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Deflection of Beams
As a result of deformation, fibres on the concave side are shortened slightly (because of
compression) while those on the convex side are elongated slightly (because of tension).
Somewhere between the top and bottom of the beam section, there is a layer of fibres, which
remains unchanged in length. That is called the neutral surface. Its intersection with any
cross-section is called the neutral axis of that section.
dθ
R Compression
M M x σ
dx
y dA y Tension
(a) Beam segment under (b) Beam section (c) Bending stress
pure bending
Figure 1. Beam under pure bending
Consider two adjacent cross-sections at a small distance dx apart. Before bending, they are
parallel to each other, but after bending they intersect at o and the angle between them is
denoted by dθ.
Since there must be no resultant normal force on the section under pure bending,
∫ σ dA = (E/R) ∫ y dA = A y = 0
1
Therefore y must be equal to 0. Thus the neutral axis of a section in pure bending passes
through the centroid.
The moment of the elemental force about the neutral axis of the section is
dM = (σ dA) y
M = ∫ σ y dA = ∫ (E/R) y2 dA = (E/R) ∫ y2 dA
The integral ∫ y2 dA is the second moment of area of the section and is denoted by I.
For a symmetrical prismatic beam bent by transverse loads acting in a plane of symmetry, it
can be shown that the curvature of the neutral surface is given by
1 / R = M / EI
at each cross-section. Thus, the curvature 1/R is seen to vary along the beam as the bending
moment varies.
Consider any segment ds of the deflection curve (or elastic line). One has
ds =R dθ or
dθ 1
=
ds R
ds ≈ dx
dy
θ≈ and
dx
1 d2y
≈
R dx 2
Taking the sign convention and the direction of the coordinate axes into consideration, we get
the differential equation of the elastic line as
d2y M
2
=– or
dx EI
d2y
EI =–M
dx 2
2
By integrating once, we get dy/dx along the beam, i.e. the slope of the deflection curve. By
integrating twice, we get y along the beam, i.e. the shape of the deflection curve.
w
y (a) Beam and loading
V
M + dM
x -PL
M
dx M
V + dV (b) Bending moment diagram
Example 1
Consider the prismatic cantilever under a point load at tip as shown in Figure 3.
At x, Mx = – P (L – x)
EI (d2y/dx2) = – Mx = P (L – x)
c1 = 0
c2 = 0
Therefore the equations for the deflection curve and its slope are
3
Macaulay’s Method
In applying the Double Integration Method, normally a separate expression for bending
moment must be written for each section of the beam between adjacent concentrated loads or
reactions, each producing a different equation with its own constants of integration. The
Macaulay’s Method enables one continuous expression for bending moment to be obtained,
and provided that certain rules are followed, the constants of integration will be the same for all
sections of the beam. In this method, an expression within square brackets will be omitted if it
is evaluated to be negative.
Example 2 4 kN 10 kN
A simply supported beam of span 20 m carries 8m 4m
two point loads of 4 kN at 8 m and 10 kN at 12
B x
m from the left end. Calculate the deflection A
under each point load. Take E = 200000 N/mm2
and I = 109 mm4. y 20 m
– EI (d2y/dx2) = Mx
= 6.4 x – 4 [x – 8] – 10 [x – 12]
When x = 0, y = 0, ∴B=0
4
Moment-area Method Bending moment diagram
M
dy dy A
If EI is constant, θ = − =
dx P dx Q EI
Therefore the angle made by the tangents to two points on a beam is equal to the net area of the
bending moment diagram between those points divided by EI.
At an arbitrary point S between P and Q, the radius of curvature of the deflected beam is R.
The angle between the tangents at the ends of a short length δx is δθ, where δx = R⋅δθ. The
intercept of these tangents on Oy is δz, and because the slope is everywhere small,
Mx dx
z=∫
EI
Ax
= if EI is constant
EI
Therefore the intercept on a given line between the tangents to the beam at any points P and Q
is equal to the net moment about that line of the bending moment diagram between P and Q
divided by EI.
b
In both cases, the slope is zero at mid-span by symmetry, and the maximum slope and
deflection can be found from the area A of the bending moment diagram over half of the span,
i.e. point P at support and point Q at centre.
