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CHAPTER 3
INTERNAL ACTIONS IN
BEAMS
When a beam is subjected to transverse loadings, the three possible
internal forces that are developed are the normal or axial force, the
shearing force, and the bending moment, as shown in section k of the
cantilever of Fig.3.1. To predict the behavior of structures, the magnitudes
of these forces must be known.
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This chapter focus in determining the magnitude of the shearing force
and bending moment at any section of a beam or frame and presenting
the computed values in a graphical form, which is referred to as the
“shearing force” and “bending moment diagrams.” This force diagrams
aid immeasurably during design, as they show the maximum bending
moments and shearing forces needed for sizing structural members.
Fig. 3. 1: Internal forces in a beam.
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3.2. Types of Beams, Loads, and Reactions
A beam is a structural member used for bearing loads. Typically used for
resisting vertical loads, shear forces and bending moments. The beam
supports are required to provide constraint to the movement of the beams
or simply the supports resist the movements either in particular direction
or in rotational direction or both.
Fig. 3. 3: Beam Supports
Statically Determinate Beams
Statically determinate beams are those beams in which the reactions of the
supports may be determined by the use of the equations of static
equilibrium.
Statically Indeterminate Beams
If the number of reactions exerted upon a beam exceeds the number of
equations in static equilibrium, the beam is said to be statically
indeterminate.
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Classification of Beams:
Beams are classified into several groups, depending primarily on the kind
of supports used. On the basis of the support, the beams may be classified
as follows:
1. Simply Supported Beam: - has pinned support at one end and roller
support at other end.
2. Cantilever Beam: - has fixed support at one end free at other end. A
fixed support is obtained by building a beam into a brick wall, casting
it into concrete or welding the end of the beam.
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3. Overhanging (combination) beam: - has one or both end portions
extended beyond its support.
4. Continuous beam: - has more than two supports distributed throughout
its length
5. End-supported cantilever beam: has fixed support at one end &
supported at other end.
6. Fixed beam: - has both ends are supported by fixed.
Types of Loading
Loads applied to the beam may consist of a concentrated load (load applied
at a point), uniform load, uniformly varying load, or an applied couple or
moment.
Concentrated Load: is considered to act at a point. By this we mean that the
length of beam over which the force acts is so small in comparison to its
total length that one can model the force as though applied at a point in two
dimensional view of beam.
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Distributed Load: The distributed load is a kind of load which is made to
spread over an entire span of beam or over a particular portion of the
beam in some specific manner. Distributed load is further divided into two
types.
1. Uniformly Distributed Load (UDL): - is that whose magnitude remains
uniform throughout the length.
2. Uniformly Varying Load (Non-uniformly distributed load): - is that
load whose magnitude varies along the loading length with a constant
rate.
Fig. 3. 12: Types of loads
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3.3. Diagrammatic representations of internal actions in beams
Fig. 3. 13: Diagrammatic representations of internal actions in beams
Tension: - forces that cause a material to stretch or pull apart. Therefore,
to resist this force in the beam we provide horizontal reinforcement.
Compression: - A force that cause a material to crushes or compacts. So to
resist this force in the beam we provide concrete (i.e. composed of
aggregate, cement and water)
Bending(M): - A measure of the force that cause a beam to break by
bending. Bending moment at a section in beam is the moment that is
trying to bending it.
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Fig. 3. 14: Bending moment
Shear (V): - the load acting across beam near its support. shear force at
a section in a beam is the force that is trying to shear off the section.
Maximum shear occurs at both end of a simply supported beam.
Fig. 3. 15: Shear force
Torque: - the tendency of a force to rotate an object around an axis.
Fig. 3. 16: Torque
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3.4. Axial Force, Shear Force and Bending Moments
Axial Force:-The normal force at any section of a structure is defined as the
algebraic sum of the axial forces acting on either side of the section.
Shear Force:-The shearing force (SF) is defined as the algebraic sum of all
the transverse forces acting on either side of the section of a beam or a
frame.
Bending Moments:-The bending moment (BM) is defined as the algebraic
sum of all the forces’ moments acting on either side of the section of a beam
or a frame.
3.5. Axial force, Shear force and bending moment diagrams
Axial force
To determine the resultant forces R we should consider geometric
properties of the area.
