6.

DEFLECTIONS OF BEAMS

6.1 Introduction

When a beam is loaded, the initially straight longitudinal axis is deformed in to a curve defined as the elastic, or the
deflection curve of the beam.
In numerous practical cases, beam requirements are described by a given load-carrying capacity and an allowable
value of deflection. This situation arises in building design, where there is usually an upper limit on deflections
because large deflections are associated with poor appearance and with too much flexibility in the structure.

Differential Equations of the Deflection Curve

Consider the cantilever beam AB shown in the Fig. 6.1a below. The origin is taken at the fixed end, with the
positive x-axis directed to the right and the positive y-axis directed downward. Assume that the loads act in the xy
plane and therefore bending takes place in this plane. The deflection ν of the beam at any point m1 at distance x
from the origin is the translation (or displacement) of that point in the y direction, measured from the x-axis to the
deflection curve. For the axes we have selected, a downward deflection is positive and an upward deflection is
negative. When ν is expressed as a function of x, we have the equation of the deflection curve.
The angle of rotation θ of the axis of the beam at any point m1 is the angle between the x-axis and the tangent to
the deflection curve (Fig.6.1b). This angle is positive when clockwise, provided the x and y axes have the directions
shown.

dX

ν
dS
ρ
θ

a)
dX

ν
ν + dν
θ
ds
θ θ + dθ

b)

Fig 6.1 Deflection Curve Of The Beam.

Consider a second point m2, located on the deflection curve at small distance ds further along the curve and at
distance x+dx (measured parallel to the x axis) from the origin. The deflection at this point is ν+dν; also the
angle of rotation is θ+dθ. At points m1 and m2 construct lines normal to the deflection curve. The intersection of
these normals locates the center of curvature o’, and the distance from o’ to the curve is the radius of curvature
ρ. From the figure, ρdθ = ds; hence the curvature κ is given by the equation:
1 dθ
κ = = (6-1)
ρ ds
The slope of the deflection curve is the first derivative dν/dx. From fig 1.1b the slope is equal to the tangent of
the angle of rotation θ; thus

1
 dν
= tan θ (6-2)
dx
Equations (6-1) and (6-2) are based only up on geometric considerations and apply to a beam of any material.
Furthermore there is no restriction on the magnitudes of the slopes and deflections.
Most beams undergo only very small rotations when they are loaded, resulting in very flat deflection curves
with extremely very small curvatures. From this it can be seen that ds ≈ dx.
Therefore Eqn. (6-1) becomes
1 dθ
κ = = (6-3)
ρ dx
Since for very small angle, θ, tanθ ≈ θ, Eqn. (6-2) can be approximated as follows:
dν
θ ≈ tan θ = (a)
dx
Thus, for small rotation of the beam, the angle of rotation and the slope may be assumed to be equal. (Note that
the angle of rotation is measured in radians.)Taking the derivative of θ with respect to x,
dθ d 2ν
= (b)
dx dx 2
From Eqn. (b) and Eqn. (6-3), we obtain
dθ
1 d 2ν
κ = = = (6-4)
ρ dx dx 2
This equation is valid for a beam of any material, provided the rotations are very small.
If the material of the beam is linearly elastic and follows Hooke’s law, the curvature is:
1 M
κ = = − (6-5)
ρ EI
Where M is the bending moment and EI is the flexural rigidity of the beam. Note that Eqn. (6-5) is valid for
large as well as small rotations. Combining Eqns. (6-4) and (6-5) yields the basic differential equation of the
deflection of linearly elastic beams obeying Hooke’s law due to pure bending moment only. Which is
dθ d 2ν M
= = − (6-6)
dx dx 2 EI
Eqn. (6-6) is known as the basic differential equation of the deflection curve of a beam or the Bernoulli-Euler
law of the technical bending theory. This equation can be integrated in each particular case to find the angle of
rotation θ or the deflection ν, provided the bending moment M is known.
In summery, the sign conventions to be used with Eqn. (6-6) are as follows:
1) the x and y axes are positive to the right and downward, respectively;
2) the angle of rotation θ is positive when clockwise from the x axis;
3) the deflection ν is positive downward;
4) the bending moment M is positive when it produces compression in the upper part of the beam;
5) the curvature is positive when the beam is bent concave downward; if the sign convention for M is
reversed, or if the y axis (and hence ν) is taken positive upward, then the minus sign in Eqn. (6-6) should be
changed to a plus sign. If both M and y are reversed in sign, the equation is unchanged.
By differentiating Eqn. (6-6) with respect to x and then substituting the equations
q = - dV/dx and V = dM/dx, we can obtain:
d 3ν V
3
= − (6-7)
dx EI
d 4ν q
= (6-8)
dx 4 EI
Where V is the shear force and q is the intensity of distributed load.

