Deflection of Beams

Macaulay’s Method
Problem – 6
 W kN/m

A D
B C
a a
L

Ra Rd

Analyze above beam ABCD of total span L meter having

hinged supports at extreme ends A and D, for slope and
deflection. Beam has UDL of w kN/m over the span BC as
shown in the figure above.
Find the slopes at the extreme ends and the maximum
deflection.
 W kN/m

A D
B C
a a
L

𝒘(𝑳 − 𝟐𝒂) 𝒘(𝑳 − 𝟐𝒂)

𝑹𝒂 = 𝑹𝒅 =
𝟐 𝟐

𝒘(𝑳−𝟐𝒂)
Support Reactions 𝑹𝒂 = 𝑹𝒅 =
𝟐
From Similarity.
 W kN/m

A D
B C
a a
L

Ra = w*(L-2a)/2 Rd= w*(L-a)/2

𝒘(𝑳 − 𝟐𝒂)
𝑨𝑩, 𝟎 < 𝒙 < 𝒂, 𝑴(𝒙) = 𝒙
𝟐
 W kN/m

A D
B C
a a
L

Ra = w*(L-2a)/2 Rd= w*(L-a)/2

𝒘 𝑳−𝟐𝒂 𝒘(𝒙−𝒂)𝟐
BC , 𝒂 < 𝒙 < (𝑳 − 𝒂), 𝑴 𝒙 = 𝟐
𝒙−
𝟐
 W kN/m

A D
B C
a a
L

Ra = w*(L-2a)/2 Rd= w*(L-a)/2

𝒘 𝑳−𝟐𝒂 𝑳
CD , 𝑳 − 𝒂 < 𝒙 < 𝑳, 𝑴 𝒙 = 𝟐
𝒙 − 𝒘 𝑳 − 𝟐𝒂 ∗ (𝒙 − )
𝟐
 W kN/m

A D
B C
a a
L

Ra = w*(L-2a)/2 Rd= w*(L-a)/2

𝒘(𝑳 − 𝟐𝒂)
𝑨𝑩, 𝟎 < 𝒙 < 𝒂, 𝑴(𝒙) = 𝒙
𝟐

𝒘 𝑳−𝟐𝒂 𝒘(𝒙−𝒂)𝟐
BC , 𝒂 < 𝒙 < (𝑳 − 𝒂), 𝑴 𝒙 =
𝟐
𝒙−
𝟐
𝒘 𝑳−𝟐𝒂 𝑳
CD , 𝑳 − 𝒂 < 𝒙 < 𝑳, 𝑴 𝒙 =
𝟐
𝒙 − 𝒘 𝑳 − 𝟐𝒂 ∗ (𝒙 − )
𝟐
 W kN/m W kN/m

A D
B
a
W kN/m
a
L
Ra = w*(L-2a)/2 Rd= w*(L-a)/2

𝒘 𝑳−𝟐𝒂 𝒘 𝒙−𝒂 𝟐 𝒘 {𝒙− 𝑳−𝒂 }𝟐

CD, 𝑳 − 𝒂 < 𝒙 < 𝑳 𝑴 𝒙 =
𝟐
𝒙 −
𝟐
+
𝟐
 W kN/m W kN/m

A D
B
a
W kN/m
a
L
Ra = w*(L-2a)/2 Rd= w*(L-a)/2
𝒘(𝑳 − 𝟐𝒂)
𝑨𝑩, 𝟎 < 𝒙 < 𝒂, 𝑴(𝒙) = 𝒙
𝟐
𝒘 𝑳−𝟐𝒂 𝒘(𝒙−𝒂)𝟐
BC , 𝒂 < 𝒙 < (𝑳 − 𝒂), 𝑴 𝒙 = 𝟐
𝒙−
𝟐
𝒘 𝑳−𝟐𝒂 𝒘 𝒙−𝒂 𝟐 𝒘 {𝒙− 𝑳−𝒂 }𝟐
CD , 𝑳 − 𝒂 < 𝒙 < 𝑳, 𝑴 𝒙 =
𝟐
𝒙−
𝟐
+
𝟐
 W kN/m W kN/m

A D
B
a
W kN/m
a
L
Ra = w*(L-2a)/2 Rd= w*(L-a)/2

AD, 𝟎 < 𝒙 < 𝑳, Macaulay’s expression.

𝒘 𝑳 − 𝟐𝒂 𝒘[𝒙 − 𝒂]𝟐 𝒘 [𝒙 − 𝑳 − 𝒂 ]𝟐
𝑴 𝒙 = 𝒙− +
𝟐 𝟐 𝟐
 W kN/m W kN/m

A D
B
a
W kN/m
a
L
Ra = w*(L-2a)/2 Rd= w*(L-a)/2

AD, 𝟎 < 𝒙 < 𝑳, Macaulay’s expression.

Differential Equation of Elastic Curve.

