Third Edition

CHAPTER

MECHANICS OF
MATERIALS
Ferdinand P. Beer
E. Russell Johnston, Jr.
John T. DeWolf

Deflection of Beams

Lecture Notes:
J. Walt Oler
Texas Tech University

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Third
Edition

MECHANICS OF MATERIALS

Beer Johnston DeWolf

Deflection of Beams
Deformation of a Beam Under Transverse Loading
Equation of the Elastic Curve

Direct Determination of the Elastic Curve From the Load Distribution

Using Singularity Functions to Determine the Slope and Deflection of a Beam
Method of Superposition
Moment-Area Theorems
Application to Cantilever Beams and Beams With Symmetric Loading

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

9-2

Third
Edition

MECHANICS OF MATERIALS

Beer Johnston DeWolf

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, 0,
A

At the support B,
2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

0, B

EI
PL
9-3

Third
Edition

MECHANICS OF MATERIALS

Beer Johnston DeWolf

Deformation of a Beam Under Transverse Loading

Overhanging beam
Reactions at A and C
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.
2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

9-4

Third
Edition

MECHANICS OF MATERIALS

Beer Johnston DeWolf

Equation of the Elastic Curve

From elementary calculus, simplified for beam
parameters,
d2y
1

dx 2

2 3 2

dy
1
dx

d2y
dx 2

Substituting and integrating,

EI

EI

d2y
dx

M x
x

dy
EI EI
M x dx C1
dx
0

EI y dx M x dx C1x C2
2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

9-5

Third
Edition

MECHANICS OF MATERIALS

Beer Johnston DeWolf

Equation of the Elastic Curve

Constants are determined from boundary
conditions
x

EI y dx M x dx C1x C2

Three cases for statically determinant beams,

Simply supported beam
y A 0,

yB 0

Overhanging beam
y A 0,

yB 0

Cantilever beam
y A 0, A 0
More complicated loadings require multiple
integrals and application of requirement for
continuity of displacement and slope.
2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

9-6

Third
Edition

MECHANICS OF MATERIALS

Beer Johnston DeWolf

Direct Determination of the Elastic Curve From the

Load Distribution
For a beam subjected to a distributed load,
d 2M

dM
V x
dx

dV

w x
2
dx
dx

Equation for beam displacement becomes

d 2M
dx

EI

d4y
dx

w x

Integrating four times yields

EI y x dx dx dx w x dx
16 C1x3 12 C2 x 2 C3 x C4

Constants are determined from boundary

conditions.

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

9-7

Third
Edition

MECHANICS OF MATERIALS

Beer Johnston DeWolf

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

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Procedure is facilitated by tables of

solutions for common types of
loadings and supports.

9-8

Third
Edition

MECHANICS OF MATERIALS

Beer Johnston DeWolf

Moment-Area Theorems
Geometric properties of the elastic curve can
be used to determine deflection and slope.
Consider a beam subjected to arbitrary loading,

First Moment-Area Theorem:

D C area under (M/EI) diagram between

C and D.

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

9-9

Third
Edition

MECHANICS OF MATERIALS

Beer Johnston DeWolf

Moment-Area Theorems
Tangents to the elastic curve at P and P intercept a
segment of length dt on the vertical through C.

= tangential deviation of C
with respect to D

Second Moment-Area Theorem:

The tangential deviation of C with respect to D
is equal to the first moment with respect to a
vertical axis through C of the area under the
(M/EI) diagram between C and D.

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

9 - 10

Third
Edition

MECHANICS OF MATERIALS

Beer Johnston DeWolf

Application to Cantilever Beams and Beams With

Symmetric Loadings
Cantilever beam - Select tangent at A as the
reference.

Simply supported, symmetrically loaded

beam - select tangent at C as the reference.

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

9 - 11