DEFLECTION OF BEAMS

(Macaulay’s Method)
AKASH MOHANTY, PhD (IIT-BHU, Varanasi)
Department of Design and Automation
School of Mechanical Engineering
VIT University, Vellore-632014, India
Email: mohanty_iitbhu@yahoo.co.in
Loads and deflections
 Deflection of a beam

Y X
y
P θ

Flexural Equation
 P 2P

A
a
b
x c
x
x
x
P 2P

a b
x
 Load of UDL acting at CG
ω (kN/m)
x

A
a
b
x
 ω kN/m
x

A
a
c
b

x
x
 2P
x P

A M

c
a b d

x
x
x
 Triangular load CDB acting upward
ω (kN/m) D
C
x

A
B

x
L/3
2L/3

L
 20 kN
15 kN/m 3 kNm C D
B
A

1.5 m 1.0 m 0.5 m

x
x
x
x
x
RA=3.75 kN

C1= ˗ 9.812, C2=0

(i) Deflection at the end C= 5.04 mm
(ii) Maximum deflection at x= 2.46 m from A is 5.7 mm dounward.
Example
 Steps to solve this problem
••Determine the magnitude of reactions at the supports (A and H)
by using the conditions of equilibrium (ΣF=0, ΣM=0).

•ΣF=0

………………………………………………………………………(1)
 (2 × EG)

•
• ΣM=0;
• Taking moment about the hinge point “A”
………………………………………………….….(ii)
• Solving the equation (i) and (ii)
• RA = ….kN and RH = ….. kN
 x

x
 Governing Equation
]

Integrating the above equation with respect to the variable “x”

=
……………………. (iii)

Integrating the above equation once again with respect to the variable “x”
=

……………………. (iv)
 ***IMP***

IMP Point: During the substitution of the numerical

value for x in the Macaulay’s Brackets in
the equation (iii) and (iv), if at any point,
the bracketed term become negative, omit it.
 Determination of Integral Constants
Substituting the end conditions:
At the point A (Considering equation (iv):
=

At the point H (Considering equation (iii):

=

, Some numerical value.

Equation (iii) is called the Slope Equation where as

the equation (iv) is called as the Deflection Equation.
PRACTICE PROBLEM
 DEFLECTION OF BEAMS
(Area Moment Method)
AKASH MOHANTY, PhD (IIT-BHU, Varanasi)
Department of Design and Automation
School of Mechanical Engineering
VIT University, Vellore-632014, India
Email: mohanty@vit.ac.in
Slope and Deflection Equation
in Radian
A= The area of the BMD

N.B: Area above the X-axis is +ve.

Horizontal distance of CG of BMD from

the reference line (Extreme Right)
 Cantilever Type I
W

L At the free end

WL
 Cantilever Type II
W

Wa
Cantilever carrying UDL

L
SSB carrying a central point load
W

L
SSB carrying UDL

Parabola

L
SSB carrying Opposite Triangular Load

SFD
Cubic
 PROBLEM
• A cantilever beam of 3 m span is 150 mm wide and 250 mm
deep. It carries a UDL 20 kN/m over its whole span and 25 kN
load at the free end. Calculate the maximum slope and
deflection. Take E = 210 GN/m2.

L
Thank You