P
(a) Concentrated load P at mid-span L/2 L/2
If an elastic body is deformed by external forces, these forces move through small distances
and hence do some work. Thus the energy of the elastic system has been increased by the work
done, and this work is recoverable. It is stored in the elastic body in the form of elastic
potential energy or strain energy. The energy concept can be used to find the deflections in a
structure.
Consider a prismatic bar of length L and cross-sectional area A under action of an axial
tensile force P.
The work done by P is P (δ/2) = P2L / 2EA, which is the strain energy stored in the bar.
6
Consider a prismatic beam of length L and second moment of area I under the action of
pure bending moment M.
It will bend such that the two ends form an angle of θ given by θ = ML / EI.
The work done by M is M (θ/2) = M2L/2EI, which is the strain energy in the beam.
Example 4
Consider the prismatic cantilever under a point load at tip as shown in Figure 9. For a small
segment dx at x from the free end, Mx = Px. The strain energy is
L
P
(Px) 2 dx x
∆U = ,
2EI
L
L P2x 2 P2 x 3 P 2 L3
U= ∫0 2EI
dx =
2EI 3 0
=
6EI
y
Figure 9. Cantilever under point load at tip
The work done by the load P in deflecting a distance δ is Pδ/2, which must be equal to the
energy stored P2L2 / 6EI, so δ = PL3 / 3EI.
The principle of virtual work states that when a complete system of forces, which is in
equilibrium, undergoes a pattern of geometrically consistent displacements such that the
magnitudes and directions of all of the forces are unchanged, the total virtual work done is zero.
In structural analysis, virtual work is normally established in one of the following two
ways:
1. By considering the movements of the actual force system through some fictitious pattern of
displacements (i.e. virtual displacements)
2. By considering the movements of some fictitious system of forces (i.e. virtual forces)
through the actual displacement pattern.
The dummy unit-load method is a very important and versatile tool in the solution of
deflections of both beams and trusses. However, only one component of the deflection at a
point can be found in one application of the unit load.
7
Example 5: Deflection of a Beam
Suppose it is required to find the deflection δD at D of the simply supported beam AB. Place a
dummy (virtual) unit-load at D. There will be bending moment m induced throughout the
structure. Assume that this system of loading is a virtual one. The displacement caused by this
unit load is insignificant. Now impose the applied loading system P (actual) on the structure.
Let M be the bending moment in the structure. Due to the actual loading system P, the
deflection at D will be δD and the relative rotation of any two sections dx apart will be dθ =
(M/EI) dx. Considering the bending energy only, the virtual internal work stored due to the
moment m rotated through an angle dθ is dU = m (M/EI) dx. The total virtual internal energy is
U ≈ ∫ (Mm/EI)dx
1 × δD = ∫ (Mm/EI)dx or δD = ∫ (Mm/EI)dx
P
a b
x z
Member M m Limits A B
AD (Pb/L)x (b/L)x 0-a D
BD (Pa/L)z (a/L)z 0-b L
Figure 10. A simply supported beam with
flexural rigidity EI under a point load P at D
a b
δD = ∫0
(1/EI) (Pb/L) x (b/L) x dx + ∫
0
(1/EI) (Pa/L) z (a/L) z dz
(60)(10 − y)
10 Young's modulus = E
AB: ∫ (Mm/EI) dy = ∫ dy
0 2EI 0
10m (2I0)
= 1500/EI0
6 10(6 - x)(0)
BC: ∫ (Mm/EI) dx = ∫
0 EI 0
dx = 0
y
Figure 11. An “L”-frame
δHC = 1500/EI0 (in m) A
under a point load
8
Deflection of Trusses
B
2m
4m
A
200kN
C D
2√2m