45.

1 1

Slope and Deflection of Beams

115

All three forms of the theorem are quite general in application and are not restricted to beam problems. Any type of component or structure subjected to bending, direct load, shear or torsional deformation may be considered provided always that linear elastic conditions prevail, i.e. Hookes law applies, and deflections are small enough not to significantly affect the undeformed geometry.

5.1 1. Continuous beams- Clapeyrons three-moment equation

When a beam is supported on more than two supports it is termed continuous. In cases such as these it is not possible to determine directly the reactions at the three supports by the normal equations of static equilibrium since there are too many unknowns. An extension of Mohrs area-moment method is therefore used to obtain a relationship between the B.M.s at the supports, from which the reaction values can then be determined and the B.M. and S.F. diagrams drawn. Consider therefore the beam shown in Fig. 5.28. The areas A, and A, are the free B.M. diagrams, treating the beam as simply supported over two separate spans L, and L,. In general the B.M.s at the three supports will not be zero as this diagram suggests, but will have some values M, , M , and M 3 . Thus ajixing-moment diagram must be introduced as shown, the actual B.M. diagram then being the algebraic sum of the two diagrams.
Undeflected beam

L,

Fixlng-moment diagram (assumed positive)

fi

Deflected beam showing support

I fZ2

Fig. 5.28. Continuous beam over three supports showing free and fixing moment diagrams together with the deflected beam form including support movement.

The bottom figure shows the deflected position of the beam, the deflections 6, and 6 , being relative to the left-handsupport. If a tangent is drawn at the centre support then the intercepts at the end of each span are z , and z2 and 8 is the slope of the tangent, and hence the beam, at the centre support.