Resumen de Determining deflections of elastic beams: what can the conjugate beam method do that all others cannot?
An elastic beam on a simple support can be in neutral equilibrium under a variety of loading conditions. Is it possible to ascertain thedeflections of such a beam? The answer is: yes—by the conjugate beam method propounded by Westergaard in 1921, and no—by allother methods. It is recognized that support conditions, rather than boundary conditions, are what the conjugate beam method requiresin finding deflections of loaded beams; and more support conditions than boundary conditions are usually known for beams in neutralequilibrium. The objective of this paper is to share with engineering educators the pedagogy of the conjugate beam method and thesolution for the deflected configuration of a loaded elastic beam in neutral equilibrium by this method. The feasibility of obtaining sucha solution via this method is unmatched by other methods. The conjugate beam method, missing in most current textbooks in mechanicsof materials, is as good as (or even better than) other methods when it comes to the analysis of deflections of beams. Once well revivedin textbooks, or otherwise, for teaching and learning, this method is expected to significantly impact the favored way beam deflectionsare analyzed.
