Chapter V

BEAM DEFLECTIONS

5.3 Moment-Area Method

The moment-area method is useful for
determining the slope or deflection of a beam
at a specified location.
It is a semigraphical method in which the
integration of the bending moment is carried out
indirectly, using the geometric properties of the
area under the bending moment diagram.
As in the method of double integration,
we assume that the deformation is within the
elastic range, resulting in small slopes and small
displacements.

a. Moment-Area Theorems
We will now derive two theorems that are
the bases of the moment-area method. The first
theorem deals with slopes; the second theorem
with deflections. Figure 5.2 (a) Elastic curve of a beam segment; (b) bending
moment diagram for the segment.
First Moment-Area Theorem
Figure 5.2(a) shows the elastic curve AB
The left-hand side of Eq. (b) is 𝜃𝐵 − 𝜃𝐴 ,
of an initially straight beam segment (the
which is the change in the slope between 𝐴 and
deformation has been greatly exaggerated in
𝐵. The right-hand side represents the area under
the figure). In the moment-curvature
the 𝑀/𝐸𝐼 diagram between 𝐴 and 𝐵, shown as
relationship, two cross sections of the beam at 𝑃
the shaded area in Fig. 5.2(b). If we introduce
and 𝑄, separated by the distance 𝑑𝑥, rotate
the notation 𝜃𝐵/𝐴 = 𝜃𝐵 − 𝜃𝐴 , Eq. (b) can be
through the angle dy relative to each other.
Because the cross sections are assumed expressed in the form
to remain perpendicular to the axis of the beam, 𝐵
𝑑𝑦 is also the difference in the slope of the 𝑀
𝜃𝐵/𝐴 = 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚] Equation (5.6)
elastic curve between 𝑃 and 𝑄, as shown in Fig. 𝐸𝐼 𝐴
5.2(a). From the geometry of the figure, we see
that 𝑑𝑥 = 𝜌𝑑𝜃, where 𝜌 is the radius of curvature which is the first moment-area theorem.
of the elastic curve of the deformed element.
Therefore, 𝑑𝑦 = 𝑑𝑥/𝜌, which upon using Second Moment-Area Theorem
the moment-curvature relationship Referring to the elastic curve 𝐴𝐵 in Fig.
5.3(a), we let 𝑡𝐵/𝐴 be the vertical distance of
1 𝑀
= point 𝐵 from the tangent to the elastic curve at
𝜌 𝐸𝐼 𝐴. This distance is called the tangential deviation
of 𝐵 with respect to 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑡 𝐴.
becomes To calculate the tangential deviation, we
𝑀 first determine the contribution 𝑑𝑡 of the
𝑑𝜃 = 𝑑𝑥 (a) 𝐵
𝐸𝐼 infinitesimal element 𝑃𝑄 and then use 𝑡𝐵/𝐴 = ∫𝐴 𝑑𝑡
to add the contributions of all the elements
Integrating Eq. (a) over the segment 𝐴𝐵 yields between 𝐴 and 𝐵.
𝐵 𝐵
𝑀 As shown in the figure, dt is the vertical
∫ 𝑑𝜃 = ∫ 𝑑𝑥 (b) distance at 𝐵 between the tangents drawn to
𝐸𝐼
𝐴 𝐴
theelastic curve at 𝑃 and 𝑄. Recalling that the
slopes are very small, we obtain from geometry
𝑑𝑡 = 𝑥′𝑑𝜃
 where 𝑥’ is the horizontal distance of the element Do not confuse 𝒕𝑩/𝑨 (the tangential deviation of B
from 𝐵. Therefore, the tangential deviation is with respect to A) with 𝒕𝑨/𝑩 (the tangential deviation of A
with respect to B).
𝐵 𝐵
𝑡𝐵/𝐴 = ∫ 𝑑𝑡 = ∫ 𝑥′𝑑𝜃
𝐴 𝐴
In general, these two distances are not
equal, as illustrated in Fig. 5.4.

Figure 5.4 Tangential deviations of the elastic curve.

Sign Convention
The following rules of sign, illustrated in
Fig. 5.5, apply to the two moment-area
theorems.

Figure 5.3 (a) Elastic curve of a beam segment; (b) bending

moment diagram for the segment.

Substituting 𝑑𝜃 from Eq. (a), we obtain

𝐵
𝑀
𝑡𝐵/𝐴 = ∫ 𝑥′𝑑𝑥 (c)
𝐴 𝐸𝐼

The right-hand side of Eq. (c) represents

the first moment of the shaded area of the 𝑀/𝐸𝐼
diagram in Fig. 5.3(b) about point 𝐵. Denoting
the distance between 𝐵 and the centroid 𝐶 of
this area by 𝑥̅/𝐵 (read /𝐵 as ‘‘relative to 𝐵’’), we
can write Eq. (c) as

𝑀 𝐵 Figure 5.5 Sign conventions for tangential deviation and

𝑡𝐵/𝐴 = 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚] ∙ 𝑥̅/𝐵 Equation (5.7) change of slope.
𝐸𝐼 𝐴

• The tangential deviation 𝑡𝐵/𝐴 is positive if 𝐵

This is the second moment-area theorem.
lies above the tangent line drawn to the
Note that the first moment of area, represented
elastic curve at 𝐴, and negative if 𝐵 lies
by the right-hand side of Eq. (5.7), is always
below the tangent line.
taken about the point at which the tangential
• Positive 𝜃𝐵/𝐴 has a counterclockwise
deviation is being computed.
direction, whereas negative 𝜃𝐵/𝐴 has a
clockwise direction.
b. Bending moment diagrams by parts
Application of the moment-area theorems is
practical only if the area under the bending moment
diagram and its first moment can be calculated without
difficulty.
The key to simplifying the computation is
to divide the bending moment diagram into
simple geometric shapes (rectangles, triangles,
and parabolas) that have known areas and
centroidal coordinates.
Sometimes the conventional bending
moment diagram lends itself to such division, but
often it is preferable to draw the bending
moment diagram by parts, with each part of the
diagram representing the e¤ect of one load.
Construction of the bending moment
diagram by parts for simply supported beams
proceeds as follows:

• Calculate the simple support reactions and

consider them to be applied loads.
• Introduce a fixed support at a convenient
location. A simple support of the original
beam is usually a good choice, but
sometimes another point is more convenient.
The beam is now cantilevered from this
support.
• Draw a bending moment diagram for each
load (including the support reactions of the
original beam). If all the diagrams can be
fitted on a single plot, do so, drawing the
positive moments above the x-axis and the
negative moments below the x-axis.
Only the last step of the procedure is
needed for a cantilever beam because a fixed
support is already present.
As an illustration, consider the simply
supported beam 𝐴𝐵𝐶 in Fig. 5.6(a). We start by
computing the support reactions; the results are
shown in the figure. In Fig. 5.6(b), we introduce a
fixed support at 𝐶 and show the reaction at 𝐴 as
an applied load.
The result is a cantilever beam that is
statically equivalent to the original beam; that is,
the cantilever beam has the same conventional
bending moment diagram as the beam in Fig.
5.6(a).
We now draw a bending moment
diagram for each of the two loads, as shown in
Fig. 5.6(c). The moment 𝑀1 due to 𝑅𝐴 is positive,
whereas the
Figure 5. (a) Simply supported beam; (b) equivalent beam
with fixed support at 𝑪; (c) bending moment diagram by
parts; (d) conventional bending moment diagram.
distributed load results in a negative moment 𝑀2 .
The conventional bending moment diagram,
shown in Fig. 5.6(d), is obtained by
superimposing 𝑀1 and 𝑀2 —that is, by plotting
𝑀 = 𝑀1 + 𝑀2 .
The benefit of constructing the bending
moment diagram by parts becomes evident
when we compare Figs. 5.6(c) and (d). The
former contains two simple parts: a triangle and
a parabola.
Not only is the conventional diagram
harder to divide into simple shapes, but also,
before this can be done, the maximum bending
moment and its location have to be found.
As mentioned previously, the fixed
support can be introduced at any location
along the beam. Let us draw the bending
moment diagram by parts for the beam in Fig.
5.6(a) by placing the fixed support at 𝐵, as
shown in Fig. 5.7(a). (This location is not as
convenient as 𝐶, but it serves as an illustration.)
 As a result, we have transformed the
original beam into two cantilever beams sharing
the support at B. The applied forces consist of
both the original reactions and the distributed
loading.

