INFLUENCE

LINES
 INFLUENCE LINES
 An influence line is a line showing the variation
in the shear, moment, reaction or stress in a
member or other function at a particular point in
a structure or in a member due to UNIT LOAD
moving across a structure. The value of the
function for any given position of the unit load is
measured by the coordinate to the influence line
at the point where the load is placed. It is also a
curve, the ordinate to which at any point equals
the value of some particular function due to a
unit load acting at that point.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INFLUENCE LINES
FOR SHEAR AND MOMENT DIAGRAMS

 A shears or moment diagram shows the effect

of stationary loads on shears or bending
moments at all sections in a structure, while the
influence line for shear or bending moment
shows the effect of one moving unit load on the
shear or bending moment at the section for
which the influence line has been constructed.
PROPERTIES OF INFLUENCE LINE
 PURPOSES:
1. To determine what position of live loads will
lead to a maximum value of the particular
function for which an influence line has been
constructed.
2. To compute the value of that function with
the load so placed on any load condition.
A downward concentrated load of magnitude 1 unit
moves from A to B across the simply supported
beam AB as shown below.

We wish to determine the following functions:

• reaction at A
• reaction at B
• shear at C and
• moment at C
When the unit load is at a distance x from
support A. Since the value of the above functions
will vary according to the location of the unit load,
the best way to represent these functions is by
influence diagram.
Influence Line by Equilibrium Method
Influence Line for the reaction at A
ΣMB=0ΣMB=0
LRA=1.0(L−x)
RA=1−xL   ←   linear equation in x
 
When x = 0, RA = 1 and when x = L, RA = 0
 
Influence Line for the reaction at B
ΣMA=0
LRB=1.0x
RB=xL   ←   linear equation in x
 
When x = 0, RB = 0, and when x = L, RB = 1
Influence Line for Shear at C VC=RA−1.0

Unit load is within the segment AC

VC=RA−1.0
VC=(1−xL)−1.0
VC=−xL
  VC=RA

When x = 0, VC = 0, and when x = a (just before point C), VC = -a/L

Unit load is beyond the segment AC

When x = a (just after point C), VC = 1 - a/L =

(L - a) / L = b/L and when x = L, VC= 1 - L/L = 0
 Influence Line for Moment at C
Unit load is within the segment AC
MC=aRA−1.0(a−x)
MC=a(1−xL)−(a−x)
MC=a−axL−a+x
MC=−axL+x
 When x = 0, MC = 0, and when x = a (just just before point C), MC = -a2/L + a =
(-a2 + aL) / L = a(L - a) / L = ab/L

 Unit load is beyond the segment AC

MC=aRA=a(1−xL)
When x = a (just after point C), MC = a - a2/L = (aL - a2) / L = a(L - a)
/ L = ab/L and when x = L, MC = a - aL/L = a - a = 0
Influence Line of Simply Supported Beam with Overhang

The ordinate of influence line at the overhang can be foun

by ratio and proportion of triangle.
Example 1
Draw the influence line diagrams for the vertical support
reactions By , Cy and for the internal moment Md

In this example we have a simply supported beam with zero

degrees of freedom (no hinges) which means the analysis
will be simpler since we don't have to cut the beam,and
there are no external forces in the axial direction so the axial
component of the pin Bx is equal to zero.
By checking the Determinacy of the beam, it is found to be a determinate
beam. Therefore, all of the reactions and moments can be solved for using
equations of equilibrium.
We start off by defining our reference point at point A (as shown in the
figure below) and then use moment equilibrium to calculate the reactions
at the supports as a point point load is moving from the reference point
till the end of the beam, the reactions will be written as a function of X
which is our distance from the reference point.

To write an equation for the reaction By as the point load moves

along the beam we use moment equilibrium at roller C as the following
∑MC=0:
1(6−x)−4By=0
By=6−x4
 Now to draw the influence line for the reaction By we
simply substitute x by different values of distance from the
reference point to get how much the reaction of By would be
when the point load is in that position X
 

Now we use moment equilibrium at pin B to get an equation for the vertical reaction Cy:
∑MB=0:
4Cy+1(2−x)=0
Cy=x−24
Note that when the point load is at a position after x = 2m the equation for Mb would
change because the point load would generate a negative moment according the
positive sign convection, the equation would be as the following:
∑MB=0
4Cy−1(x−2)=0
Since the beam is continuous and the influence lines are
linear we get the same value for Cy
Cy=x−24

Now we draw the influence line for Cy by

substituting values of x:
 Note that we can find the value of the influence line at any point along
the beam using similar triangles since it has the same slope
Now to find the influence line for internal moment Md we cut the
beam at point D and solve for the internal moment using either side, in
this case we will use the right segment since we have only one support
reaction and it will be easier to analyze
After cutting the beam we apply the unit load before point D and after
it, and we write an equation of the influence line as follows:
unit load applied before point D (x<4):
∑Md=2Cy               
 Md=2(x−24)
when load is after point D (x>4)

∑Md=2Cy−1(x−4)                
Md=2(x−24)−1(x−4)
Now we simply substitute values of x for both cases and draw the influence
line for the internal moment