Cantilever Beam: Applications & Types

What Is A Cantilever Beam?

A Cantilever Beam is a rigid structural member in which one end is fixed and another end is free and it can be made up of steel, concrete, and composite material.

The cantilever beam transfers the load to the support and it can manage the sheer force and moment of force. Shear force means stress applied parallel to the material and moment force is characterized as a force to rotate or twist an object. Also, this beam can be constructed with a slab or truss.

Application of Cantilever Beam

The application of cantilever beam are as follows,

• Construction of Building.
• Constructing a cantilever Bridge.
• For overhanging Roof projects such as stadium Roofs, Shelters.
• For making furniture, shelving.

In building construction, there are the different applications of the cantilever beam such as a roof, runway, gallery, traveling crane, above part of the building there also used as shelves, large halls, armories, sun shed, exhibition building. Large spans mostly used cantilever construction.

Read More: Types of Load | Types of Load Acting on Structure | Types of Load on Beam

Advantages of Cantilever Beam

• A Cantilever Beam is quite easy to construct.
• Only one side support is required and support on the opposite side is not required because it is a free end.
• It creates a negative bending moment that assists to counteract a positive bending moment.
• The span of a Beam can be more than that of a simple beam because a beam can be added to the cantilever arms.
• It is stiffer as compared to other types of the beam due to its depth.
• The span of beams can be longer than simple beams because beams can be added to the cantilever supports.
• This beam is easy to maintain ground motion and thermal expansion.

Disadvantages of Cantilever Beam

• In Cantilever beam large deflection occurs.
• In a this beam, when a beam is loaded at one end, then a high moment generates at the fixed end and if more load is applied, then it can be broken free from support.
• The depth of the cantilever beam is high so that required more material.
• For reducing weight in infrastructures used truss construction.

Read More: What Is Grade Beam | Grade Beam Foundation | Grade Beam Construction

Types of Cantilever Beam

The following are different types of cantilever beam with various loading conditions,

Cantilever Beam – Single load at the end

Cantilever Beam Single Load at an End

Maximum Reaction Force

Maximum Reaction Force at the fixed end can be evaluated as,

RA = F  

Where,

• RA = reaction force
• F = single-acting force

Maximum Moment

Maximum Moment can be produced at the fixed end and it can be derived as a,

M max = MA

              = – FL

Where,

• MA = maximum moment in A
• L = length of the beam (m, mm, in)

Cantilever Beam at intermediate load

Maximum Reaction Force

Maximum Reaction force at the fixed end can be expressed as

RA = F

Where,

• RA = reaction force in A
• F = single-acting force in B

Maximum Moment

The maximum moment at the fixed end can be expressed as,

Mmax = MA

            = -Fa

Where,

• MA = maximum moment in A
• a = length between A and B

Cantilever Beam – Uniform Distributed Load

Maximum Reaction

Maximum Reaction at the fixed end can be expressed as,

RA = q L                               

Where,

• RA = reaction force in A
• q = uniform distributed load
• L = length of a cantilever beam

Maximum Moment

Maximum Moment at the fixed end can be expressed as

MA = – q L2 / 2        

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