Chapter 4

Shear and Moment in Beams

4-1 Introduction

In civil engineering, the term beam refers to a slender horizontal bar that supports transverse loadings or
forces that are perpendicular to the bar. There are internal forces that act inside the beam when
subjected to applied forces. Those internal resultant loads are called the shearing force and bending
moment. As discussed in the previous chapters, axial and torsional loads resulted in some internal forces
that are found inside the bar or over portions of the bar. The effect of shear force and bending moment
vary continuously from section to section of the beam.

Due to internal forces acting in the beam, two kinds of stresses are developed in the beam’s
section, namely, shearing stress and flexural stress. In order to properly design a beam, it is necessary to
determine the maximum shear and moment which are essential in the computation of stresses. These
stresses are part of the criteria that need to be satisfied in the actual design of the structural element.
This chapter is concerned with the variation of the shear and moment under different combination of
loadings and support system.

4-2 Types of Loadings

Beams are subjected to various loadings caused by dead loads, live loads, earthquake loads, wind loads,
and other types of loads. Loadings applied to the beam consist of concentrated loads ( Figure 4-2a ),
uniformly distributed load ( Figure 4-2b ), uniformly varying load ( Figure 4-2c ), or a couple moment (
Figure 4-2d ). These loadings are shown in Figure 4-2.

Figure 4-2a Figure 4-2b

Figure 4-2c Figure 4-2d

Figure 4-2
4-3 Shear and Moment

Shear is defined as the sum of the external loads that are found to the left or to the right of a section
acting perpendicular to the horizontal axis of the beam. Shear is denoted by V and expressed
mathematically as:
V = ( Σ Loads )Left
or V = ( Σ Loads )Right

where the subscripts left and right denote that the summation of forces must include only the loads that
act on the segment either to the left or to the right of the section.

Bending moment is defined as the sum of the moments taken about the centroidal axis of the
beam’s section of all loads acting either to the left or to the right of the section. This can be expressed as:
M = ( Σ Moment )Left = ( Σ Moment )Right

where the subscript left denotes that the bending moment is calculated for the loads to the left of the
section and right refers to the loads found to the right of the section.

Consider the beam shown in Figure 4-3 which is subjected to a uniform load “w” and is held in
equilibrium by reactions R1 and R2 at supports A and B, respectively. Assume that the beam is cut at point
C and the left portion of the beam is considered. The part of the beam removed is replaced by vertical
shearing force V and moment M to hold the left portion in equilibrium under the action of R1 and wx. The
couple moment M is called the resisting moment or simply moment and the force V is termed resisting
shear or simply shear.

Figure 4-3

4-4 Statically Determinate and Statically Indeterminate Beams

Beams are called statically determinate when the support reactions may be determined using the
equations of static equilibrium. On the other hand, if the number of reaction elements exceeded the
equations of static equilibrium, the beam is said to be indeterminate. In order to compute the reactions
at the supports of the beam, the equilibrium equations must be supported by other equations based upon
the elastic deformation of the beam.
 The degree of indeterminacy of a beam is the difference between the number of reactions and
the number of equilibrium equations. Shown in Figure 4-4a and Figure 4-4b are examples of statically
determinate and statically indeterminate beams.

Figure 4-4a Statically Determinate Beams

Figure 4-4b Statically Indeterminate Beams

4-5 Sign Conventions for Load, Shear and Moment

In this chapter, loads acting upward are considered positive, and negative if directed downward. For
shearing force, a positive shear force tends to move the left segment upward relative to the right segment,
and vice versa as shown in Figure 4-5a.

Figure 4-5a

Bending moment is considered positive if it causes the beam segment to bend concave upward
and negative if otherwise. The concavity of the beam segments is shown in Figure 4-5b.

