Chapter 2:

Shearing Force and

Bending Moment in
Beams

The beams supporting the overhead crane system are

subject to transverse loads, causing the beams to bend.
The normal stresses resulting from such loadings will be
determined in this chapter 1
 Contents
• Introduction
• Shear and Bending Moment Diagrams
• Sample Problem 5.1
• Sample Problem 5.2
• Relations Among Load, Shear, and Bending Moment
• Sample Problem 5.3
• Sample Problem 5.5
• Design of Prismatic Beams for Bending
• Sample Problem 5.8

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 Why study stresses in beams?

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 Objective
When a beam is loaded by forces or couples, stresses and strains
are created throughout the interior of the beam.

To determine these stresses and strains, the internal forces and internal
couples that act on the cross sections of the beam must be found.

4
 Introduction
Classification of Beam Supports

L= Span

Total of only three unknowns and can be determined by the methods of statics. Such
beams are said to be statically determinate.
5-5
 Introduction
Type of Loads
• The transverse loading of a beam may consist of
concentrated loads P1, P2, . . . expressed in
newtons, pounds, or their multiples

• Distributed load w expressed in N/m, kN/m,

lb/ft, or kips/ft or of a combination of both.

• When the load w per unit length has a constant

value over part of the beam (as between A and B
in Fig. 5.1b), the load is uniformly distributed
and for the case of B and C it a uniformly
varying load.

• Concentrated Moment
5-6
Shear and Bending Moment Diagrams
Summary

• At any section in a beam carrying

transverse loads the shearing force is
defined as the algebraic sum of the forces
taken on either side of the section.

• Similarly, the bending moment at any

section is the algebraic sum of the
moments of the forces about the section,
again taken on either side.
 Sign Convention
• In order that the shearing-force and bending-moment values calculated on either side of the
section shall have the same magnitude and sign, a convenient sign convention has to be
adopted.
Shearing force (S.F.) sign convention
Forces upwards to the left of a section or downwards to the right of the section are positive.
Thus Fig. (a) shows a positive S.F. system at X-X and Fig. (b) shows a negative S.F. system.

Bending moment (B.M.) sign convention

Clockwise moments to the left and counterclockwise to the right are positive. Thus Fig.(a)
shows a positive bending moment system resulting in sagging of the beam at X-X and Fig.(b)
illustrates a negative B.M. system with its associated hogging beam.

5-8
• Thus in the case of a cantilever carrying a • If the cantilever now carries a uniformly
concentrated load W at the end, the S.F. at distributed load, the S.F. at X-X is the net
any section X-X, distance x from the free load to one side of X-X, i.e. -wx. In this
end, is S.F. = - W. case, therefore, the S.F. diagram becomes
triangular, increasing to a maximum value of
• This will be true whatever the value of x,
- WL at the support.
and so the S.F. diagram becomes a
• The B.M. at X-X is obtained by treating the
rectangle. The B.M. at the same section X-X
load to the left of X-X as a concentrated
is - Wx and this will increase linearly with x.
load of the same value acting at the centre
The B.M. diagram is therefore a triangle.
of gravity,

5-9
 Shear and Bending Moment Diagrams
• Shearing-force (S.F.) and bending-moment
(B.M.) diagrams show the variation of these
quantities along the length of a beam for
any fixed loading condition.

• SFMD Clearly illustrate in the early design

stages the positions on the beam which
are subjected to the greatest shear or
bending stresses
 Shear and Bending Moment Diagrams
Key Points
Summing forces in the vertical directions and also taking moments
about the cut sections

Reminders
Important Points for Drawing Shear Force and Bending Moment
Diagrams

1. Consider the left or the right portion of the section.

2. Add the forces (including reaction) normal to the beam on one of the. portion. If
right portion of the section is chosen, a force on the right portion acting downwards is
positive while a force acting upwards is negative.
If the left portion of the section is chosen, a force on the left portion acting upwards is
positive while a force acting downwards is negative.
3. The positive values of shear force and bending moments are plotted above the base
line, and negative values below the base line.
4. The shear force diagram will increase or decrease suddenly i.e., by a vertical straight
line at a section where there is a vertical point load.
5. The shear force between any two vertical loads will be constant and hence the shear
force diagram between two vertical loads will be horizontal.
6. The bending moment at the two supports of a simply supported beam-and at the
free end of a cantilever will be zero.
5 - 12
 Cantilever Beam Cases
Cantilever Beam with Concentrated Cantilever Beam with Distributed
load on the free end load on all the Span

5 - 13
Cantilever Beam Cases
Cantilever Beam with uniformly
varying load on all the Span

5 - 14
 Simply Supported Beam

Simply supported with Point

Load @ the middle

5 - 15
Simply Supported Beam
Simply supported with uniform load
w Per unit length

5 - 16
 TYPICAL BEAM DIAGRAMS
1 Cantilever beam with point load
2 Cantilever beam with uniform load
3 Cantilever beam with mixed load
4 Simple beam with point loads
5 Simple beam with uniform load
6 Simple beam with mixed load
7 Beam with one overhang and point load
8 Beam with one overhang and uniform load
9 Beam with one overhang and mixed load
10 Beam with two overhangs and point loads
11 Beam with two overhangs and uniform load
12 Beam with two overhangs and mixed load
 Relationship between shear force Q, bending
moment M and intensity of loading w
Consider the beam AB shown in carrying a uniform loading intensity (uniformly distributed load)
of w kN/m. By symmetry, each reaction takes half the total load, i.e., wL/2.

