Structural Analysis ECSAN3A Lecturer: Ms J Mukalay

Chapter 3: Deflection of Beams_Conjugate beam method

3.1 Introduction
➢ The conjugate method provides a more convenient means of computing slopes and deflections
of beams than the moment-area method.
➢ Although the amount of computational effort required by the two methods is essentially the
same, the conjugate-beam method is preferred by many engineers because of its systematic
sign convention and straight forward application, which does not require sketching the elastic
curve of the structure.
➢ The conjugate-beam method is based on the analogy between the relationships among load,
shear and bending moment and the relationships among 𝑀⁄𝐸𝐼 , slope and deflection.
➢ This means that the relationships between 𝑀⁄𝐸𝐼 , slope and deflection will/ should have the
same form as that of the relationships between load, shear and bending moment.
➢ Therefore, the slope and deflection can be determined from 𝑀⁄𝐸𝐼 by the same operations as
those performed to compute shear and bending moment respectively, from the load.
Table 1
Load-Shear-Bending Moment relationships 𝑴⁄𝑬𝑰-Slope-Deflection relationships
𝑑𝑉 𝑑𝜃 𝑀
=𝑤 =
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝐸𝐼
𝑑𝑀 𝑑2 𝑀 𝑑𝑦 𝑑2 𝑦 𝑀
= 𝑉 or =𝑤 = 𝜃 or = 𝐸𝐼
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 2 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 2

➢ Furthermore, if the 𝑀⁄𝐸𝐼 diagram for a beam is applied as the load on an imaginary analogous
beam, then the shear and bending moment at any point on the imaginary beam will be equal to
the slope and deflection, respectively, at the corresponding point on the original real beam.
➢ The imaginary beam is referred to as the conjugate beam, and it is defined as follows:
A conjugate beam corresponding to a real beam is an imaginary beam of the same length as
the real beam, but it is externally supported and internally connected such that if the conjugate
beam is loaded with 𝑀 ⁄𝐸𝐼 diagram of the real, the shear and bending moment at any point
on the conjugate beam are equal, respectively, to the slope and deflection at the corresponding
point on the real beam.

1
Structural Analysis ECSAN3A Lecturer: Ms J Mukalay

➢ The conjugate-beam method essentially involves computing the slopes and deflections of
beams by computing the shears and bending moments in the corresponding conjugate beams.

3.2 Supports for conjugate beams

➢ External supports and internal connections for conjugate beams are determined from the
analogous relationships between conjugate beams and the corresponding real beams; that is,
the shear and bending moment at any point on the conjugate beam must be consistent with
the slope and deflection at that point on the real beam
➢ The conjugate counterparts of the various types of the real supports are shown in Table 2.
Table 2

➢ E.g.1 conjugates of some common types of beams:

The conjugate beams corresponding to statically determinate real beams are always statically
determinate.
The conjugate beams of statically indeterminate beams are unstable conjugate beams.

2
Structural Analysis ECSAN3A Lecturer: Ms J Mukalay

Figure 1

3.3 Sign convention

➢ If the positive ordinates of the 𝑀⁄𝐸𝐼 diagram are applied to the conjugate beam as upward
loads (in the positive y direction) and vice versa, then a positive shear in the conjugate beam
denotes a positive (counterclockwise) slope of the real beam with respect to the undeformed
axis of the real beam;
➢ A positive bending moment in the conjugate beam denotes a positive (upward or in the
positive y direction) deflection of the real beam with respect to the undeformed axis of the
real beam and vice versa.

3.4 Procedure for analysis

The following procedure can be used for determining the slopes and deflections of beams by the
conjugate-beam method:
1) Construct the 𝑀⁄𝐸𝐼 diagram for the given (real) beam subjected to the specified (real)
loading. If the beam is subjected to a combination of different types of loads (e.g. concentrated
load and UDL), the analysis can be simplified by constructing the 𝑀⁄𝐸𝐼 diagram by parts as
discussed in the preceding section.

3
Structural Analysis ECSAN3A Lecturer: Ms J Mukalay

2) Determine the conjugate beam corresponding to the given real beam. The external supports
and internal connections for the conjugate beam must be selected so that the shear and bending
moment at any point on the conjugate beam are consistent with the slope and deflection,
respectively, at that point on the real beam.
3) Apply the 𝑀⁄𝐸𝐼 diagram (from step 1) as the load on the conjugate beam. The positive
ordinates of the 𝑀⁄𝐸𝐼 diagram are applied as upward loads on the conjugate beam and vice
versa.
4) Calculate the reactions at the supports of the conjugate beam by applying the equations of
equilibrium and conditions (if any).
5) Determine the shears at those points on the conjugate beam where slopes are desired on the
real beam. Determine the bending moments at those points on the conjugate where deflections
are desired on the real beam. The shears and bending moments in conjugate beams are
considered to be positive or negative in accordance with the beam sign convention.

Figure 2

6) The slope at a point on the real beam with respect to the undeformed axis of the real beam is
equal to the shear at that point on the conjugate beam. A positive shear in the conjugate beam
denotes a positive or counterclockwise slope of the real beam and vice versa.

4
Structural Analysis ECSAN3A Lecturer: Ms J Mukalay

7) The deflection at a point on the real beam with respect to the undeformed axis of the real
beam is equal to the bending moment at that point on the conjugate beam. A positive bending
moment in the conjugate beam denotes a positive or upward deflection of the real beam and
vice versa.

3.5 Example
Determine the slope and deflection at points B and C of the cantilever beam shown below using
the conjugate-beam method.

𝐼𝐴𝐵 = 2,5 109 𝑚𝑚4 𝐼𝐵𝐶 = 1,25 109 𝑚𝑚4

Figure 3

5
Structural Analysis ECSAN3A Lecturer: Ms J Mukalay

References

Structural Analysis, A Kassimali