Table 5.1 Properties of Areas Bounded by 𝑴 = 𝒌𝒙𝒏

Figure 5.7 (a) Beam with fixed support at B that is statically c. Application of the moment-area method
equivalent to the simply supported beam in Fig. 5.6(a); (b)
bending moment diagram by parts. Cantilever Beams Consider the deflection of the
cantilever beam shown in Fig. 5.8. Because the
Therefore, the bending moment diagram support at A is fixed, the tangent drawn to the
in Fig. 5.7(b) now contains three parts. Note that elastic curve at 𝐴 is horizontal. Therefore, 𝑡𝐵/𝐴
the moments of the forces about 𝐵 are (the tangential deviation of 𝐵 with respect to 𝐴)
balanced. In other words, has the same magnitude as the displacement of
𝐵. In other words, 𝛿𝐵 = |𝑡𝐵/𝐴 |, where
Σ(𝑀𝐵 )𝑅 = Σ(𝑀𝐵 )𝐿
𝐵
𝑀
where Σ(𝑀𝐵 )𝑅 and Σ(𝑀𝐵 )𝐿 represent the sum of 𝑡𝐵/𝐴 = 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚] ∙ 𝑥̅/𝐵
𝐸𝐼 𝐴
the moments of the forces to the right and to the
left of 𝐵, respectively.
When we construct the bending moment
diagram by parts, each part is invariably of the
form 𝑀 = 𝑘𝑥 𝑛 , where n is a nonnegative integer
that represents the degree of the moment
equation. Table 5.1 shows the properties of
areas under the M-diagram for 𝑛 = 0, 1, 2, and 3.
This table is useful in computations required by
Figure 5.8 The displacement equals the magnitude of the
the moment-area method.
tangential deviation for point 𝑩 on the cantilever beam.
 Simply Supported Beams The elastic curve of a ILUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE
simply supported beam is shown in Fig. 5.9. The 5.4 A 600-lb/ft uniformly distributed load is
problem is to compute the displacement 𝛿𝐵 applied to the left half of the cantilever beam
of a point 𝐵 located a distance 𝑥 from 𝐴. 𝐴𝐵𝐶 in Fig. (a). Determine the magnitude of
Because the point at which a tangent to force P that must be applied as shown so that
the elastic curve is horizontal is usually unknown, the displacement at 𝐴 is zero.
this computation is more involved than that for a
cantilever beam.
If a tangent is drawn to the elastic curve
at 𝐴, the tangential deviation 𝑡𝐵/𝐴 is evidently not
the displacement 𝛿𝐵 . However, from the figure,
we see that 𝛿𝐵 = 𝜃𝐴 𝑥 − 𝑡𝐵/𝐴 . Therefore, we must
compute the slope angle 𝜃𝐴 as well as 𝑡𝐵/𝐴 .

Figure 5.9 Procedure for calculating 𝜹𝑩 , the displacement of

point 𝑩 on the simply supported beam.