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Fig. 3. 17: Geometric properties of the area for determination of the
resultant forces R
Table 3. 1: Areas and centroids for different geometrical shapes
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Shearing Force Diagram
This is a graphical representation of the variation of the shearing force on
a portion or the entire length of a beam or frame.
Bending Moment Diagram
This is a graphical representation of the variation of the bending moment
on a segment or the entire length of a beam or frame.
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Sign Convention
Axial Force:-An axial force is regarded as positive if it tends to tier the
member at the section under consideration. Such a force is regarded as
tensile, while the member is said to be subjected to axial tension. On the
other hand, an axial force is considered negative if it tends to crush the
member at the section being considered. Such force is regarded as
compressive, while the member is said to be in axial compression.
Fig. 3. 18: Sign conventions for axial force
Shear Force:- Shear force that tends to move the left of the section upward
or the right side of the section downward will be regarded as positive.
Similarly, a shear force that has the tendency to move the left side of the
section downward or the right side upward will be considered a negative
shear force.
Fig. 3. 19: Sign conventions for shearing force
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Bending Moments :- A bending moment is considered positive if it tends to
cause concavity upward (sagging). If the bending moment tends to cause
concavity downward (hogging), it will be considered a negative bending
moment.
Fig. 3. 20: Sign conventions for bending moment
3.6. Relationships between Loads, Shear forces and Bending moment
For the derivation of the relations among w, V, and M, consider a simply
supported beam subjected to a uniformly distributed load throughout its
length, as shown in Figure 3.21. Let the shear force and bending moment
at a section located at a distance of x from the left support be V and M,
respectively, and at a section x + dx be V + dV and M + dM, respectively.
The total load acting through the center of the infinitesimal length is wdx.
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Fig. 3. 21: Simply supported beam
To compute the bending moment at section x + dx, use the following:
= + − ⁄2
+ = + ( ℎ sec ⁄2 )
+ = + = … (E . 1)
=∫ ……(Eq.2)
Similarly, the shearing force at section x + dx is as follows:
= −
+ = −
=− …( . 3)
= …( . 4)
Equation 1 and 3 suggest the following:
=− …( . 5)
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The following are some important properties of shear and moment
diagrams:
1) The area of the shear diagram to the left or to the right of the section is
equal to the moment at that section.
2) The slope of the moment diagram at a given point is the shear at that
point.
3) The slope of the shear diagram at a given point equals the load at that
point.
4) The maximum moment occurs at the point of zero shears. This is in
reference to property number 2, that when the shear (also the slope of
the moment diagram) is zero. the tangent drawn to the moment diagram
is horizontal.
5) When the shear diagram is increasing, the moment diagram is concave
upward.
6) When the shear diagram is decreasing, the moment diagram is concave
downward.
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Procedure for Computation of Internal Forces
1. Draw the free-body diagram of the structure.
2. Check the stability and determinacy of the structure. If the structure is
stable and determinate, proceed to the next step of the analysis.
3. Determine the unknown reactions by applying the conditions of
equilibrium.
4. Pass an imaginary section perpendicular to the neutral axis of the
structure at the point where the internal forces are to be determined. The
passed section divides the structure into two parts. Consider either part of
the structure for the computation of the desired internal forces.
5. For axial force computation, determine the summation of the axial forces
on the part being considered for analysis.
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6. For shearing force and bending moment computation, first write the
functional expression for these internal forces for the segment where the
section lies, with respect to the distance x from the origin.
7. Compute the principal values of the shearing force and the bending
moment at the segment where the section lies.
8. Draw the axial force, shearing force, and bending moment diagram for
the structure.
9. For cantilevered structures, step three could be omitted by considering
the free-end of the structure as the initial starting point of the analysis.
Procedure for the construction of shear and moment diagram using
Area-Method
Step-1. Compute the reaction forces
Step-2. Compute values of shear at the change of the loading points using
either (∑ ) ∆ =( )
Step-3. Sketch the shear diagram: = /
Step-4. Locate the points of zero shear
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Step-5. Compute values of bending moment at the change of load points
and at the point of zero shear, using either = (∑ ) = (∑ ) ∆ =
( )ℎ
Step-6. Sketch the moment diagram through the ordinates of the bending
moments computed
in step 5: = /
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