Deflection

Patent Pending In engineering, deflection is the degree to which a structural element is displaced under a load. It may refer to an angle or a distance. The deflection distance of a member under a load is directly related to the slope of the deflected shape of the member under that load and can be calculated by integrating the function that mathematically describes the slope of the member under that load. Deflection can be calculated by standard formula (will only give the deflection of common beam configurations and load cases at discrete locations), or by methods such as virtual work, direct integration, Castigliano's method, Macaulay's method or the direct stiffness method, amongst others.