EAS 253 Theory of Structures

Deflection

Ir. Dr. Lau Tze Liang

Associate Professor
School of Civil Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia
 Conjugate-Beam Method

• The conjugate-beam method was developed by

Otto Mohr in 1860, generally provides a more
convenient means of computing slopes and
deflections of beams than the moment-area method.

• The conjugate-beam method is based on the

similarity between the relationships for loading and
shear, and shear and moment.
 Conjugate-Beam Method

• The left-hand side expressions relate the internal

shear and moment to the applied load.

• The right-hand side expressions relate the slope

and deflection of the elastic curve to the internal
moment.

• The basis of the method comes from the similarity

of the above relationships.
 Conjugate-Beam Method

• Let’s compare expression for shear, S, and the

slope, θ.

• What do you see?

• If you replace w with the term M/EI, the
expression for shear force and the slope are identical.
 Conjugate-Beam Method

• Let’s compare expression for bending moment, M,

and the displacement, y.

• What do you see?

• Just as before, if you replace w with the term M/EI,
the expression for bending moment and the
displacement are identical.
 Conjugate-Beam Method

• We will use this relationship to our advantage by

constructing a beam with the same length as the
real beam referred to as the conjugate beam.

• The conjugate beam is loaded with the M/EI

diagram, simulating the external load, w.
 Conjugate-Beam Method

w
Real beam with applied
w=w(x) loading.
Determine the bending
x moment (draw the bending
moment diagram)

M/EI Conjugate beam where the

applied loading is bending
moment from the real beam.

x Note the sign of loading w

and M/EI on the conjugate
beam.
 Conjugate-Beam Method

• Therefore, the two theorems related to the

conjugate-beam method are:

• Theorem 1: The slope at a point in the

real beam is equal to the shear at the
corresponding point in the conjugate beam.

• Theorem 2: The displacement at a point in

the real beam is equal to the moment at the
corresponding point in the conjugate beam.
 Conjugate-Beam Method

Conjugate-Beam Supports

• When the conjugate beam is drawn, it is

important that the shear and moment developed in
the conjugate beam correspond to the slope and
displacement conditions in the real beam.
 Conjugate-Beam Method

• As a rule, statically determinant real beams have

statically determinant conjugate beams and
statically indeterminate beams become unstable
conjugate beams.

• However, the M/EI loading may provide the

necessary “equilibrium” to hold the conjugate beam
stable.
 Conjugate-Beam Method

Procedure for Analysis

1. Construct the conjugate beam with the M/EI
loading.
Remember when the M/EI diagram is positive the loading is
upward and when the M/EI diagram is negative the loading is
downward.

2. Use the equations of equilibrium to solve for the

reactions of the conjugate beam.
This may be difficult if the moment diagram is complex.

3. Solve for the shear and moment at the point or

points where the slope and displacement are desired.
If the value is positive, the slope is counterclockwise and the
displacement is upward.
 Conjugate-Beam Method

Draw the conjugate beam, including supports, for

the following beams

Conjugate beam and supports

 Conjugate-Beam Method

Draw the conjugate beam, including supports, for

the following beams

Conjugate beam and supports

 Conjugate-Beam Method

Draw the conjugate beam, including supports, for

the following beams

Conjugate beam and supports

 Example 1
Determine the slope at point B and C of the beam
shown. Take E = 200GPa and I = 360(106)mm4.

10 kN
A B C

5m 5m

1. Determine the reactions and draw the moment

diagram.
M/EI 5m 5m
x
A B C
-50/EI

-100/EI
 Example 1

2. Construct the conjugate beam with the M/EI

loading.

10 kN
A B C

5m 5m

A B C

100/EI
 Example 1

3. Use the equations of equilibrium to solve for the

reactions of the conjugate beam.

A B C MC

Cy
100/EI 5m 5m

ΣFy = 0, Cy = ½(100/EI)(10)
= 500/EI kN
ΣM = 0, MC = ½(100/EI)(10)(2/3)(10)
= 10000/3EI kN.m
 Example 1
4. Solve for the shear at the point or points B and
C where the slope are desired.
A 5m B 5m C

100/EI

Slope at B: The slope at B on the real beam is equal

to the shear at B in the conjugate beam.
5m
B
A
SB + SB= (-50/EI)(5)+½(-50/EI)(5)
50/EI = -375/EI kN
100/EI
 Example 1

Therefore, the slope at B on the real beam is

θB = -375/EI kN

Substitute the numerical values of E and I, we obtain

θB = -375/EI
= -375/(200x106)(360x106x10-12)
= -5.21 x 10-3
= -0.00521 rad

θB = 0.00521 rad
 Example 1

Slope at C: The slope at C on the real beam is equal

to the shear at C in the conjugate beam.

A 5m B 5m C

SC

100/EI

+ SC= -½(100/EI)(10)
= -500/EI kN
 Example 1

Therefore, the slope at C on the real beam is

θC = -500/EI kN

Substitute the numerical values of E and I, we obtain

θC = -500/EI
= -500/(200x106)(360x106x10-12)
= -6.94 x 10-3
= -0.00694 rad

θC = 0.00694 rad
 Example 2

Determine the deflection at point B and C of the

beam shown. Value for the moment of inertia of
each segment are indicated in the figure. Take E =
200GPa.

