Longitudinal elongation develops in reinforced concrete beams that exhibit flexural yielding during cyclic loading. The longitudinal elongation can decrease the shear strength and deformation capacity of the beams. In the present study, nonlinear truss model analysis was performed to study the elongation mechanism of reinforced concrete beams. The results showed that residual tensile plastic strain of the longitudinal reinforcing bar in the plastic hinge is the primary factor causing the member elongation, and that the shear-force transfer mechanism of diagonal concrete struts has a substantial effect on the magnitude of the elongation. Based on the analysis results, a simplified method for evaluating member elongation was developed. The proposed method was applied to test specimens with various design parameters and loading conditions.