A beam is defined as a long, slender member which is subjected to traverse loads. A one-dimensional beam element is used to model a beam or a section of a beam, which is subjected to traverse loads and moments, which in turn, produce traverse displacements and rotations due to bending of the beam.
| Physical Discipline |  |
Mechanics of Material |
|---|---|---|
| Element Dimensionality |  |
One-Dimensional "1-D" |
| Geometric Shape of Element |  |
Straight Line |
| Material Law (Constitutive Relationship) |
 |
Hooke's Law (Linear Elastic) |
| Types of Degrees of Freedom per Node |  |
Translation in the y-direction Rotation about the z-axis |
| Method of Element Formulation |  |
Direct Method |
There are also a set of assumptions and sign conventions that must be observed when dealing with a beam element, in order to obtain an accurate solution.