displacement is
constrained by two hinges as in the right part of the figure, because the axial
shortening is too small to be of any significance. As a result, axial and transverse
deflections can be considered separately and independently.

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Bending induced shortening is negligible.

We shall be concerned with only transverse deflection henceforth. The shear
deformation effect on transverse deflection, however, is also negligible if the length-to
depth ratio of a member is greater than ten, as a rule of thumb. Consequently, the only
effect to be included in the analysis of beam and frame deflection is that of the flexural
deformation caused by bending moments. As such, there is no need to distinguish
frames from beams. We shall now introduce the applicable theory for the transverse
deflection of beams.

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Linear Flexural Beam theoryClassical Beam Theory
Classical beam theory is based on the following assumptions:
(1) Shear deformation effect is negligible.
(2) Transverse deflection is small (<< depth of beam).
Consequently:
(1) The normal to a transverse section remains normal after deformation.
(2) The arc length of a deformed beam element is equal to the length of the
beam element before deformation.

dx

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Beam element
deformation and the
resulting curvature .

A small element s of a beam is shown in Figure 1 and is assumed to be bent in the

shape of an arc of a circle of radius R. The slope of the elastic curveat one end of
the element is . The change in slope of the elastic curve over the length of the
element is , and the curvature, or rate of change of slope, over the element is:

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The slope of the beam is positive as shown and for small displacements is given by:

In the limit:

and:

and:

d2y
EI 2 M
dx

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The slope of the elastic curve is given by the expression:
(1)
The deflection of the elastic curve is given by the expression:
(2)
Where:

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Example 1. The beam shown has a constant EI and a length L, find the rotation and
deflection formulas.

Integrating this expression with respect to x gives:

C1=0 constant of integration

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Hence, the slope of the elastic curve is given by the expression:
Integrating this expression with respect to x gives
where:
C2=constant of integration=0
Hence, the deflection of the elastic curve is given by the expression:

At x = l the deflection of the cantilever is:

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Example 2. The beam shown has a constant EI and a length L, find the maximum
rotation and deflection

A
B
d2y
EI 2 M
dx
dy
EI
Mx C1 , where C1 0
dx
EIy

1
Mx C2 , where C2 0
2

at x l

x
slope B

ML
EI

ML2
Deflection y B
2 EI

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Example 3. Find the maximum deflection of simple supported beam as shown
below

w / unit length
EI
L
d2y
d 2 y wL
wx 2
EI 2 M EI 2
x
dx
dx
2
2
dy wL 2 wx 3
EI

x
C1
dx
4
6
L dy
at x ,
0 ( as beam loaded symetrically )
2 dx
wL3
dy wL 2 wx 3 wL3
C1
EI

24
dx
4
6
24
4
3
wL 3 wx
wL
EIy
x

x C2
12
24
24
A

at x 0, y 0 C2 0
wL 3 wx 4 wL3
EIy
x

x C2
12
24
24
wL 3 wx 4 wL3
EIy
x

x
12
24
24
wL3
at x 0 slope A
24
L
5wL4
at x , max
2
384 EI

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Conjugate Beam Method. In drawing the shear and moment diagrams, the basic
equations we rely on are Eq. 3 and Eq. 4, which are reproduced below in equivalent
forms

V wdx

(3)

M Vdx ( wdx ) dx

(4)

Clearly the operations in Eq. 3 and Eq. 4 are parallel to those in Eq. 1 and Eq. 2. If
we define
M
as elastic load in parallel to q as the real load,
EI

We can now define a conjugate beam, on which an elastic load of magnitude

M/EI is applied. We can draw the shear and moment diagrams of this conjugate
beam and the results are actually the rotation and deflection diagrams of the
original beam. Before we can do that, however, we have to find out what kind of
support or connection conditions we need to specify for the conjugate beam.

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At a fixed end of the original beam, the rotation and deflection should be zero and the
shear and moment are not. At the same location of the conjugate beam, to preserve the
parallel, the shear and moment should be zero. But, that is the condition of a free end.
Thus the conjugate bean should have a free end at where the original beam has a fixed
end. The other conditions are derived in a similar way.

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Conversion from a real beam to a conjuagte beam.

We can now summarize the process of constructing of the conjugate beam and
drawing the rotation and deflection diagrams:

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(1) Construct a conjugate beam of the same dimension as the original beam.
(2) Replace the support sand connections in the original beam with another set of
supports and connections on the conjugate beam according to the above table.
i.e. fixed becomes free , free becomes fixed. etc.
(3) Place the M/EI diagram of the original beam onto the conjugate beam as a
distributed load, turning positive moment into upward load.
(4) Draw the shear diagram of the conjugate beam, positive shear indicates
counterclockwise rotation of the original beam.
(5) Draw the moment diagram of the conjugate beam, positive moment indicates
upwarddeflection.
Example 2. The beam shown has a constant EI and a length L, draw the rotation and
deflection diagrams.

A cantilever beam load by a moment at the tip.

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Solution
(1) Draw the moment diagram of the original beam.
Moment diagram.
(2) Construct the conjugate beam and apply the elastic load.

Conjagte beam and elastic load.

(3) Analyze the conjugate beam to find all reactions.

Conjagte beam, elastic load
and reactions.

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Example 3. Find the rotation and deflection at the tip of the loaded beam shown. EI
is constant. Find the tip rotation and deflection.

Solution. The solution is presented in a series of diagrams below.

Reactions

Moment diagram

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At the right end (tip of the real beam):

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Example 4. Draw the rotation and deflection diagrams of the loaded beam shown. EI
is constant.

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Solution process for rotation and deflection diagrams.

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Example 5. Find the rotation and deflection of the loaded beam shown. EI
is constant.

EI C
L

B
Momen diagram

Pab / L

Pab / EIL
Conjugate beam

La
3

Lb
3

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Pab
Pab L L b
L b
A RA
x x
/L
3
6 EIL
EIL 2
Pab a a Pa 2b 2
C RAa
x x
EIL 2 3 3EIL
Special case,

a b L/2

Pab
P L / 2 L / 2
PL2
L b
L L / 2
A
6 EIL
6 EIL
16 EI

Pa 2b 2 P L / 2 L / 2
C

3EIL
3EIL
2

PL3
48 EI

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