A B C 500 N.m

IAB = 8(106)mm4 IBC = 4(106)mm4

4m 3m
 Example 2

1. Determine the reactions and draw the moment

diagram.
A B C 500 N.m

IAB = 8(106)mm4 IBC = 4(106)mm4

4m 3m IAB = 2IBC

M/EIBC
500/EIBC

250/EIBC
x
A 2m B C
4m 3m
 Example 2

2. Construct the conjugate beam with the M/EI

loading.
A B C 500 N.m

IAB = 8(106)mm4 IBC = 4(106)mm4

4m 3m

500/EIBC

250/EIBC

A B C
 Example 2

3. Use the equations of equilibrium to solve for the

reactions of the conjugate beam.
500/EIBC

250/EIBC

A MC
B C
Cy
4m 3m

ΣFy = 0, Cy = (250/EI)(4) + (500/EI)(3)

= 2500/EI kN
ΣM = 0, MC = (250/EI)(4)(2+3)+(500/EI)(3)(1.5)
= 7250/EI kN.m
 Example 2

4. Solve for the moment at the point or points B

and C where the deflection are desired.
Deflection at B: The deflection at B on the real beam
is equal to the moment at B in the conjugate beam.

250/EIBC

A MB
B

4m

+ MB= (250/EIBC)(4)(2) = 2000/EIBC N.m

 Example 2

Therefore, the deflection at B on the real beam is

∆B = 2000/EIBC N.m

Substitute the numerical values of E and I, we obtain

∆B = 2000/EIBC
= 2000/(200x109)(4x106x10-12)
= 0.0025 m
= 2.5 mm
 Example 2

Deflection at C: The deflection at C on the real beam

is equal to the moment at C in the conjugate beam.

500/EIBC

250/EIBC

A MC
B C

4m 3m

+ MC= (250/EIBC)(4)(2+3) + (500/EIBC)(3)(1.5)

= 7250/EIBC N.m
 Example 2

Therefore, the deflection at C on the real beam is

∆C = 7250/EIBC N.m

Substitute the numerical values of E and I, we obtain

∆C = 7250/EIBC
= 7250/(200x109)(4x106x10-12)
= 0.00906
= 9.06 mm
 Example 3

Determine the slope at point C of the beam shown.

Take E = 200GPa and I = 6(106)mm4.

20 kN

A C B

D
3m 3m 6m
Example 3

Ay = B y
1  60 
=  (6 )
2  EI 
180
=
EI
 Example 3
To determine the slope at point C on the real beam,
we calculate the shear force at point C on the
conjugate beam
1  30 
+ ↑ SC = Ay +  (3)
2  EI 
180 45
=− +
EI EI
135
=−
EI
Therefore, the slope at point C,
135 135
θ C = SC = − =− = −0.112 rad = 0.112 rad
EI (200 × 6)
 Example 4

Determine the slope at point C of the beam shown.

Take E = 200GPa and I = 360(106)mm4.
40 kN

A C B

2m 4m 2m

Then, determine the maximum deflection of the

beam.
Example 4
Example 4
Example 4
Example 4
 Example 5
Determine the deflection at point C of the beam
shown. Take E = 200GPa and I = 4(106)mm4.

5 kN.m
A C B

3m 3m
Example 5
Example 5
 Example 6
Determine the deflection at point C of the beam
shown. Take E = 200GPa and I = 250(106)mm4.

6 kN/m

A B C

8m 8m
Example 6
Example 6
 Example 7
Use the conjugate-beam method to determine the
slope at point A and the deflection at point C of the
beam shown.

40 kN 15 kN
Hinge
A D E F

B C
2m 2m 2m 3m 2m

I= I=
500(106)mm4 250(106)mm4

E = 200 GPa
Example 7
Example 7
Example 7
 Exercise

1. Determine the slope and deflection at point A of

the beam shown by the conjugate-beam method.

A B
L

EI = constant

WL3 11WL4
Answer: θA = ; ∆A =
8 EI 120 EI
 Exercise
2. Determine the smallest moment of inertia I
required for the beam shown, so that its maximum
deflection does not exceed the limit of 1/360 of the
span length (i.e., ∆ ≤ L/360). Use the conjugate-
beam method.
50 kN 100 kN

400 kN.m C
A B
6m 6m
L = 12 m
EI = constant
E = 200 GPa

Answer: 11340(106) mm4

 Exercise

3. Determine the maximum deflection for the beam

shown by the conjugate-beam method.

200 kN 100 kN

A D

B C
5m 10 m 5m
I 2I I

E = constant = 250 GPa

I = 600(106) mm4

Answer: 136 mm
 Exercise
4. Use the conjugate-beam method to determine
the slopes and deflections at points B and D of the
beam shown.
150 kN 75 kN
Hinge 40 kN.m

E
A
4m B 4m C 4m D 4m

EI = constant
E = 200 GPa
I = 500(106) mm4

Answer: θ B = 0.0222rad ; ∆B = 54.67 mm

θ D = 0.0189rad ; ∆D = 85.87 mm
 Exercise

5. Determine the maximum deflection for the beam

shown in below. Use the conjugate-beam method.
Take E = 200 GPa and I = 600 (106) mm4.

200 kN.m 50 kN 30 kN

A B C D

6m 10 m 6m
I I 2I

Answer: 49.83 mm
 Tutorial 2

1. Calculate the slope and vertical displacement at point C

for each of the structure shown in below. The flexural
rigidity of all beam sections is indicated in the figure.

P P/2 P

A B C EI
2EI EI
L/2 L/3
A L C
L B
(a) (b)
P w

M EI EI 2EI EI

A L/2 C
L
B A L/3 B L/3 C L/3 D
(c) (d)