Cantilever, uniform load
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About this case
How to analyze a cantilever with uniform load
This page pre-loads a fixed-left cantilever with a uniform distributed load over the full length. Edit length, load, section or material directly. Results update instantly.
Textbook values: wall reaction R = wL, wall moment M = wL²/2, tip deflection δ = wL⁴/(8EI). Shear is constant at wL; moment diagram is parabolic from 0 at the tip to wL²/2 at the wall.
What to watch for with uniform cantilever loads
A cantilever with the same total load as a tip load (wL = P) produces half the wall moment (wL²/2 vs PL) and 3/8 the tip deflection (wL⁴/8EI vs PL³/3EI = wL⁴/3EI). So a tip load is a much more conservative bound than a UDL for the same total load.
If the load is triangular (0 at tip, w at wall), the wall moment drops to wL²/6 and tip deflection to wL⁴/30EI — the triangular case is less demanding than both. The calculator lets you drag the load shape to see the transition.
Related calculators
Compare with the cantilever tip load case. For a cantilever with multiple loads or a spring support, use the full cantilever beam calculator.