UDL Example

w0

Rl Rr
a b

x−a
x
0

w(x) = −w0 x − a0 where 0 ≤ x ≤ (a + b)

Figure 1: Uniformly distributed load on a simply supported beam

The ideal slice

Given the figure above let us determine the shear force and bending moment equa-
tions using only the uniformly distributed load singularity function, and excluding
all reactions. These equations will be used to plot the shear force and bending
moment diagrams. We start with the following differential equations
dV
+ w(x) = 0
dx
dM
+V =0
dx
that relates the load intensity w(x) to the shear force V (x) and bending moment
M (x). The only singularity function that represents the type of loading above is
the following
w(x) = −w0 hx − ai0
Substituting w(x) and integrating we get
dV
− w0 hx − ai0 = 0
dx

1
 V − w0 hx − ai = A
where A is a constant. Using the boundary conditions for V (x) we can evaluate
this constant in the following way

V = A = −Rl at x=0

since h−vei = 0 and the negative sign indicates that Rl is acting upwards. Applying
the equilibrium laws to solve for Rl and Rr we proceed as follows:
X
Fv = 0, Rl + Rr − w0 b = 0

also by summing the moments at the right hand edge of the element we get,
X b
Mrhe = 0, Rl (a + b) − w0 b =0
2
w0 b2
Rl =
2(a + b)
−−−−−→

Alternatively we can proceed by substituting for the V (x) in the dM/dx expression
without evaluating A, such that
dM
+ w0 hx − ai + A = 0
dx
By integrating the equation we get
w0
M+ hx − ai2 + Ax = B
2
From the boundary conditions

M =0 at x = 0, ∴B=0
w0 b2
M =0 at x = (a + b), ∴A=−
2(a + b)
−−−−−−−→
The final expressions are
w0 b2
V = w0 hx − ai −
2(a + b)
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−→
w0 b2 w0
M= x− hx − ai2
2(a + b) 2
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−→

2
Towards the same ends

Another way of obtaining expressions for V and M is to include all the singularities
in formulating w(x), such that every single load in the span is accounted for,

w(x) = Rl hxi−1 − w0 hx − ai0 + Rr hx − ki−1

where k = (a + b).

Using the differential expression

dV
+ w(x) = 0
dx
Z x Z x
Rl hxi−1 − w0 hx − ai0 + Rr hx − ki−1 dx


V =− w dx = −
−∞ −∞

Since x can never be greater than k, the last term Rr hx − ki−1 can be discarded
yielding the following shear force equation

V = w0 hx − ai1 − Rl hxi0
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−→
The same applies to the moment equation
dM
+ V (x) = 0
dx
we proceed as follows
Z x
w0
M =− V dx = Rl hxi1 − hx − ai2
−∞ 2

We can take away the special brackets h· · · in for the first term Rl hxi1 at this stage
without causing any disturbance since there is no subtraction taking place (single
term),
w0
M = Rl x − hx − ai2
2
−−−−−−−−−−−−−→

3
 y

w0

Rl Rr
a b

Rl Rr

w(x)

V w 0 b2
V = w0
x − a − 2(a+b)

Mmax

w0 b2 w0
M= 2(a+b) x − 2
x − a2
M

Figure 2: Shear force and bending moment diagrams