STRUCTURES 1
Topic 1
Review of Shear Forces
and
Bending Moment Diagrams
What will we do in this course?
ØReview Statics and Strength of
Materials
ØBecome familiarized with the basic
principles of the design of wood and
timber framed structures.
ØApply timber knowledge to the design
of concrete formwork.
What is a Beam?
• A beam is a structural element that primarily resists loads applied
laterally to the beam's axis.
• Made from various types of materials.
Timber beam Concrete beam Steel beam
Applications of Beams
• Residential/Office buildings:
London Olympic Stadium
Applications of Beams..
• Bridges:
London Olympic Stadium
Applications of Beams..
• Bridges:
London Olympic Stadium
Applications of Beams..
• Workshops/Factories/Warehouses:
Applications of Beams..
• Floors/Decks:
Classification of Beams
In civil engineering, beams are classified of several types
based on supports:
Ø Simply supported
• Overhanging
• Double overhanging
Ø Continuous
Ø Cantilever
Ø Fixed
Classification of Beams…
Ø Simply supported – a beam supported on the ends which are free
to rotate and have no moment resistance.
Ø Example:
Classification of Beams…
Ø Overhanging – a simple beam extending beyond its support on one
end.
Ø Example:
Classification of Beams…
Ø Double overhanging – a simple beam with both ends extending
beyond its supports on both ends.
Ø Example:
Classification of Beams…
• Continuous – a beam extending over more than two supports.
• Example:
Classification of Beams…
Ø Cantilever – a projecting beam fixed only at one end.
Ø Example:
Classification of Beams…
Ø Fixed – a beam supported on both ends and restrained from
rotation.
Ø Example:
Supports
Roller Pin-Hinged Fixed
(or pinned)
Analysis of Beams
ØBeams are important structural elements in
engineering. They are used to support the floor of a
building or the deck of a bridge.
ØIt is essential to determine the stress in these
members caused by bending and establish the
shear and moment diagrams for a beam.
ØThe shear and moment diagrams provide a useful
means for determining the largest shear and
moment in a member, and they specify where these
maximums occur.
ØOnce the internal moment at a section is
determined, the bending stress can then be
calculated.
Internal Forces
ØGenerated in a loaded structural element
ØWithout them, structure would fail
ØShear, Bending Moment and Normal Forces
Internal Forces…
ØTo quantify the internal forces
of a beam, a partial Free Body
Diagram (FBD) must be
drawn
ØIf a beam is in equilibrium,
each portion of the beam
must also be in equilibrium
ØThe internal forces must
counteract the external forces
at the cut section
Shear Forces
Sign Convention
üIf the section on the left moves up, it is positive
üIf the left section moves down, it is negative
üIt is equal to the sum of the loads and reactions to the left of the cut
(SFx = 0) (SFy = 0)
Moment / Flexural Bending
North American Sign Convention
ü If the moment causes the beam to turn/curve up, it’s positive
ü J Positive Bending
Compression
Tension
ü If the moment causes the beam to turn/curve down, it’s negative
ü L Negative Bending
Tension
ü Think about concrete
reinforcing steel,
bottom or top based on Compression
(+) or (-) moment
Recap - Sign Convention
• Various sign convention exists.
• The convention below is adopted:
If you cut a member
the forces N, V, M will act as:
Recap - Sign Convention…
If you take a small segment:
Positive normal force (N) tends to
elongate the segment.
Positive shear force (V) tends to
rotate the segment clockwise.
Positive bending moment (M) tends to
bend the segment concave upwards.
(hold water or tension in bottom)
Shear Force and Bending Moment Functions
The Shear Force or Bending Moment function (of !) at an arbitrary point
along the beam axis can be obtained by:
1. Passing an imaginary section through the beam at the arbitrary
point, cutting it into two parts;
2. Apply equilibrium equations at one of the two parts.
Shear Force and Bending Moment Diagrams..
• Remember: The Shear Force and Bending Moment functions across
a beam are generally discontinuous, or their slope is discontinuous,
at:
1. Points where the
type or magnitude
of distributed load
changes;
2. Points where
concentrated forces
or moment are
applied.
How to Plot Shear Diagrams?
ØStart at the Left
üIt is a graphic representation of the
shear forces at points along the
beam
üUp is positive, down is negative
üThe shear force (V) at any point is
equal to the algebraic sum of the
external loads and reactions
üPerpendicular to the beam
How to Plot Shear Diagrams?
üSince the entire beam must be in
equilibrium for basic statics (SV = 0,
SM =0), the bending diagram must
close to zero at the right end.
üAbrupt changes in loading cause
abrupt changes in slope of the shear
curve
üConcentrated loads produce vertical
lines (a jump) in the shear curve
Shear Diagrams – Tips
ØIf there is no change in the load along the
incremental length under consideration, the shear
curve is a straight horizontal line.
ØIf a load exists but does not change in magnitude
over successive increments (uniformly distributed),
the slope of the shear curve is constant and non-
horizontal.
ØIf a load exists, and increases in magnitude over
successive increments, the slope of the shear curve
is positive (approaches the vertical).
ØIf the magnitude decreases, the slope also
decreases (approaches the horizontal).
Shear Diagrams – Tips…
ØMost textbooks provide
tables with shear and
bending diagrams for
common loading cases.
ØYou should always work
from the basic
relationships.
ØMake sure that the
relationships make sense,
but you should not
memorize the table!!
Summary
The shear and moment diagrams for a beam can be constructed using the following procedure.
Support Reactions
Ø Determine all the reactive forces and couple moments acting on the beam, and resolve all the forces into
components acting perpendicular and parallel to the beam’s axis.
Shear and Moment Functions
Ø Specify separate coordinates x having an origin at the beam’s left end and extending to regions of the beam
between concentrated forces and/or couple moments, or where there is no discontinuity of distributed loading.
Ø Section the beam at each distance x, and draw the free-body diagram of one of the segments. Be sure V and M
are shown acting in their positive sense, in accordance with the sign convention.
Ø The shear is obtained by summing forces perpendicular to the beam’s axis.
Ø To eliminate V, the moment is obtained directly by summing moments about the sectioned end of the segment.
Shear and Moment Diagrams
Ø Plot the shear diagram (V versus x) and the moment diagram (M versus x). If numerical values of the functions
describing V and M are positive, the values are plotted above the x axis, whereas negative values are plotted
below the axis.
Ø Generally, it is convenient to show the shear and moment diagrams below the free-body diagram of the beam .
In-Class Activity
Let’s practice
some example
problems!
Construct load, shear and moment diagrams using the visual method. Indicate the
values of reactions, Vmax, Mmax and locations of inflection points. Find the shear and
moment at 5’, 10’ and 20’ from RIGHT.
Indicate values and solutions for each location.
w=1 k/ft
20’