MODULE 2: SHEAR FORCE AND BENDING MOMENT IN BEAMS

The term beam refers to a slender bar that carries transverse loading; that is, the applied
force are perpendicular to the bar. In other word Beam is a structural member which is acted
upon by a sytem of external loads at right angle to the axis.

􀂉 In a beam, the internal force system consist of a shear force and a bending moment
acting on the cross section of the bar. The shear force and the bending moment usually vary
continuously along the length of the beam.

􀂉The internal forces give rise to two kinds of stresses on a transverse section of a beam:
(1) Normal stress that is caused by bending moment and
(2) shear stress due to the shear force.

􀂉 knowing the distribution of the shear force and the bending moment in a beam is essential
for the computation of stresses and deformations.

DEFINATIONS
Bending: Bending implies deformation of a bar produced by loads perpendicular to its axis
as well as for couples acting in a plane passing through the axis of the bar.

Plane Bending:If the plane of loading passes through one of the principal centroid axes of
the cross-section of the beam, the bending is said to be plane or direct.

Oblique Bending: If the plane of loading does not pass through one of the principal centroid
axes of the cross-section of the beam, the bending is said to be oblique.

Point load:A point load or concentrated load is one which is considered to act at a point.In
actual practice , the load has to be distributed over a small area because such small knife-edge
contacts are generally neither possible nor desirable.

Point load

Distributed Load: A distributed load is one which is distributed or spread in some manner
other the length of the beam. It the spread is uniform is said to be uniformly distributed
(UDL) or else non- uniformly distributed(Triangular and trapezium distributed load fall under
this category).

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Uniformly distributed load

Non-Uniformly distributed load or varying distributed load

CLASSIFICATION OF BEAM
Depending on the type of supports, beams are classified into;

1. Cantilever Beam: One end is fixed and the other end is free. Figure below shows end
A rigidly fixed into its support and the other end B is free. The length AB is known
as the length of the cantilever.

2. Simply or freely supported Beam: Simply or freely supported Beam is one whose
ends freeely rest on walls or columns or knife-edge. In such case the reactions are
always upward.

3. Overhanging Beam: An over hanging beam is one in which the supports are not
situated at the ends. i.e one or both of the ends project beyong the support.In figure

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 below C and D are two supports and both the ends A and B of the beam are
overhanging beyong the supports C and D respectively.

4. Fixed Beam: A fixed beam is one whose both ends are rigidly fixed or built into its
supporting walls or columns.

5. Continuous Beam: A continous beam is one which has more than two support. The
support at the extreme left and right are called the end supports and all the other
supports, except the extreme are called intermediate supports.

Note: Cantilevers, simply supported beams and overhanging beams are known as statically
determinate beams as the reactions of these beams at their supports can be determined by the
use of equations of static equilibrium and the reactions are independent of the deformation of
the beams.
Note: Fixed beams and Continuous beam are known as statically indeterminate beams as the
reactions of these beams at their supports cannot be determined by the use of equations of
static equilibrium.

The bending moment is the algebraic sum of moments to the left or right of the section. In
each case, By considering the equilibrium, either for forces or moment, the resultant, cause
by the applied forces to one side of the section is balanced by the bending moment and
shearing force acting at the section. The sign convention for bending moment is that a beam
in hogging condition is subject to negative bending moment and the one in a sagging
condition is positive bending moment.

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Types of Supports for Loads

Roller Supports

Roller supports are free to rotate and translate along the

surface upon which the roller rests. The surface may be
horizontal, vertical or slopped at any angle. Roller
supports are commonly located at one end of long
bridges in the form of bearing pads. This support allows
bridge structure to expand and contract with temperature
changes and without this expansion the forces can
fracture the supports at the banks. This support cannot
provide resistance to lateral forces. Roller support is also used in frame cranes in heavy
industries as shown in figure, the support can move towards left, right and rotate by resisting
vertical loads thus a heavy load can be shifted from one place to another horizontally.

Hinge Supports

The hinge support is capable of resisting forces acting in any direction of the plane. This
support does not provide any resistance to rotation. The horizontal and vertical component of
reaction can be determined using equation of equilibrium. Hinge support may also be used in
three hinged arched bridges at the banks supports while at the center internal hinge is
introduced. It is also used in doors to produce only rotation in a door. Hinge support reduces
sensitivity to earthquake.

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Pinned Supports
Ideal pinned and fixed supports are rarely found in practice, but beams supported on walls or
simply connected to other steel beams are regarded as pinned. The distribution of moments
and shear forces is influenced by the support condition.

Shear- Moment Equations and Shear-Moment Diagrams

􀂉 The determination of the internal force system acting at a given section of a beam: draw a
free-body diagram that expose these forces and then compute the forces using equilibrium
equations.

􀂉 The goal of the beam analysis －determine the shear force V and the bending moment M at
every cross section of the beam.

􀂉 To derive the expressions for V and M in terms of the distance x measured along the beam.
By plotting these expressions to scale, obtain the shear force and bending moment diagrams
for the beam.

􀂉 The shear force and bending moment diagrams are convenient visual references to the
internal forces in a beam; in particular, they identify the maximum values of V and M.

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Fig. 3 Sign conventions for external loads; shear force, and bending moment.

