A MATLAB project with GUI integration for analysing cantilever and simply supported beams under point, uniformly distributed, and triangular loads, with automated generation of axial-force, shear-force, bending-moment, and deflection diagrams.
- Field
- Structural Engineering and Engineering Computation
- Course
- CE 206: Engineering Computation Sessional
- Project Type
- Final Laboratory Project
- My Role
- Group Leader
- Implementation
- MATLAB with GUI integration
- Analysis Method
- Beam-theory computation with singularity-function-based modelling
Academic Supervisors
- Mohammad Irfan Hossain Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, BUET
- Shantanu Paul Lecturer, Department of Civil Engineering, BUET
- MATLAB
- MATLAB GUI
- Singularity Functions
- Structural Analysis
- Vector Plotting
- Beam Theory
PROJECT CONTEXT
Project overview and objective
This laboratory project was developed for CE 206: Engineering Computation Sessional to connect structural-analysis theory with numerical computation and visualization in MATLAB. The application analyses common statically determinate beam systems and presents their internal-force and deformation responses in graphical form.
The central objective was to create an educational computational tool that allows Civil Engineering students to define a beam/loading case and obtain the corresponding Axial Force Diagram (AFD), Shear Force Diagram (SFD), Bending Moment Diagram (BMD), and deflection diagram without manually preparing each plot.
- Translate beam-analysis equations into a reusable MATLAB computation workflow.
- Support both cantilever and simply supported beam configurations.
- Handle concentrated and distributed loading conditions commonly used in introductory structural analysis.
- Automate structural-response plotting so users can compare load cases visually.
- Combine engineering computation with a graphical user interface for an educational laboratory application.
STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS & LOADING
Beam systems, load cases, and calculated responses
The program was designed around two fundamental beam systems: cantilever beams and simply supported beams. For these systems, the repository documentation confirms support for point loads, uniformly distributed loads (UDL), and triangular distributed loads.
Beam configurations
- Cantilever beam.
- Simply supported beam.
Loading conditions
- Point or concentrated loads.
- Uniformly distributed loads (UDL).
- Triangular distributed loads.
- Loading cases may be used to study how the response varies along the beam span.
Generated structural responses
- Axial Force Diagram (AFD).
- Shear Force Diagram (SFD).
- Bending Moment Diagram (BMD).
- Deflection Diagram.
Engineering interpretation
- The diagrams provide a visual representation of how internal actions vary along the beam.
- The deflection plot complements the force and moment diagrams by showing the computed deformation response.
- Together, the outputs support comparison of different support and loading cases.
COMPUTATIONAL STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
Computational approach
The project converted structural-analysis relationships into MATLAB routines and used a singularity-function-based representation as part of the computational modelling. This approach provided a compact way to represent changes in loading and response along the beam coordinate and supported automated evaluation at multiple positions along the span.
MATLAB vector operations and plotting were then used to evaluate and visualize the response distributions. The emphasis of the laboratory project was not commercial structural-design software; it was an educational implementation of beam theory that made the calculation sequence and resulting diagrams easier to explore.
- Represent beam position numerically along the span.
- Model the selected support and loading condition.
- Evaluate the structural-response quantities at the beam coordinates.
- Store the response values in MATLAB arrays/vectors.
- Plot the resulting AFD, SFD, BMD, and deflection distributions.
PROGRAMMING & APPLICATION WORKFLOW
MATLAB implementation and repository structure
The public project repository contains the MATLAB files BeamAnalysisProject.m, cantilever.m, simple.m, and sing.m, together with the project report and README. The repository README identifies BeamAnalysisProject.m as the file used to launch the application.
The application was developed with GUI integration, allowing the structural-analysis calculations and graphical outputs to be presented through one MATLAB project rather than as disconnected manual scripts.
- Launcher
BeamAnalysisProject.m- Additional MATLAB files
cantilever.m,simple.m,sing.m- Platform
- MATLAB
- Interface
- MATLAB GUI integration
- Repository
- structural-beam-analysis
ANALYSIS SEQUENCE
Typical application workflow
From a user perspective, the project follows a straightforward sequence: select or define the beam/loading case, perform the MATLAB calculation, and inspect the generated structural-response diagrams. The repository documentation instructs users to keep the MATLAB project files together and run BeamAnalysisProject.m to start the application.
- Download or clone the structural-beam-analysis repository.
- Keep the MATLAB project files in the same working folder.
- Open the project folder in MATLAB.
- Run
BeamAnalysisProject.mto launch the application. - Define the required beam and loading case through the application workflow.
- Review the automatically generated force, moment, and deflection plots.
PERSONAL CONTRIBUTION
My role as group leader
As the group leader, I helped organize the project workflow and coordinate the development of the final CE 206 laboratory project. My work combined the structural-engineering side of the problem with the MATLAB implementation so that the analytical model, program logic, interface, testing, and graphical results formed one usable application.
I contributed to the computational modelling, MATLAB programming, GUI integration, testing, and visualization of the structural-response diagrams. An important part of the work was translating familiar beam theory into a program that could repeatedly evaluate different loading situations and communicate the results through clear plots.
- Coordinated the project workflow as group leader.
- Contributed to development of the beam-response computational model.
- Implemented and organized MATLAB calculation routines.
- Contributed to GUI integration for the laboratory application.
- Tested beam and loading cases during development.
- Prepared automated visualizations for AFD, SFD, BMD, and deflection.
ENGINEERING LEARNING
Educational value and project significance
The project was created as an educational tool rather than as a replacement for professional structural-analysis software. Its value is in connecting equations learned in structural-analysis courses with a transparent computational workflow and immediate graphical feedback.
Developing the application also strengthened practical skills in engineering programming: converting mathematical relationships into algorithms, organizing inputs and outputs, plotting engineering data, debugging numerical workflows, and presenting results through a GUI.
- Connects structural-analysis theory with computational implementation.
- Provides immediate visualization of internal-force and deflection behaviour.
- Supports comparison of multiple beam and loading configurations.
- Demonstrates MATLAB programming in a Civil Engineering context.
- Provides a foundation for future extensions such as additional load cases, support conditions, or validation examples.
PROJECT SCOPE
Scope and possible future extensions
The public repository describes the application around cantilever and simply supported beams and the three documented loading types. I have kept this webpage within that confirmed scope rather than claiming unsupported beam systems or analysis capabilities.
The project can be extended in future by adding further support conditions and loading cases, formal validation examples, improved input checking, exportable result tables, and updated interface elements while preserving the educational focus of the original laboratory work.
PROJECT OUTPUTS
Beam-response diagrams and MATLAB outputs
