Chapter 2 DEFLECTION BEAM |  | |
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What Is a Deflection Beam?
The deflection of a member under a load is directly related to the slope of the deflected shape of the member under that load and can be calculated by integrating the function that mathematically describes the slope of the member under that load. Deflection can be calculated by standard formula (will only give the deflection of common beam configurations and load cases at discrete locations), or by methods such as "virtual work", "direct integration", "Castigliano's method", "Macaulay's method" or the "direct stiffness method" amongst others. The deflection of beam elements is usually calculated on the basis of Euler-Bernoulli beam theory while that of a plate or shell element is calculated using plate theory or shell theory. For example:
