Compare candidate sizes and materials
A member’s length, cross-section and material all affect the calculated deflection. The tool lets you change those conditions and inspect the result as you narrow down a design idea.
Select cantilever, simply supported or fixed-end conditions, a point or distributed load, and a cross-section such as a solid rectangle, circle or tube.
Match the model and units
- Choose the support, load and cross-section.
- Enter dimensions and load using the units shown beside the fields.
- Choose a material and read the separate self-weight, applied-load and total deflections.
For a uniformly distributed load, enter the combined load spread along the entire beam in P. For example, a total mass of 10 kg corresponds to about 98 N. Do not enter a per-metre value; the beam’s own weight is calculated separately.
The sample cantilever shows 0.22 mm from self-weight plus 0.31 mm from the load, for a 0.53 mm total. (Japanese interface.)See the bend as the load increases
As the load increases, the beam diagram shows the deflection alongside the calculated value. See the tip of a cantilever move downward, or the middle of a beam supported at both ends, and compare the shape with the numbers.
The example below increases the tip load from 100 N to 10,000 N on a steel cantilever 1,000 mm long with a 50 × 50 mm cross-section. The larger deflection becomes visible at the tip. The diagram is schematic to make the change easier to see.
The tip load is increased to 10,000 N. Compare the calculated deflection with the downward bend. (Japanese interface.)Turn the result into a useful comparison
Hold length and load constant while changing the section height, or compare materials at the same dimensions. The result shows deflection in millimetres and the member’s mass.
Use those figures to select a candidate for further investigation. Assessing a real structure’s safety also requires checks of connections, supports and other failure modes.
