FIXED BEAMS IN BENDING

INTRODUCTION

Fixed or built-in beams are commonly used in building construction since
they possess high rigidity in comparison to simply supported beams. When
a simply supported beam of length, L, and flexural rigidity, EI, is subjected
to a central concentrated load W, the maximum bending moment (BM) in
beam is (WL/4), maximum deflection in beam is WI
3
/48EI, and maximum
slope in beam is WL
2
/16EI .

But if the ends of the same beam are fixed (i.e. built in walls), maximum
bending moment is reduced to (WL/8), maximum deflection is reduced to
WL
3
/192EI, and maximum slope is reduced to WL
2
/32EI. If the allowable
bending stress for the fixed beam is taken to be the same as for simply
supported beam, then the load carrying capacity of the fixed beam is
greatly improved. The overall reduction in bending moment, deflection, and
slope in the fixed beam is due to the effect of fixing couples provided by the
wall in keeping the slope and deflection at the ends to be zero.

During building construction, the beams are cast along with the columns
using reinforced cement concrete.
FIXED BEAMBENDING MOMENT DIAGRAM

A fixed beam can be considered as equivalent to a simply supported beam
plus a beam of the same length, same material, same section subjected to
end moments as shown in Figures a, b and c.
Figures a, b, c Fixed beam
M
B
M
D
A beam ABCD, of length L, fixed at ends A and D, carries loads W
1
and W
2
at
points B and C, respectively, is equivalent to a simply supported beam of
length L, simply supported at ends A and D, carrying loads W
1
and W
2
at B
and C, respectively, plus a beam AD of length L, subjected to end moments
M
A
and M
D
. Considering the beam as simply supported (SS) beam, bending
moment diagram can be drawn as shown in Figure a. Figure b shows the
bending moment diagram of beam due to end moments. Due to end couples,
there is convexity in beam, producing negative bending moment throughout.
Figure (a) BM diagram of SS beam (b) BM diagram of end couples (c) BM diagram of fixed beam P
1
, P
2
are
point of contraflexure
M
D
Due to loads and simple supports at ends, there is concavity in the beam
producing positive bending moment throughout in the beam. Superimposing
the two bending moment diagrams, we get the bending moment diagram for
fixed beam as shown in Figure c, in which P
1
and P
2
are points of
contraflexure. In the combined bending moment diagram there are positive
bending moments and negative bending moments. At P
1
and P
2
bending
moment changes sign from negative to positive and from positive to negative
as shown.
Figure (a) BM diagram of SS beam (b) BM diagram of end couples (c) BM diagram of fixed beam P
1
, P
2
are
points of contraflexure
M
B M
D
Let us consider a section XX at a distance of x from end A of the beam.
M, the resulting bending moment at section

= M
x
+ M
x


M
B
where M
x
= Bending moment at section when beam is considered as simply
supported, and
M
x
= Bending moment at section due to end moments M
A
and M
D
.
x
M'
A
M
D
M
x
L-x
x
M'
( )
(

+ =
D A A x
M M
L
x
M M M
M
D
c
c
FIXED BEAMSUPPORT MOMENTS
If we refer to Figures a, b and c, the resultant bending moment at any section,

M = M
x
+ M
x


or
= Bending moment at section when beam is SS + Bending moment at section due to support
moments.
Multiplying both sides of by dx, we get
Integrating this equation over the length of the beam
or
= Area of the BM diagram of SS beam + area of BM diagram due to
support moments
where i
D
= Slope at end D, length is L, and
i
A
= Slope at end A, length is zero.
But beam is fixed for both the ends, so slope at ends
The equation becomes
EI 0= a +a
where

( )
|
.
|

\
|
+ = '
2
L
M M L M a
D A D
This equation shows that the area of BM diagram due to support moments is
numerically equal to the area of the BM diagram when beam is SS.

Taking again and multiplying both the sides by x dx, and integrating
both the sides over length of beam:
Putting the values of slope and deflection at ends
But in a fixed beam, at the ends, slope and deflection both are zero, therefore,
or
or
But a = a
So,
i.e. distance of centroid of BM diagram when SS is equal to the distance of the centroid of BM diagram due to
support moments from origin A, or from end of the beam.

From the a diagram, area
(origin at A),
Dividing the diagram into two triangles, we can determine that centroid of area AAD lies at
from A and centroid of triangle ADD lies at
With the help of equations and

, support moments M
A
, M
D
can be worked out.
from A (Figure ).
Figure a diagram
( )
6 6 2 3 2 2
2 2 2
L
M
L
M
L
M
L L
M M
L
L M x a
D A D D A D
+ = |
.
|

\
|
+ = ' '
Governing Differential Equation for Deflection
In pure bending of a prismatic beam, for an element dx bent by an infinitesimal angle du, we can write
From Hookes law,

dx
u d
k

u
u
= =
=
1
dx
d
d dx

k c
k

u
y
y
y y
dx
d
y
dx
du
= =
= = =
1
y E E
x x
k c o = =
y
The fiber length on a radius y can be found
similarly. If the difference between the two
fiber lenghts is du:
( ) u u u yd d d y du = =
By dividing both sides by dx, the last term becomes K. The normal strain will be equal to:
In this equation, the variable y can assume both positive and negative values. Since,
y E y
I
M
x
k o = =
EI
M
= k
Curvature
In Cartesian coordinates the curvature of a line is defined as
2 / 3
2
2
2
1
1
(
(

|
.
|

\
|
+
=
dx
dy
dx
y d

Where x locates a point on the elastic curve of a deflected beam and y gives the deflection of the same point
from its initial position.

Since the deflections tolerated in the majority of engineering structures are very small, slope of the elastic
curve is also very small. Therefore, the square of the slope can be neglected compared to one.
dx
dy
So, the curvature can be taken as
2
2
1
dx
y d
= =

k
This simplification eliminates the geometric nonlinearity from the problem. Now, the governing differential
equation for small deflections of elastic beams becomes:
EI
M
dx
y d
=
2
2
There are three governing equations for determining the deflection of a loaded beam:
2
2
) (
dx
y d
EI x M =
3
3
) (
dx
y d
EI x V =
4
4
) (
dx
y d
EI x q =
The choice of one of these equations for determining y depends on the case with which an expression for load,
shear or moment can be formulated.
Macaulays method:
The starting point for Macaulays method is the relation between the bending moment and curvature from
Euler-Bernoulli beam theory.
This equation is simpler than the fourth order beam equation and can be integrated twice to find y, if the
value of M as a function of x is known. For a general loading system, M can be expressed in the form
Where the quantities represent the bending moments due to point loads and the quantity
is a Macaulay bracket defined as
Ordinarily, when integrating , we get
However, when integrating expressions containing Macaulay brackets, we have
With the difference between the two expressions being contained in the constant C
m
. Using these
integration rules makes the calculation of the deflection of Euler-Bernoulli beams simple in situations where
there are multiple point loads and point moments.
M
dx
y d
EI =
2
2
Single moment:
2
) (

= a x M x q
O
Concentrated force:
1
) (

= a x P x q
Uniformly distributed load:
0
) ( a x y x q
O
=
1
) ( a x
dx
dy
x q = Linearly increasing distributed load:
2
2
) ( a x
c
x q = Quadratically increasing distributed load:
a
x
y
M
O
a
x
y
P

a
x
y
y
O
a
x
y
dx
dy
a
x
y
c
dx
y d
=
2
2
In order to keep distributed loads within
specified boundaries, same magnitude but
negative direction distributed loads must
be applied for the remaining length.
Macaulays method:
10 kN/m
400 mm 200 mm
500 Nm
A
B
C
x
y
1.5 kN
2.5 kN
3 kN
V (kN)
x (mm)
-2.5
3
-1.5
M (Nm)
200
-300
x (mm)
Example

Determine the shear force and bending moment due
to the loading shown acting on the beam.