Procedure for determining shear force and bending moment diagrams

1. Compute the support reactions from the free-body diagram (FBD) of the entire beam.
2. Divide the beam into segment so that the loading within each segment is continuous.
Thus, the end-points of the segments are discontinuities of loading, including
concentrated loads and couples.
3. Perform the following steps for each segment of the beam:
4. Introduce an imaginary cutting plane within the segment, located at a distance x from
the left end of the beam, that cuts the beam into two parts.
5. Draw a Free body diagram, FBD for the part of the beam lying either to the left or to
the right of the cutting plane, whichever is more convenient. At the cut section, show
V and M acting in their positive directions.
6. Determine the expressions for V and M from the equilibrium equations obtainable
from the FBD. These expressions, which are usually functions of x, are the shear
force and bending moment equations for the segment.
7. Plot the expressions for V and M for the segment. It is visually desirable to draw the
V-diagram below the FBD of the entire beam, and then draw the M- diagram below
the V-diagram.
8. The bending moment and shear force diagrams of the beam are composites of the V
and M diagrams of the segments. These diagrams are usually discontinuous, or have
discontinuous slopes. At the end-points of the segments due to discontinuities in
loading.

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Case 1

Shear and moment diagram for a simply supported beam with a concentrated load at mid-
span.

Solution
𝑊
𝑅𝐴 = 𝑅𝐵 =
2
𝑊
For any section between B and C 𝑆. 𝐹 = + 2

𝑊
For any section between C and A 𝑆. 𝐹 =
−𝑊 2
𝑊
=−
2
𝑊 𝑊
At the section C S.F changes from = + 2 to − 2

B.M at a distance x from B in BC

𝑊𝑥
𝑀𝑥 = +
2

B.M at B ( where 𝑥 = 0) 𝑀𝐵 = 0
𝑙 𝑊𝑙
B.M at C ( where 𝑥 = 2 ) 𝑀𝑐 = 4

𝑊𝑥 𝑙
B.M at distance x from B in CA 𝑀𝑥 = + − 𝑊(𝑥 − 2)
4

𝑙 𝑊𝑙
B.M at C were 𝑥 = 2 𝑀𝐶 = 4

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 𝑊𝑙 𝑊𝑙
B.M at A were 𝑥 = 𝑙 𝑀𝐴 = − =0
2 2

Case 2

Shear and moment diagram for a Simply Supported Beam having Uniformly Distributed
Load

By symmetry each support reaction is equal 1.e

𝑊𝑙
𝑅𝐴 = 𝑅𝐴 =
2
𝑊𝑙
S.F at the section X at the distance x from B 𝑠𝑥 = + 2 − 𝑤𝑥

𝑊𝑙
S.F at B( where 𝒙 = 𝟎) 𝑠𝐵 = + 2

𝑙 𝑊𝑙 𝑊𝑙
S.F at mid span C (where 𝒙 = 2) 𝑠𝐶 = + − =0
2 2

𝑊𝑙
S.F at A (where 𝒙 = 𝑙) ( where 𝑥 = 𝑙) =+ − 𝑤𝑙
2
𝑊𝑙
𝑠𝐴 = − 2

𝑊𝑙 𝑊𝑥 2
B.M at the section X 𝑀𝑥 = + 𝑥− (1)
2 2

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B.M at B (where 𝒙 = 𝟎 ) 𝑀𝐵 = 0
𝑊𝑙 𝑊𝑙2
B.M at A (where 𝒙 = 𝑙) 𝑀𝐴 = 2 × 𝑙 − 2
𝑀𝐴 = 0
𝑙
i.e at 𝒙 = 2 ( for the B.M to be maximum it may be noted that S.F at this point is zero)
𝑊𝑙 𝑙 𝑊 𝑙
𝑀𝑚𝑎𝑥 = + ×2− × (2)2
2 2

𝑊𝑙 2
𝑀𝑚𝑎𝑥 =
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Case 3

Reaction forces for simply supported Beam having Uniformly Varying Load (UVL )along its
span

EXAMPLE 1: The simply supported beam in Fig. (a) Carries two concentrated loads.
(1) Derive the expressions for the shear force and the bending moment for each segment of
the beam.
(2) Sketch the shear force and bending moment diagrams. Neglect the weight of the beam.
Note that the support reactions at A and D have been computed and are shown in Fig. (a).

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Solution
Part 1
The determination of the expressions for V and M for each of the three beam segments
(AB, BC, and CD) is explained below

Segment AB (0＜x＜2 m)

ΣFy =0 18 -V = 0
V = 18 kN

ΣME = 0 -18x+ M = 0
M = 18x kN m

Segment BC (2＜x＜5 m)

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ΣFy =0 18-14-V = 0
V = +18-14
V = +4 kN

ΣME = 0 - 18x + 14(x-2) + M = 0

M = +18x-14(x-2)
M = 4x+28 kNm

Segment CD (5 m＜x＜7 m)

ΣFy =0 18-14-28-V = 0
V = +18-14-28
= -24 kN.

ΣMG = 0 - 18x+ 14(x-2)+28(x-5)+M = 0

M = +18x-14(x-2) – (x-5)
= -24x+168 kNm

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NOTE
􀂉The V-diagram reveals that the largest shear force in the beam is -24 kN : segment CD

􀂉The M-diagram reveals that the maximum bending moment is +48 kNm : the 28kN load at
C.

􀂉Note that at each concentrated force the V diagram “jumps” by an amount equal to the
force.

􀂉There is a discontinuity in the slope of the M-diagram at each concentrated force .

EXAMPLE 2: Draw the Shear force (S.F) and Bending moment (B.M) diagrams for
cantilever loaded beam shown below.

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Note:The bending moments of opposite nature always produce curvatures of beams in
opposite directions. In a beam if the bending moment changes sign at a point , the point itself
having zero bending moment , the beam changes curvature at this point of zero bending
moment and this point is called point of contraflexure. So at a point of contraflexure the

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beam flexes in opposite direction. The point of contraflexure is called point of inflexion or a
virtual hinge. The point of contraflexure can be found by setting the bending moment
equation in terms of x equal to zero for part of a span were bending is likely to change sign.

Assigment 1
Show that the points of contraflexure are P, Q, R and T

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