Within the framework of Eringen’s nonlocal elasticity, a theory of
coherent nonlocal
strain gradient (NSG) beam models, i.e., admitting equivalent integral and differential
approaches, is reported. Making reference to shear undeformable Euler–Bernoulli
(EB) beams in bending, it is shown that the coherence requisite requires that the
constitutive equations incorporate a pair of two-phase local/nonlocal models of
which one is driven by strain and the other by strain gradient. The governing
integrodifferential equation is found to be of sixth differential order, accompanied by
four standard plus two gradient BCs, whereas the conjugate differential equation
is of order eight, that is, two orders higher, two being the number of the
nonlocality BCs, herein also determined. A two-step differential approach is
presented in which ODEs of fourth order are addressed with decoupling of the
BCs.