Beam Deflection Calculator Cantilever Uniform Load

This calculator covers a cantilever beam — fixed rigidly at one end, free at the other — carrying a uniformly distributed load (UDL) along its entire length, rather than a single point load. This is the typical loading case for a cantilevered structure carrying its own self-weight, or a bracket or platform supporting an evenly spread load, such as snow load on a cantilevered canopy or the weight of material laid evenly along a shelf.

For a single concentrated load instead of a distributed one, see our Cantilever Point Load calculator. A UDL of the same total load as an equivalent point load at the tip produces less deflection and less maximum bending stress, since much of the distributed load acts closer to the fixed support.

This calculator calculates the End Slopes, Support Reactions, Maximum Deflection and Maximum Stress in a Cantilever beam with uniform load.

Enter your values as required and press SOLVE, your results will be displayed. If you change any unit types or values please press SOLVE again.

CLEAR ALL clears all fields.

CANTILEVER BEAM - UNIFORM LOAD

MATERIAL: Aluminium 2024-T4Aluminium 6061-T6Aluminium 7075-T3BrassCast IronCopperLeadMagnesiumPhosphur BronzeStainless Steel, 304Stainless Steel, 316Steel, S235Steel, S275Steel, S355Steel, 4130Steel, ASTM A36Steel, ASTM A441Titanium, Grade 2Titanium, Grade 5

MOMENT OF INERTIA:

mm4cm4m4Inch4

TOTAL LENGTH: (L)

MetresCentimetresMillimetresInches

DISTANCE TO NEUTRAL PLANE: (Z)

MetresCentimetresMillimetresInches

UNIFORM LOAD: (w)

N/mmkN/mlb/inlb/ft

END SLOPE A :(A°)

DegreesRadians

SUPPORT REACTION :(WA) NewtonsKgflbf

MAXIMUM DEFLECTION :(y) MetresCentimetresMillimetresInches

MAXIMUM STRESS:

psiksiPakPaMPaGPa

RELATED PAGES

• Cantilever, Point Load (any position)
• Cantilever, Point Load at End

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Does a UDL cause more or less deflection than the same total load as a point load at the tip?

Less — for the same total load, a uniformly distributed load produces roughly 3/8 of the tip deflection that an equivalent point load at the free end would cause, since much of the UDL's total weight acts closer to the fixed support where it has less leverage.

What units should the distributed load be entered in?

As a load per unit length (e.g. N/m or lb/ft) rather than a total load — check the calculator's input labels carefully, since entering a total load where a per-length value is expected (or vice versa) will give a badly wrong result.