EngiRef / Civil Engineering Formula

Simply Supported Beam (Uniform Load)

Simply Supported Beam (Uniform Load): Maximum deflection under uniform distributed load. A Beams formula in civil engineering. Variables δₘₐₓ, w, L, E and I…

Beams

Specification

Name
Simply Supported Beam (Uniform Load)
Discipline
civil
Category
Beams
LaTeX
\delta_{max} = \frac{5wL^4}{384EI}
Description
Maximum deflection under uniform distributed load
Conditions
Simply supported, uniform load over entire span
Can solve for
δₘₐₓ, w, L, E, I
Tags
beam, deflection, uniform, load, distributed

Variables

Variables for Simply Supported Beam (Uniform Load)
SymbolNameUnitSi UnitImperial Unit
δₘₐₓMax Deflectionmmin
wLoad per Unit LengthN/mN/mlbf/ft
LSpanmmft
EElastic ModulusPaPapsi
IMoment of Inertiam⁴m⁴in⁴

Common questions

What is the Simply Supported Beam (Uniform Load) formula?
Maximum deflection under uniform distributed load. It sits under Beams, Civil engineering in the EngiRef reference.
What do the symbols in the Simply Supported Beam (Uniform Load) formula mean?
In Simply Supported Beam (Uniform Load), δₘₐₓ is max deflection in m; w is load per unit length in N/m; L is span in m; E is elastic modulus in Pa; I is moment of inertia in m⁴.
When does the Simply Supported Beam (Uniform Load) formula apply?
Simply Supported Beam (Uniform Load) holds under this condition: Simply supported, uniform load over entire span.