Chapter 9

Deflection of Beams

Department of MAE, CUHK, 2023 1

 9.1
Introduction
Review: Deflection of a beam subjected to pure bending

moment

2
9.2 Deformation of a Beam
under Transverse Loading
• Relationship between bending moment and
curvature for pure bending remains valid for
general transverse loadings.
1 M ( x)

 EI
• Cantilever beam subjected to concentrated load
at the free end,
1 Px

 EI
 Curvature varies linearly with x
1
 At the free end A, ρ A 0, ρ A 

1 EI
 At the support B, 0,  B 
B PL

3
• Overhanging beam
 From FBD, reactions at A and C can be determined
 Draw the bending-moment diagram
 Curvature is zero at points where the bending
moment is zero, i.e., at each end and at E.
1 M ( x)

 EI
 Beam is concave upwards where the bending
moment is positive and concave downwards where it
is negative.

 Maximum curvature occurs where the moment

magnitude is a maximum.
 An equation for the beam shape or elastic curve is
required to determine maximum deflection and
slope.

4
 9.3 Equation of the Elastic
Curve
• From elementary calculus, simplified for beam
parameters, 2
d y
1 dx 2 d2y
 
   dy  2 3 2 dx 2
1    
  dx  
Since

1 M ( x)

 EI

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6
• Constants are determined from boundary conditions
x x
EI y dx M x dx  C1x  C2
0 0

• Three cases for statically determinate beams,

– Simply supported beam

y A 0, y B 0

– Overhanging beam
y A 0, y B 0
– Cantilever beam
y A 0,  A 0

• More complicated loadings require multiple

integrals and application of requirement for
continuity of displacement and slope.
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 Example 1
The overhanging steel beam ABC carries a concentrated load P at end C. For
portion AB of the overhanging beam, (a) derive the equation for the elastic curve,
(b) determine the maximum deflection, (c) evaluate ymax for the following data:

8
Solution
• 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
 P x
dx L

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 • Integrate differential equation twice and apply
boundary conditions to obtain elastic curve.
dy 1 a
EI  P x 2  C1
dx 2 L
1 a 3
EI y  P x  C1x  C2
6 L

d2y a at x 0, y 0 : C2 0
EI 2  P x
dx L 1 a 3 1
at x L, y 0 : 0  P L  C1L C1  PaL
6 L 6

Substituting,
2
dy 1 a 1 dy PaL   x
EI  P x 2  PaL  1  3  
dx 2 L 6 dx 6 EI   L 
1 a 3 1
EI y  P x  PaLx 3
6 L 6 PaL2  x  x
y     
6 EI  L  L 

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 • Locate point of zero slope or point
of maximum deflection.
2
dy PaL   xm   L
0  1  3   xm  0.577 L
dx 6 EI   L   3

3
PaL2  x  x   • Evaluate corresponding maximum
y     deflection.
6 EI  L  L  

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 9.5 Statically Indeterminate
Beams
• Consider beam with fixed support at A and roller
support at B.
• From free-body diagram, note that there are four
unknown reaction components.
• Conditions for static equilibrium yield
 Fx 0  Fy 0  M A 0

The beam is statically indeterminate.

• Also have the beam deflection equation,
x x
EI y dx M x dx  C1x  C2
0 0
which introduces two unknowns but provides
three additional equations from the boundary
conditions:
At x 0,  0 y 0 At x L, y 0

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 Example 2
For the uniform beam, (a). determine the reaction at A, (b). derive the equation
for the elastic curve, and (c). determine the slope at A. (Note that the beam is
statically indeterminate to the first degree.)

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Solution
• Consider moment acting at section D,

 M D 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

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 • 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

d2y w0 x3
• Apply boundary conditions
EI 2 M R A x 
dx 6L at x 0, y 0 : C2 0
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
R A L3  w0 L4 0 R A  w0 L 
3 30 10

15
• 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 

• 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

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 9.7 Method of Superposition

Principle of Superposition
• Deformations of beams subjected to combinations of loadings may be obtained as
the linear combination of the deformations from the individual loadings.

• Procedure is facilitated by tables of solutions for common types of loadings and

supports.

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Several Types of Beam Deflection

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 Example 3
For the beam and loading shown, determine the slope and deflection at point
B.

Solution
Superpose the deformations due to Loading I and Loading II as
shown.

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Loading I
wL3 wL4
 B I  yB I 
6 EI 8 EI

Loading II

wL3 wL4
C II  yC II 
48 EI 128EI

In beam segment CB, the bending moment is

zero and the elastic curve is a straight line.

wL3
 B II C II 
48 EI

wL4 wL3  L  7 wL4

yB II    
128 EI 48 EI  2  384 EI

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Combine the two solutions,

wL3 wL3 7 wL3

 B  B I   B II    B 
6 EI 48 EI 48 EI

wL4 7 wL4 41wL4

y B y B I  y B II   y B 
8 EI 384EI 384 EI

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 9.8 Application of Superposition to
Statically Indeterminate Beams

• Method of superposition may be applied • Determine the beam deformation

to determine the reactions at the supports without the redundant support.
of statically indeterminate beams.
• Treat the redundant reaction as an
• Designate one of the reactions as unknown load which, together with the
redundant and eliminate or modify the other loads, must produce deformations
support. compatible with the original supports.

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 Example 4
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.

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• Distributed loading:

y 
w
24 EI

x 4  2 Lx 3  L3 x 

2
At point B, x  3 L

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

24
• Redundant reaction loading:

Pa 2b 2
At x a, y 
3EIL

For a  23 L and b 13 L

2 2
R  2   L
yB R  B  L  
3EIL  3   3 
RB L3
0.01646
EI

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 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,

R A 0.271wL  RC 0.0413wL 

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 Sample Problem 9.8

Slope at end A,

wL3 wL3
Distributed loading:  A w   0.04167
24 EI EI
Redundant reaction
loading:

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

wL3 wL3
 A  A w   A R  0.04167  0.03398
EI EI

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