𝒘 𝑳−𝟐𝒂 𝒘[𝒙−𝒂]𝟐 𝒘 [𝒙− 𝑳−𝒂 ]𝟐

EI*y’’ 𝒙 = 𝟐
𝒙 −
𝟐
+
𝟐
AD, 𝟎 < 𝒙 < 𝑳, Macaulay’s expression.

Differential Equation of Elastic Curve.

𝒘 𝑳−𝟐𝒂 𝒘[𝒙−𝒂]𝟐 𝒘 [𝒙− 𝑳−𝒂 ]𝟐

EI*y’’ 𝒙 = 𝟐
𝒙−
𝟐
+
𝟐

Slope Equation
𝒘 𝑳 − 𝟐𝒂 𝟐 𝒘[𝒙 − 𝒂]𝟑 𝒘 [𝒙 − 𝑳 − 𝒂 ]𝟑
𝑬𝑰 ∗ 𝒚’ 𝒙 = 𝒙 + 𝑪𝟏 − +
𝟒 𝟔 𝟔

Equation of Elastic Curve – Deflection equation

𝒘 𝑳 − 𝟐𝒂 𝟑 𝒘[𝒙 − 𝒂]𝟒 𝒘 [𝒙 − 𝑳 − 𝒂 ]𝟒
𝑬𝑰 ∗ 𝒚 𝒙 = 𝒙 + 𝑪𝟏 𝒙 + 𝑪𝟐 − +
𝟏𝟐 𝟐𝟒 𝟐𝟒
To find constants of integration.
Boundary Conditions are y(0) = y(L) = 0
Equation of Elastic Curve – Deflection equation
𝒘 𝑳 − 𝟐𝒂 𝟑 𝒘[𝒙 − 𝒂]𝟒 𝒘 [𝒙 − 𝑳 − 𝒂 ]𝟒
𝑬𝑰 ∗ 𝒚 𝒙 = 𝒙 + 𝑪𝟏 𝒙 + 𝑪𝟐 − +
𝟏𝟐 𝟐𝟒 𝟐𝟒
y(0) = 0 implies that 𝑪𝟐 =0
y(L)= 0
𝒘 𝑳 − 𝟐𝒂 𝟑 𝒘[𝒙 − 𝒂]𝟒 𝒘 [𝒙 − 𝑳 − 𝒂 ]𝟒
𝑬𝑰 ∗ 𝒚 𝒙 = 𝒙 + 𝑪𝟏 𝒙 − +
𝟏𝟐 𝟐𝟒 𝟐𝟒
𝟒 𝟒
𝒘 𝑳 − 𝟐𝒂 𝟑 𝒘 𝑳−𝒂 𝒘 𝒂
𝑬𝑰 ∗ 𝒚 𝑳 = 𝑳 + 𝑪𝟏 𝑳 − + =𝟎
𝟏𝟐 𝟐𝟒 𝟐𝟒
𝒘 𝑳−𝒂 𝟒 𝒘 𝒂 𝟒 𝒘 𝑳−𝟐𝒂 𝑳𝟑
𝑪𝟏 𝑳 = − -
𝟐𝟒 𝟐𝟒 𝟏𝟐

𝒘 𝑳−𝒂 𝟒 𝒘 𝒂𝟒 𝒘 𝑳−𝟐𝒂 𝑳𝟑 𝒘{ 𝑳−𝒂 𝟒 −𝒂𝟒 −𝟐 𝑳−𝟐𝒂 𝑳𝟑 }

𝑪𝟏 = − - =
𝟐𝟒𝑳 𝟐𝟒𝑳 𝟏𝟐𝑳 𝟐𝟒𝑳

𝒘(𝑳𝟑 +𝟒𝒂𝟑 −𝟔𝑳𝒂𝟐 )

𝑪𝟏 = −
𝟐𝟒
Finally the equations are.

Differential Equation of Elastic Curve.

𝒘 𝑳−𝟐𝒂 𝒘[𝒙−𝒂]𝟐 𝒘 [𝒙− 𝑳−𝒂 ]𝟐
EI*y’’ 𝒙 = 𝟐
𝒙− 𝟐
+ 𝟐

Slope Equation
𝒘 𝑳 − 𝟐𝒂 𝟐 (𝑳𝟑 + 𝟒𝒂𝟑 𝑳 − 𝟔𝑳𝟐 𝒂𝟐 ) 𝒘[𝒙 − 𝒂]𝟑 𝒘 [𝒙 − 𝑳 − 𝒂 ]𝟑
𝑬𝑰𝒚’ 𝒙 = 𝒙 − − +
𝟒 𝟐𝟒 𝟔 𝟔

Equation of Elastic Curve

𝒘 𝑳 − 𝟐𝒂 𝟑 (𝑳𝟑 + 𝟒𝒂𝟑 𝑳 − 𝟔𝑳𝟐 𝒂𝟐 ) 𝒘[𝒙 − 𝒂]𝟒 𝒘 [𝒙 − 𝑳 − 𝒂 ]𝟒
𝑬𝑰𝒚 𝒙 = 𝒙 − 𝒙− +
𝟏𝟐 𝟐𝟒 𝟐𝟒 𝟐𝟒