$5.

Slope and Defection of Beams

95

Fig. 5.2. Unloaded beam A B deflected to AB under load.

This is usually very small in practice, and for small curvatures ds di dx

= dx = Rdi

(Fig. 5.2)

---

But

I. = -

dY dx
1

..

-=-

d2y dx2

R
M I E R

Now from the simple bending theory

---

Therefore substituting in eqn. (5.1)

M = E I -d2Y
dx2

This is the basic differential equation for the deflection of beams. If the beam is now assumed to carry a distributed loading which varies in intensity over the length of the beam, then a small element of the beam of length d x will be subjected to the loading condition shown in Fig. 5.3.The parts of the beam on either side of the element EFGH carry the externally applied forces, while reactions to these forces are shown on the element itself. Thus for vertical equilibrium of EFGH,

..

Q-wdx = Q-dQ dQ = wdx