SHEAR FORCE AND BENDING MOMENT IN BEAM

Revised on 1/31/11

Example1. Simply supported (rigid but weightless) beam is loaded as shown below.
Draw the shear force diagram and bending moment diagram for the beam.

1. Free Body Diagram: Here simple supports are replaced with two vertically upward
unknown forces, Ra & Rb.

2. Apply equilibrium conditions and find unknown forces:

ΣΜΒ=0: −4000∗16−1000∗8∗12+Ra*8−6000∗4 = 0,
or, Ra = (4000∗16+1000∗8∗12+6000∗4)/8 = 23,000 #
ΣFy=0: Rb = 4000+1000∗8+6000−23000 = −5000#
Check: ΣΜx=0:1000∗8∗4−23000∗8+6000∗12−(−5000∗16) =0
3. Load diagram of the beam

4. INTERNAL LOADS (BENDING MOMENT AND SHEAR FORCES) IN THE

BEAM DUE TO TRANSVERSE LOADS ACTING ON IT
Because in the load diagram above the beam is in static equilibrium, if we cut a section of
the beam along the length, the cut sections should also be in equilibrium. This
equilibrium is obviously due to the internal shear forces and bending moments that are
developed along the length of the beam.

For example let us cut the beam at an arbitrary section, x=2 ft. The internal shear force V
and the internal moment M must be there to maintain equilibrium of the cut sections.

Convention for FBD: Upward force positive, clockwise moment positive

For the left section:

ΣFy=0: V – 4000 -1000*2 =0, or V= 6000 #
ΣΜ2=0: M - 4000*2-1000*2*1, or M = 10,000 ft-lb

For the right section:

ΣFy=0: −V+ 23,000 – 1000*6 – 6000 – 5000, or V = 6000 #
ΣΜ2=0: –M + 1000*6*3 – 23,000*6 + 6000*10 + 5000*14, or M = 10,000 ft-lb
We can see that the calculated shear force and bending moment developed in the
beam at a section has the same value, irrespective of which side of the beam we use
to calculate them.
Thus we can conclude that:
(i) Internal shear force at any point along the length of the beam is vector sum
of all external forces either to the left or to the right of the point.
(ii) Similarly, internal bending moment at any point along the length of the beam
is the vector sum of moments of all external forces either to the left or to the
right of the point, about that point.

You can use the above two rules to find the internal shear force (SF) and bending
moment (BM) at any point along a beam.

5. Shear Force and Bending Moment Diagrams

Some times, Shear force diagram and bending moment diagram are drawn to show the
internal SF and BM along the entire length of the beam. This may be necessary to find,
where along the length of the beam, the shear force or the bending moment is maximizing
or minimizing.

Sign Convention for shear force:

Upward force to the left is positive, or downward force to the right is positive. The
reverse is negative.

Positive Negative
shear force shear force

Sign convention for bending moment:

Clockwise moment to the left is positive, or counter clockwise moment to the right is
positive. The reverse is negative.

Also you may think that positive moment will cause compression of the upper layer of
the beam (shown by --- sign) and negative moment will cause tension (shown by +++
sign) in the upper layer of the beam.
Compression in upper layer Tension in upper layer

---------------- +++++++++++

+++++++++++ ----------------

Positive Negative bending

bending moment moment
SHEAR FORCE DIAGRAM
Since the internal shear force (SF) is the sum of external force to one side of the section,
the SF remains constant along the length of the beam as long as no new external force is
added along the length of the beam.
So starting from the right end x<16, SF = 5000 lb, up to length x>12.
For the beam 8<x<12: SF= 5000+6000=11,000 lb;
For the beam 0<x<8: SF = 5000+6000-23000+(8-x)*1000= -12000+(8-x)*1000
Thus at x=8- : SF = -12000 lb and x=0+: SF = -4000 lb

Load Diagram

SF: Sum of forces to the left

x=0-: SF0- = 0
0<x<8: SF = -4000-1000x
SF0=-4000
SF8=-4000-1000*8= -12000

8<x<12: SF8= -12000+23000 = 11,000

12<x<16: SF12=11,000-6000 = 5000
X=16: SF16 = 5000-5000 =0
BENDING MOMENT DIAGRAM

BM: Sum of moment of forces to the

left of a section
x=0-: BM = 0

0<x<8: BM = -4000x-1000x*x/2
BM0=0
BM8= -4000*8 - 1000*8*4= -64,000

8<x<12:
BM= -4000x-8000(x-4)+23,000(x-8)
Bending Moment diagram
BM12=-4000*12-8000*8+23,000*4
= -20,000
12<x<16: BM= -4000x-8000(x-
4)+23,000(x-8)-6000(x-12)
X=16: BM16 = -4000*12-
8000*12+23,000*8-6000*4 =0