The loading intensity is written as
1 0 1 2 2 1
0 1 0 1 1 0
1 2 1 0 0 1
6 . 0 5 . 1 4 . 0 5 . 0 4 . 0 3 4 . 0 5 5 5 . 2 ) (
) ( ) (
6 . 0 5 . 1 4 . 0 5 . 0 4 . 0 3 4 . 0 10 10 5 . 2
) ( ) (
6 . 0 5 . 1 4 . 0 5 . 0 4 . 0 3 4 . 0 10 10 5 . 2 ) (
+ + =
=
+ + + =
=
+ + =
}
}

x x x x x x x M
dx x V x M
x x x x x x V
dx x q x V
x x x x x x x q
z
y z
y
y
When the argument within the bracket is negative, the
function does not exist. When the argument is positive,
the function exists. The first two functions in V
y
and M
z
are
always positive, so are uncessary.
1 0 1 2
2
0 1 0 1
6 . 0 5 . 1 4 . 0 5 . 0 4 . 0 3 4 . 0 5 5 5 . 2
6 . 0 5 . 1 4 . 0 5 . 0 4 . 0 3 4 . 0 10 10 5 . 2
+ + =
+ + + =

x x x x x x M
x x x x x V
z
y
For 0 < x < 0.4, the functions wont exist.
m kN x x M kN x V
z y
= =
2
5 5 . 2 5 . 2 10
For 0.4 < x < 0.6,
( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( ) m kN x x x x x
x x x x x M
kN x x x x x V
z
y
= + + =
+ + =
= + = + =
9 . 0 5 . 1 1 5 . 0 4 . 0 3 4 . 0 5 5 5 . 2
4 . 0 5 . 0 4 . 0 3 4 . 0 5 5 5 . 2
5 . 1 1 3 4 . 0 10 10 5 . 2 4 . 0 3 4 . 0 10 10 5 . 2
2 2
0 1 2
2
0 1
1 0 1
4 . 0 5 . 0 4 . 0 3 4 . 0 10 10 5 . 2

+ + = x x x x V
y
The moment has no physical significance in the V
y
expressions until it is integrated for the M
z
equation.
Thus,
FIXED BEAM WITH A CONCENTRATED LOAD AT CENTRE

Consider a fixed beam AB of length L, fixed at both ends A and B, carrying a
point load W at its centre as shown in the figure. It is equivalent to a simply
supported beam AB with central load W and a beam AB subjected to end
moments M
A
and M
B
. Since the beam is symmetrically loaded, end moments
will be equal, i.e.

M
A
= M
B

Figure Equivalence of a fixed beam
area of a BM diagram,
In SS beam, BM at centre
Figure aBM diagram
area of a diagram, a = M
A
L = M
B
L
(M
A
= M
B
, because of symmetrical loading)

or a = a
or end moment,
Resultant bending moment
diagram is shown in Figure
(d), in which
maximum positive
BM
maximum negative
BM
The maximum bending moment in SS diagram is (WL/4) but when it is fixed
at both the ends, maximum bending moment is reduced to 50%, i.e. (WL/8).

Now let us calculate the maximum deflection in beam AB of length L fixed at
both the ends, load at centre is W as shown in the figure, reactions at ends.
Figure Fixed beam with
central point load
(due to symmetry)
End couples
Take a section X X, at a distance of x from end A, in
the portion CB.

Bending moment,
(as obtained earlier)
negative
or integrating it, we get
where C
1
is constant of integration. (Term in bracket is to be omitted,
using Macauleys method)
At end A,
because end is fixed.

So, integration constant, C
1
= 0

Now integrating the above equation again, we get
where C
2
is another constant of integration. At end A, x = 0, deflection,
y = 0, because end is fixed.
So, 0 = 0 + 0 omitted term + C
2
, using Macaulays method, constant
C
2
= 0.
EI y

Finally, the equation for deflection is
Maximum deflection will occur at centre, i.e. at
Putting this value of x,
or
EI y
Example A beam of length L = 6 m, fixed at both the ends, carries a
concentrated load of 30 kN at its centre. If EI = 7,000 kNm
2
for the
beam, determine the fixing couple at ends and maximum deflection in
the beam.