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6.2 Direct Integration Method

The equation of the deflection curve in terms of the bending moment (Eqn. 6-6) may be integrated to obtain the
deflection ν as a function of x. Since the differential equation is of second order, two integrations are required.
The first step is to write the equations for the bending moment. If there are abrupt changes in loading or EI as
we move along the axis of the beam, there will be separate moment expressions for each region of the beam
between the points at which such changes occur. For each of these regions, we substitute the expressions for M
into the differential equation. Then the`` equation is integrated to obtain the slope ν’, and a constant of
integration is introduced by this process. A second integration gives the deflectionν, and another integration
constant is introduced. Thus there are two constants of integration for each region of the beam. These constants
can be evaluated from boundary conditions pertaining to ν andν’ at the supports of the beam and from
continuity conditions on ν andν’ at the points where the regions of integration meet. The later require that both
the slope and deflection be the same at any junction of two parts of a beam; the elastic curve must be smooth.
Then the evaluated constants can be substituted back into the expressions forν, thus finally yielding the final
equations of the deflection curve. This method for finding deflections is sometimes called the method of
successive integrations.

6.3 Moment-Area Method

In numerous engineering applications where deflections of beams must be determined, the

loading is complex, and the cross-sectional areas of the beam vary. By interpreting semi
graphically the mathematical operations of solving the governing differential equation, an
effective procedure for obtaining deflections in complicated situations has been developed.
This method is called the moment area method.
The moment-area method is generally suitable when the deflection or angle of rotation at
only one point of the beam is desired. It may be used to determine the equation of the elastic
curve, but no advantage is gained in comparison with the direct integration method.
The method of moment areas is just an alternative method for solving the deflection problem.
It possesses the same approximations and limitations as in the direct integration method
(applies only to linearly elastic beams.).

Moment-Area Theorems

The necessary theorems are based on the geometry of the elastic curve and the associated M/EI diagram.
d 2ν M
For deriving the theorems, Eqn. 1-6, 2
=− , can be rewritten in the following alternative forms:
dx EI
d 2ν d ⎛ dν ⎞ dθ M dθ = −
M
= ⎜ ⎟= = − or dx 6-9)
dx 2
dx ⎝ dx ⎠ dx EI EI
From Fig.6-2(a), the quantity (M/EI)dx corresponds to an infinitesimal area of the M/EI diagram. According to
Eqn. 6-9, this area is equal to the change in angle between two adjoining tangents. The contribution of an angle
change in one element to the deformation of the elastic curve is shown in Fig.6-2(b).

M /EI ( M /EI) d X dX X
B' X
m1 ΔB
m2 dθ dΔ
X dθ
B
dX
b)
A)
Fig.6.2 Moment Area Method

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If the small angle change dθ for an element is multiplied by a distance x from an arbitrary origin to the same
element, a vertical distance d∆ is obtained; see Fig.6-2(b). As only small deflections are considered, no
distinction between arc BB’ and the vertical distance ∆BA need be made. Based on this geometrical reasoning,
one has
M
d Δ = xd θ = − xdx (6-10)
EI
Formally integrating Eqns. (6-9) and (6-10) between any two points such as A and B on a beam (see Fig. 6-3),
yields the two moment area theorems. The first moment area theorem is
B B M
∫A
dθ = θ B − θ A = θ BA = − ∫
A EI
dx

= - [area of M/EI diagram between A and B] (6-11)

Where θBA is the angle change between B and A.
First moment-area theorem: The angle θBA between the tangents to the deflection curve at two points A and B
is equal to the negative of the area of the M/EI diagram between those points.
If slope θA of the elastic curve at A is known, slope θB at B is given as
θ B = θ A + θ BA (6-12)
The sign conventions used with this theorem are summarized as follows:
1) The relative angle θBA between the tangents is positive when the angle θB is algebraically larger than the
angle θA,
2) The bending moment M is positive when it produces compression in the upper part of the beam.
3) The area of the M/EI diagram is given a positive or negative sign according to whether the bending
moment is positive or negative. If part of the bending moment diagram is positive and part is negative, and
then the corresponding parts of the M/EI diagram are given those same signs.
O X
θa
A B'
m 1 ds C' θba
m2 dθ p1
ρ dΔ Δ ba
Y p2
dθ
B θb
M /E I

C _
x

dX X1
Fig 6-3 Moment Area method

The quantity d∆ in Fig 6-3 is due to the effect of the curvature of an element. By summing this effect for all
elements from A to B, vertical distance ∆BA is obtained.
Geometrically, this distance represents the displacement or deviation of point B from a tangent to the elastic
curve at A. This will be termed as the vertical offset of point B from the tangent at A. The forgoing, in
mathematical form, gives the second moment-area theorem:
M
∫
B
dΔ = ∫
B
∫
B
Δ BA = xd θ = − xdx (6-13)
A A A EI
= - [first moment of the area of the M/EI diagram between A and B,
taken with respect to B]

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Second Moment Area-Theorem: the offset ∆BA of point B from the tangent at A is equal to the negative of the
first moment of the area of the M/EI diagrams between A and B, taken with respect to B.
Note that the offset ∆BA is positive in the y direction. If, as we move from A to B in the x direction, the area of
the M/EI diagram is negative, then the first moment is also negative and the offset is positive, which means that
point B is below the tangent at A.
The first moment of the area of the M/EI diagram can be obtained by taking the product of the area of the diagram
and the distance x from point B to the centroid C of the area (Fig.6-3)