Beam Formulas

In this section we shall recall the shear and moment formulas for beams. Although we
can construct the shear and moment diagram of a beam but sometimes it is better to memorize
formulas for beams with common loading in order to obtain them readily. Also we may encounter
indeterminate beams in which we cannot solve the reactions by statics alone.

1. Simply supported with concentrated load at midspan

P
PL
Mmax = at midspan
4
P
Vmax = at support
L 2
PL3
ymax = at midspan
48EI

2. Simply supported with uniformly distributed load

wL2
Mmax = at midspan
w 8
wL
Vmax = at support
L 2
5wL4
ymax = at midspan
384EI

3. Cantilever beam with concentrated load at the free end

P Mmax = PL at support

Vmax = P at support

L PL3
ymax = at free end
3EI

4. Cantilever beam with uniformly distributed load

wL2
w Mmax = at support
2
Vmax = wL at support
L wL4
ymax = at free end
8EI

1
5. Cantilever beam with triangular load w at the support to zero at the free end

w wL2
Mmax = at support
6
wL
Vmax = at support
L 2
wL4
ymax = at free end
30EI

6. Fully restrained beam with concentrated load at midspan

P PL
Mmax = at support
8
P
Vmax = at support
2
L PL3
ymax = at midspan
192EI

7. Fully restrained beam with concentrated load at midspan

P Pab 2 Pba 2
MA = 2
and MB =
a b L L2

Vmax = Va =
Pb
L2
 ab  a 2

 1 if a < b
A L B
Vmax = Vb =
Pa
L2
 ab  b
2
 1  if a > b

8. Fully restrained beam with uniformly distributed load

wL2
w Mmax = at support
12
wL
Vmax = at support
2
L
wL4
ymax = at free end
384EI

9. Fully restrained beam with uniformly distributed load extended half the span

5 wL2 11wL2
w MA = and MB =
192 192
13 wL
Vmax = RB = at B
B 32
A L

2
10. Fully restrained beam with triangular load

w wL2 wL2
MA = and MB =
20 30
7 wL
Vmax = RA =
20
A L B

11. Propped beam with concentrated load

P Pab  a
Mmax =  b  2  at fixed support
a b L2  

Pa 2  3L  a 
A L B RB =
2L3

12. Propped beam with concentrated load at midspan

P 3PL
Mmax = at fixed support
16
11P
Vmax = RA =
A L B 16

13. Propped beam with uniformly distributed load

wL2
w Mmax = at fixed support
8
5 wL
Vmax = RA =
A L B 8

14. Propped beam with uniformly distributed load at half the span

L/2 9 wL2
Mmax = at fixed support
w 128
57 wL
Vmax = RA =
A L B 128

3
15. Propped beam with triangular load from w at the fixed end to zero at the free end

w wL2
Mmax = at fixed support
15
2 wL
Vmax = RA =
A L B 5

16. Propped beam with triangular load from zero at the fixed end to w at the free end

w 7 wL2
Mmax = at fixed support
120
11wL
Vmax = RB =
A L B 40