Midspan Load at a Station Calculator
Deflection at station x when the load is at midspan. δ = P c (3 L² − 4 c²) / (48 E I). Runs locally.
Trust summary CVP VERIFIED · production STALE · CVP protocol 1.0.0-proposed · Engineering assurance
- Input interpretation
- Enter values to calculate.
- Result
- —
- Assurance
- Engineering
- Declared partition coverage
- PASS · 2/2 declared partitions (domain, invalid-domain) · Matrix
- Known limitations
- Physics L1 gap capability
- Core CVP does not include live graph, viewport, or pointer interaction.
- Model
- Deflection at a stated station on a simply supported span with one midspan load.
- Scope
- Calculation runs locally in the browser; values are not uploaded.
- Verification
- Engine tested · Source checked · v1.0.0 · CVP VERIFIED · production STALE · CVP protocol 1.0.0-proposed · Engineering assurance· View Manifest · CVP overview · Specification
- Versions
- Calculation 1.0.0 · CVP protocol 1.0.0-proposed
- CVP identity
- 0/0 property · digest ac0bdd05c46b
- Legacy regression
- 3/3 tests · Production surface contract 6/6
- Trust layers
- Verification VERIFIED · Production STALE · overall VERIFIED_STALE
- CVP status
- STALE · Capability production binding: STALE · Site report: STALE · Evidence changed after the last successful production attestation. Re-attestation required.
- Reference
- O1 model · O2 expected_values · O2 numerical_behavior
- Interfaces
- PASS · UI (SSR) / REST / MCP
- Supplemental domain review
- Not performed
- Named expert review
- Not performed
- CVP suite
- 1/1 golden · 1/1 CVP boundary · 1/1 invalid · 1/1 cross-interface · 6/6 CVP contract · Manifest
- Sources
- Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials
- Gere and Goodno, Mechanics of Materials
- Evidence
- 2 legacy golden · 1 legacy boundary · legacy regression suite · 1/1 oracle-backed golden · 1/1 invalid · Artifact integrity PASS
- Semantic contract
- PASS
Full verification
Formulas
Core equations used by this calculator.
How to use
Enter the load, the station, the span, the modulus, and the area moment
x must lie strictly between the supports.
Read the deflection at that station
x and L − x give the same number.
Example calculations
Common configurations with formula and result.
At midspan
P = 48, x = 2, L = 4, E = 1, I = 1
At a quarter point
P = 48, x = 1, L = 4, E = 1, I = 1
Midspan Load at a Station calculator specification
Version 1.0.0 · Engine tested
- Engine tested 3/3 tests · Production surface contract 6/6
- Named expert review Not performed
- Calculation version 1.0.0
- Definition
- A simply supported span of length L carries one concentrated load P at midspan. c is the distance from station x to the nearer support. The deflection there is δ = P c (3 L² − 4 c²) / (48 E I).
- What it calculates
- Deflection at a stated station on a simply supported span with one midspan load.
- Inputs
- P
- x
- L
- E
- I
- Outputs
- delta
- c
- Formula
δ = P c (3 L² − 4 c²) / (48 E I).- Assumptions
- Calculation runs locally in the browser; values are not uploaded.
- Keep units consistent with the labels on each field.
- x = L/2 is the midspan point-load page. By reciprocity, the quarter-span value equals the midspan value of a load at the quarter point.
- Units
- P, x, L, E, and I set the deflection unit.
- Boundary conditions
- missing P, x, L, E, or I → MISSING_REQUIRED_INPUT
- L ≤ 0, E ≤ 0, or I ≤ 0 → VALUE_MUST_BE_POSITIVE
- x ≤ 0 or x ≥ L → INVALID_INPUT
- Example
- P=48 x=1 L=4 E=1 I=1 → δ=44
- Validation cases
3 published on this page · 3/3 tests · Production surface contract 6/6 · View evidence
- P=48 x=2 L=4 E=1 I=1 → δ=64
- P=48 x=1 L=4 E=1 I=1 → δ=44
- x=4 L=4 → INVALID_INPUT
- Sources
- Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials — Deflection of beams — concentrated load at midspanSupports: For x no farther than midspan, δ = P x (3 L² − 4 x²) / (48 E I).
- Gere and Goodno, Mechanics of Materials — Deflection of beams — reciprocitySupports: Supports the symmetric form that uses the distance to the nearer support.
- Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials — Deflection of beams — concentrated load at midspan
- Calculation version
- 1.0.0
Background
Interpretation and common distinctions.
Find the deflection at a stated station when the concentrated load is at midspan.
Supported and not supported
Supported: δ = P c (3 L² − 4 c²) / (48 E I). x = L/2 is the midspan page.
Not supported: a load that is not at midspan. /calc/mechanical is not open.
Agent / API notes
Capability id: mechanical.statics.beam_deflection_at · tool id: beam-deflection-at · pin 1.0.0.
{ "P": 48, "x": 1, "L": 4, "E": 1, "I": 1 }
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Frequently asked questions
Key distinctions behind the calculation.
Why does the quarter point match the offset-load midspan page?
Maxwell reciprocity. A load at midspan, read at the quarter point, equals a load at the quarter point, read at midspan.