Figure 4-5b

Illustrative Problems:

1. Write the shear and moment equations for the beams loaded as shown. In each problem, let “x” be
the distance measured from the left end of the beam. Also, construct the shear and moment diagrams
indicating values at every change of loading positions and at points of zero shear.
(a)

Solution: Calculate the support reactions;

Σ MB = 0
– 30 kN ( 1 m ) + 50 kN ( 3 m ) – RD ( 5 m ) = 0
RD = 24 kN
Σ FV = 0
RB + RD = 30 kN + 50 kN
RB = 56 kN
Consider segment AB; Consider segment BC;

VAB = – 30 kN VBC = – 30 kN + 56 kN
MAB = – 30x kN-m VBC = 26 kN
MBC = – 30x + 56 ( x -1 )
MBC = 26x – 56 kN-m
Consider segment CD;

VCD = – 30 kN + 56 kN – 50 kN MCD = – 30x + 56 ( x -1 ) – 50 ( x -4 )

VCD = – 24 kN MCD = – 24x + 144 kN-m
To determine the ordinate of the shear diagram, downward forces are subtracted and upward forces are
added. For the moment diagram, substitute the values of lower and upper limits to horizontal distances.
For example, consider segment AB with the distance varying from zero to 1. Substitute the values of zero
and 1 in MAB = – 30x kN-m to obtain zero and – 30 kN-m, respectively as reflected on the moment diagram.

(b)
Solution: Calculate the support reactions;
Σ MC = 0
– 80 kN ( 8 m ) – 10 kN/ m ( 10 m ) ( 5 m ) + RA ( 10 m ) = 0
RA = 114 kN
Σ FV = 0
RA + RC = 80 kN + 10 kN/ m ( 10 m )
RC = 66 kN
Consider segment AB; Consider segment BC;

VAB = 114 kN – 10x VBC = 114 kN – 80 kN – 10x

MAB = 114x – 10x ( x/2 ) VBC = 34 kN – 10x
2
MAB = 114x – 5x MBC = 114x – 10x ( x/2 ) – 80 ( x - 2 )
After creating the shear and moment equations, substitute the values of “x” and draw the shear and
moment diagrams.
From the diagram, the maximum moment occurs when the value of shear is zero. It is also noted that the
ordinate of moment diagram depends on the area of the shear diagram. Positive areas of the shear
diagram are added and negative areas are subtracted in order to obtain the ordinate of the moment
diagram.

2. Draw the shear and moment diagram for the beam loaded as shown without writing the shear and
moment equations. Give the numerical values at change of loading positions at point of zero shear. Use
the semi-graphical method.

Solution: Compute the support reactions;

Σ M2 = 0
– ½ ( 60 kN/ m ) ( 3 m ) ( 2 m ) – 20 kN/ m ( 4 m ) ( 3 m ) + R1 ( 5 m ) = 0
R1 = 84 kN
Σ M1 = 0
½ ( 60 kN/ m ) ( 3 m ) ( 3 m ) + 20 kN/ m ( 4 m ) ( 2 m ) – R2 ( 5 m ) = 0
R2 = 86 kN
To draw the shear diagram;
VA = R1 = 84 kN
VB = 84 kN – 20 kN/ m ( 1 m ) = 64 kN
VC = 64 kN – ½ ( 20 + 80 ) ( 3 m ) = – 86 kN
VD = – 86 kN + 86 kN = 0
Compute for distance “x”;

E
x

Σ FV = 0
84 kN – 20 kN/ m ( 1 + x ) – ½ ( y ) ( x ) = 0
where y = 20x
84 kN – 20 kN/ m ( 1 + x ) – ½ ( 20x ) ( x ) = 0
X = 1.72 m
To construct the moment diagram;
MA = 0
MB = MA + ½ ( 84 + 64 ) ( 1 ) = 74 kN-m
Σ ME = ME
ME = 84 kN ( 2.72 m ) – 20 kN/ m ( 2.72 ) ( 2.72/2 ) – ½ ( 34.4 ) ( 1.72 ) ( 1.72/3 )
ME = 137.50 kN-m
Σ MC = M C
MC = ( 86 kN ) ( 1 m ) = 86 kN-m

Exercises:
1. Write the shear and moment equations to solve the following problems. Then, construct the shear
and moment diagrams indicating values at all change of loading positions and at points of zero shear.
Neglect the weight of the beam.
( a ) Mmax = 5250 lb-ft 1800 lb
(b)
500 lb 300 lb

( c ) Mmax = 44.45 kN-m

20 kN/ m

(d)

( e ) Mmax = 67.22 kN-m

40 kN/ m

(f)
700 lb/ ft

(g) 90 lb/ ft
( h ) Mmax = 28 kN-m

( i ) Assume wo = 14 lb/ ft and L = 10 ft Mmax = 116.67 lb-ft

(j)

(k)
w = 3 kip/ ft

( l ) Mmax = 80 kN-m