DEFLECTION_intro

DEFLECTION DIAGRAM AND ELASTIC CURVE
❖ Deflections of structures can occur from various sources, such as loads, temperature,
fabrication errors, or settlement. In design, deflections must be limited in order to
provide integrity and stability of roofs, and prevent cracking of attached brittle materials
such as concrete, plaster or glass.
❖ Furthermore, a structure must not vibrate or deflect severely in order to “appear” safe
for its occupants.
❖ More important, though, deflections at specified points in a structure must be

determined if one is to analyze statically indeterminate structures.
❖ The deflections to be considered throughout this text apply only to structures having
linear elastic material response. Under this condition, a structure subjected to a load
will return to its original undeformed position after the load is removed.
❖ The deflection of a structure is caused by its internal loadings such as normal force,
shear force, or bending moment.
❖ For beams and frames, however, the greatest deflections are most often caused by
internal bending, whereas internal axial forces cause the deflections of a truss.
❖ Before the slope or displacement of a point on a beam or frame is determined, it is often

helpful to sketch the deflected shape of the structure when it is loaded in order to
partially check the results.
❖ This deflection diagram represents the elastic curve or locus of points which defines
the displaced position of the centroid of the cross section along the members.
❖ For most problems the elastic curve can be sketched without much difficulty. When
doing so, however, it is necessary to know the restrictions as to slope or displacement
that often occur at a support or a connection.
❖ With reference to Figure 1, supports that resist a force, such as a pin, restrict
displacement; and those that resist moment, such as a fixed wall, restrict rotation. Note
also that deflection of frame members that are fixed connected (4) causes the joint to
rotate the connected members by the same amount u. On the other hand, if a pin
connection is used at the joint, the members will each have a different slope or rotation
at the pin, since the pin cannot support a moment (5).
CED 315 – Structural Theory | Engr. Janel C. Tahil – Course Instructor

Figure 1

TECHNIQUE!
If the elastic curve seems difficult to establish, it is suggested that the moment diagram for the
beam or frame be drawn first. By our sign convention for moments in Figure 2, a positive
moment tends to bend a beam or horizontal member concave upward, Fig. 2–a. Likewise, a
negative moment tends to bend the beam or member concave downward, Fig. 2–b. Therefore,
if the shape of the moment diagram is known, it will be easy to construct the elastic curve and
vice versa.
Figure 2
Figure 3 Figure 4
For example, consider the beam in Fig. 3 with its associated moment diagram. Due to the pin-
and-roller support, the displacement at A and D must be zero. Within the region of negative
moment, the elastic curve is concave downward; and within the region of positive moment, the
elastic curve is concave upward. In particular, there must be an inflection point at the point
where the curve changes from concave down to concave up, since this is a point of zero
moment. Using these same principles, note how the elastic curve for the beam in Fig. 4 was
drawn based on its moment diagram. In particular, realize that the positive moment reaction
from the wall keeps the initial slope of the beam horizontal.

Example 1:

Example 2:

ELASTIC BEAM THEORY
Figure 1
Figure 2
When the internal moment M deforms the element of the beam, each cross section remains plane and the angle
between them becomes 𝑑𝜃, Fig. 2. The arc dx that represents a portion of the elastic curve intersects the neutral
axis for each cross section. The radius of curvature for this arc is defined as the distance 𝜌, which is measured
from the center of curvature 𝑂′ to 𝑑𝑥. Any arc on the element other than 𝑑𝑥 is subjected to a normal strain. For
example, the strain in arc 𝑑𝑠, located at a position y from the neutral axis, is 𝜖 = (𝑑𝑠′ − 𝑑𝑠)/𝑑𝑠. However,
𝑑𝑠 = 𝑑𝑥 = 𝜌 𝑑𝜃 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑠′ = (𝜌 − 𝑦) 𝑑𝜃, and so
If the material is homogeneous and behaves in a linear elastic manner, then Hooke’s law
applies, 𝜖 = 𝜎/𝐸. Also, since the flexure formula applies, 𝜎 = −𝑀𝑦/𝐼. Combining these
equations and substituting into the above equation, we have
where:
𝝆 = the radius of curvature at a specific point on the elastic curve (1/𝜌 is referred to as the curvature)
𝑴 = the internal moment in the beam at the point where r is to be determined
𝑬 = the material’s modulus of elasticity
I = the beam’s moment of inertia computed about the neutral axis

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DEFLECTION DIAGRAM AND ELASTIC CURVE

❖ More important, though, deflections at specified points in a structure must be

❖ Before the slope or displacement of a point on a beam or frame is determined, it is often

CED 315 – Structural Theory | Engr. Janel C. Tahil – Course Instructor

CED 315 – Structural Theory | Engr. Janel C. Tahil – Course Instructor

CED 315 – Structural Theory | Engr. Janel C. Tahil – Course Instructor

CED 315 – Structural Theory | Engr. Janel C. Tahil – Course Instructor

CED 315 – Structural Theory | Engr. Janel C. Tahil – Course Instructor

CED 315 – Structural Theory | Engr. Janel C. Tahil – Course Instructor

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