The procedure for computing 𝛿𝐵 thus consists of

the following steps:

• Compute 𝑡𝐶/𝐴 from

𝐶
𝑀
𝑡𝐶/𝐴 = 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚] ∙ 𝑥̅/𝐶
𝐸𝐼 𝐴
Solution:
The bending moment diagram, drawn by parts,
• Determine 𝜃𝐴 from the geometric relationship
𝑡𝐶 is shown in Fig. (b). The upper portion is the
𝜃𝐴 = 𝐴 moment caused by 𝑃; the lower part is due to
𝐿 the distributed load. The area under the
diagram can be divided into the four simple
• Compute t B=A using shapes shown: the rectangle , the triangles 
𝐵
𝑀 and , and the parabola .
𝑡𝐵/𝐴 = 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚] ∙ 𝑥̅/𝐵
𝐸𝐼 𝐴
The sketch of the elastic curve in Fig. (c) is drawn
• Calculate 𝛿𝐵 from so that it satisfies the boundary conditions
𝛿𝐵 = 𝜃𝐴 𝑥 − 𝑡𝐵/𝐴 (𝛿𝐶 = 𝜃𝐶 = 0) and the requirement that 𝛿𝐴 = 0
Because the slope of the elastic curve at C is
This procedure may appear to be zero, we see that 𝑡𝐴/𝐶 (the tangential deviation
involved, but it can be executed rapidly, of A relative to tangent C) is zero. Therefore,
especially if the bending moment diagram is from the second moment-area theorem, we
drawn by parts. It must be emphasized that an obtain
accurate sketch of the elastic curve, similar to
that shown in Fig. 5.9, is the basis of the 𝑀 𝐶
procedure. Such a sketch should be the starting 𝑡𝐴/𝐶 = 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚] ∙ 𝑥̅/𝐴 = 0
𝐸𝐼
point of every analysis. 𝐴
Using the four sub-areas shown in Fig. (b) to 5.5 The simply supported beam in Fig. (a)
compute the first moment of the bending supports a concentrated load of 300 N as
moment diagram about 𝐴, we get (the constant shown. Using 𝐸𝐼 = 20.48 × 103 𝑁 ∙ 𝑚2 , determine
EI cancels) (1) the slope angle of the elastic curve at A; and
1 16 1 (2) the displacement at D.
(8 × 8𝑃) ( ) − (4 × 4800)(3)
2 3 3
1 20
−(4 − 4800)(6) − (4 × 9600) ( ) = 0
2 3

which yields
𝑷 = 𝟏𝟓𝟑𝟕. 𝟓 𝒍𝒃.

Alternative Solution
There are other ways of drawing the bending
moment diagram by parts. We could, for
example, replace the distributed loading with
the equivalent loading shown in Fig. (d). The
resulting bending moment diagram by parts in
Fig. (e) has only three parts: two parabolas and
a triangle. Setting the first moment of the
bending diagram about A to zero, we get
1 16 1
(8 × 8𝑃) ( ) − (8 × 19200)(6)
2 3 3
1
− (4 − 4800)(7) = 0
3

giving us, as before,

𝑷 = 𝟏𝟓𝟑𝟕. 𝟓 𝒍𝒃

Solution:
To obtain the bending moment diagram by
parts, we introduce a fixed support at 𝐶
and consider the reaction at 𝐴 to be an applied
load, as shown in Fig. (b). The resulting bending
moment diagram is shown in Fig. (c). The sketch
of the elastic curve of the original beam in Fig.
(d) identifies the slope angle 𝜃𝐴 and the
displacement 𝛿𝐷 , which are to be found,
together with the tangential deviations 𝑡𝐶/𝐴 and t
𝑡𝐷/𝐴 .
Part 1 5.6 Determine the value of 𝐸𝐼𝛿 at end 𝐷 of the
The tangential deviation 𝑡𝐶/𝐴 can be found from overhanging beam in Fig. (a).
the second moment-area theorem:
𝐴
𝑀
𝑡𝐶/𝐴 = 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚] ∙ 𝑥̅/𝐶
𝐸𝐼 𝐶

Substituting the given value of 𝐸𝐼 and

computing the first moment of the bending
moment diagram about 𝐶 with the aid of Fig.
(c), we get
1 1
𝑡𝐶/𝐴 = 3
[ (3 × 300)(1.0)
20.48 × 10 2
1 1
− (1.0 × 300) ( )]
2 3
𝑡𝐶/𝐴 = 0.019531 𝑚