The B.M. at any point C, distance x from A, is given by

18
 Relationship between shear force Q, bending
moment M and intensity of loading w

These relationships are the basis of the rules stated in the summary, the proofs of
which are as follows:
(a) The maximum or minimum B.M. occurs where dM/dx = 0

But

19
 Relationship between shear force Q, bending
moment M and intensity of loading w
Thus where S.F. is zero B.M. is a maximum or minimum.

(b) The slope of the B.M. diagram = dM/dx = Q.

Thus where Q = 0 the slope of the B.M. diagram is zero, and the B.M. is therefore
constant.

(c) Also, since Q represents the slope of the B.M. diagram, it follows that where the S.F. is

positive the slope of the B.M. diagram is positive, and where the S.F. is negative the
slope of the B.M. diagram is also negative.

(d) The area of the S.F. diagram between any two points, from basic calculus, is
න 𝑄𝑑𝑥
20
i.e. the B.M. change between any two points is the area of the S.F. diagram between these
points.
This often provides a very quick method of obtaining the B.M. diagram once the S.F. diagram has
been drawn.

(e) With the chosen sign convention, when the B.M. is positive the beam is sagging and when it
is negative the beam is hogging. Thus when the curvature of the beam changes from sagging to
hogging, as at x-x in Fig, or vice versa, the B.M. changes sign, i.e. becomes instantaneously zero.
This is termed a point of inflexion or contra flexure. Thus a point of contra flexure occurs
where the B.M. is zero.

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General Case: Relations Among Load, Shear, and Bending Moment

• Relationship between load and shear:

 Fy = 0 : V − (V + V ) − w x = 0
V = − w x
dV
= −w
dx
xD
VD − VC = −  w dx
xC

• Relationship between shear and bending

moment:
 M C = 0 : (M + M ) − M − V x + wx x = 0
2
M = V x − 12 w (x )2
dM
=0
dx
xD
M D − M C =  V dx 5 - 22
xC
 S.F. and B.M. diagrams for an applied couple or
moment
In general there are two ways in which the couple or moment can be applied:
(a) with horizontal loads
(b) with vertical loads,
and the method of solution is different for each.

Type (a): couple or moment applied with horizontal loads

Consider the beam AB shown in Fig to which a moment F.d is applied by means of
horizontal loads at a point C, distance a from A.

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Type (a): couple or moment applied with horizontal loads

Since this will tend to lift the beam at A, R, acts downwards.

Moments about B:

and for vertical equilibrium

The S.F. diagram can now be drawn as the horizontal

loads have no effect on the vertical
The B.M. at any section between A and C is

24
 Type (a): couple or moment applied with horizontal loads

Thus the value of the B.M. increases linearly from

−𝐹𝑑
zero at A to 𝑎 at C.
𝐿
Similarly, the B.M. at any section between C and B is

i.e. the value of the B.M. again increases linearly

−𝐹𝑑
from zero at B to 𝑏 at C. The B.M. diagram is
𝐿
therefore as shown in Fig.

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Type (b): moment applied with vertical loads

Consider the beam AB shown in Fig. taking

moments about B:

Similarly,
The S.F. diagram can therefore be drawn as in
Fig. and it will be observed that in this F does
affect the diagram.
For the B.M. diagram an equivalent system is
used. The offset load F is replaced by a moment
and a force acting at C, as shown in Fig. Thus
B.M. between A and C =RAX

26
Type (b): moment applied with vertical loads

𝐹(𝑑+𝑏)
i.e. increasing linearly from zero to 𝑎
𝐿
at C.

Similarly,
B.M. between C and B = RBX’
𝐹(𝑎−𝑑)
= 𝑥′
𝐿
𝐹(𝑎−𝑑)
i.e. increasing linearly from zero to = 𝐿
𝑏 at C.

The difference in values at C is equal to the applied

moment Fd, as with type (a) 27
 Inflection Point or Point of Contraflexure

It is the point on the bending moment diagram where

bending moment changes the sign from positive to
negative or vice versa.
It is the point on the bending moment diagram where
bending moment changes the sign from positive to
negative or vice versa.
moment diagram where bending moment changes the
sign from positive to negative or vice versa.

It is also called ‘Inflection point’. At the point of inflection point or

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Thank you

Dawit M.
[email protected]