UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

MEC 3351 – STRENGTH OF MATERIALS I

Assignment Preparation Sheet 3 – Shear Force and Bending Moments
Assignment Date: Friday 5th April 2024
Time: 08:00 hrs.

Prepare to ALL questions but you will be required, in class, to answer and submit
solutions to two questions on the due date as you will be advised.

Q1. A beam ABCDE of total length 18 meters is supported and loaded as shown in Figure
Q1. Draw the bending moment and shear force diagrams, indicating ALL important
values of SF and BM. At what distances, measured from support B, are points of zero (0)
bending moments?

Figure Q1

Q2. Draw the SF and BM diagrams, for the beam shown in Figure Q2, indicating important
their values and distances.

Figure Q2
Q3. Draw the bending moment and shear force diagrams for a beam loaded as shown in
Figure Q3.

2000kg/m

A B C D

Hinge 8m

8m 10m

Figure Q3

Q4. The shear force diagram for a beam ACBDEF, supported at A and at one more point,
is represented by Figure Q4. Generate this loaded beam and its corresponding bending
moment diagram.

+ 5.9t
A B 1.9t F
C D E 1t

8.1t -

5m 3m 2m 2m

Shear Force Diagram

Figure Q4