Note that 𝑡𝐶/𝐴 is positive, which means that 𝐶 is

above the reference tangent at 𝐴, as expected.
Assuming small slopes, we obtain from geometry
of Fig. (d)
𝑡𝐶
0.019531
𝜃𝐴 = 𝐴 = = 0.00651 𝑟𝑎𝑑
𝐴𝐶 3
𝜃𝐴 = 0.373° ↻

Part 2
From the second moment-area theorem, the
tangential deviation of 𝐷 relative to 𝐴 is
𝐷
𝑀
𝑡𝐷/𝐴 = 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚] ∙ 𝑥̅/𝐷
𝐸𝐼 𝐴

Referring to Fig. (e) to obtain the first

moment about 𝐷 of the bending moment
diagram between 𝐴 and 𝐷, we obtain

1 1 1
𝑡𝐷 = 3
[ (1.0 × 100) ( )]
𝐴 20.48 × 10 2 3
𝑡𝐷/𝐴 = 0.008138 𝑚

From Fig. (d), we see that the displacement

at 𝐷 is
Solution:
𝛿𝐷 = 𝜃𝐴 ̅̅̅̅̅
𝐴𝐷′ − 𝑡𝐷/𝐴 The statically equivalent beam used to draw the
bending moment diagram by parts is shown in
𝛿𝐷 = 0.00651(1.0) − 0.008138 Fig. (b). We introduced a built-in support at 𝐶
𝛿𝐷 = 0.005696 𝑚 = 5.70 𝑚𝑚 ↓ and show the reaction at 𝐴 as an applied load.
The result is, in e¤ect, two beams that are
cantilevered from 𝐶. The bending moment
diagrams by parts for these beams are shown in
Fig. (c).
The elastic curve of the original beam in Fig. (d)
was drawn assuming that the beam rotates
counterclockwise at 𝐶. The correct direction will
be determined from the sign of the tangential
deviation 𝑡𝐴/𝐶 . Using the second moment-area
theorem and recognizing that 𝐸𝐼 is a constant,
we have
𝐴
𝑀
𝐸𝐼𝑡𝐴/𝐶 = 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚] ∙ 𝑥̅/𝐴
𝐸𝐼 𝐶

1 2
𝐸𝐼𝑡𝐴/𝐶 = (10 × 780) [ (10) ]
2 3
1 2
− (6 × 900) [4 + (6)]
2 3
𝐸𝐼𝑡𝐴/𝐶 = 4400 𝑙𝑏 ∙ 𝑓𝑡 3

The positive value means that point A lies above

the reference tangent at 𝐶, as shown in Fig. (d),
thereby verifying our assumption. The slope
angle at 𝐶 is (assuming small slopes)
̅̅̅̅ , or
𝜃𝐶 = 𝑡𝐴/𝐶 /𝐴𝐶

4400
𝐸𝐼𝜃𝐶 = = 440 𝑙𝑏 ∙ 𝑓𝑡 2
10

The deviation of 𝐷 from the reference tangent at

𝐶 is obtained from

𝐷
𝑀
𝐸𝐼𝑡𝐷/𝐶 = 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚] ∙ 𝑥̅/𝐷
𝐸𝐼 𝐶

1 2
𝐸𝐼𝑡𝐷/𝐶 = (4 × 120) [ (4) ] = −640 𝑙𝑏 ∙ 𝑓𝑡 3
2 3

The negative sign indicates that point 𝐷 on the

elastic curve lies below the reference tangent,
as assumed in Fig. (d). According to Fig. (d), the
displacement of 𝐷 is 𝛿𝐷 = 𝜃𝐶 ̅̅̅̅
𝐶𝐷 − |𝑡𝐷/𝐶 |.
Therefore,
𝐸𝐼𝛿𝐷 = 440(4) − 640 = 𝟏𝟏𝟐𝟎 𝒍𝒃 ∙ 𝒇𝒕𝟑 ↑