Equilibrium Configurations of Cantilever Beams Subjected to Inclined End Loads

In this study, equilibrium configurations of a cantilever beam subjected to an end load with constant angle of inclination is investigated. It is shown analytically that if the beam is sufficiently flexible, there are multiple equilibrium solutions for a specific beam and loading condition. A method is also presented for the determination of these deflected configurations. The cantilever beam studied in this research is considered to be initially straight and prismatic in addition to being homogeneous, elastic, and isotropic. The procedure outlined in this paper is utilized to show that for each combination of load and beam parameters, there are certain number of equilibrium configurations for a cantilever beam. The ranges of these combinations, along with some examples of the deflected shapes of the beams, are provided for several load inclination angles.