HCMC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION

STRUCTURAL MECHANICS
(STME240517)

Lecturer: CHÂU ĐÌNH THÀNH

FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

 HCMC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION

CHAPTER 4
INFLUENCE LINES
FOR STATICALLY DETERMINATE
STRUCTURES

FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

 Outline

 Influence lines

 Maximum influence at a point due to a series of

concentrated loads

 Absolute maximum shear and moment

3
 Influence lines
 Example 1
− Determine the reaction RA at the support A depending on L and x
− Draw the graph of RA with 0 ≤ x ≤ L. Assume positive axis of RA is
downward (the same sense of the load)
− Draw the graph of the reaction RB at the support B with 0 ≤ x ≤ L.

P =1
x
A B
L
4
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Example 2
− Determine the moment MK at K depending on a, b, L and x
− Draw the graph of MK with 0 ≤ x ≤ L. Assume positive axis of MK is
downward (the same sense of the load)

P =1
x
A B
K
a b
L
5
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Example 3
− Determine the shear force VK at K depending on a, b, L and x
− Draw the graph of VK with 0 ≤ x ≤ L. Assume positive axis of VK is
downward (the same sense of the load)

P =1
x
A B
K
a b
L
6
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Definition
− If a structure is subjected to a live or moving load, however, the
variation of the shear and bending moment in the member is best
described using the influence line
− An influence line represents the variation of either the reaction,
shear, or moment, at a specific point in a member as a
concentrated force moves over the member

7
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Example 4
Use the influence lines, determine the reactions at supports A, B,
moment and shear force at K when the beam is subjected to a
concentrated load as shown in Figure

50 kN
1.5 m
A B
K
4m 2m
6m
8
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Example 5
Use the influence lines, determine the reactions at supports A, B,
moment and shear force at K when the beam is subjected to
concentrated loads as shown in Figure

50 kN 100 kN 100 kN
1.5 m 1m
A B
K
4m 2m
6m
9
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Example 6
Use the influence lines, determine the reactions at supports A, B,
moment and shear force at K when the beam is subjected to
concentrated and uniform distributed loads as shown in Figure

50 kN 100 kN
1.5 m 20 kN m
A B
K
4m 2m
6m
10
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Example 7
Use the influence lines, determine maximum of the reactions at
supports A, B, moment and shear force at K when the beam is
subjected to a moving concentrated load P = 200 kN which moves
from A to B as shown in Figure.
P = 200 kN

A B
K
4m 2m
6m
11
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Usage
− Once this influence line is constructed, we can determine
• Where the moving load should be placed on the structure so that
it creates the greatest influence at the specified point
• The magnitude of the associated reaction, shear, or moment at
the point from the ordinates of the influence-line diagram

12
 Influence lines (cont.)

Influence lines

Simple/Cantilever
Truss
beams

 How to draw the influence lines

Compound beams
 How to use the influence lines to determine
• Reactions, internal loads
Load-transmitted • Position of moving loads to have the
beams maximum reactions, internal loads
13
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Notes of influence lines
− The reaction is positive when it acts upward
− Positive value of the influence line is drawn in the direction of the
unit load
− The shear or moment is positive according to the same sign
convention used for drawing shear and moment diagram

14
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Procedure for constructing influence lines for simple beams

1. Placing the unit load at a variable position x on the member

2. Computing values of R, V, or M at the point as a function of x
3. Plotting the equations of the various line segments composing the
influence line

15
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Example 8
Draw the influence lines of the vertical reactions at support A and
the moment and shear force at point K the beam in Figure when the
unit load moves from A to B.

P =1

A K B
a b
L
16
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Example 9
Draw the influence lines of the reactions at supports B and C of the
beam in Figure when the unit load moves from A to D.

P =1

A B C D
L1 L L2

17
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Example 10
Draw the influence lines of the bending moments and shear forces
at K1, K2, K3 of the beam in Figure when the unit load moves from A
to D.
P =1
K1 K2 K3
A B C D
a1 a a2
L1 L L2

18
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Influence lines for compound beams

− Note that:

• When the load moves on the main structure, it does not affect on
the reactions and internal forces of the sub-structure.

• When the load moves on the sub-structure, it affects on the main

structure via the reaction at the support of the main structure on
the sub-structure.

19
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Example 11
Draw the influence lines of the vertical reactions at supports A and
C, the shear forces and bending moments at K1, K2 of the beam in
Figure when the unit load moves from A to C.

P =1

A K1 B K2 C
1m 3m 1m 1m

20
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Influence lines for load transmitted-beams

VP = F1 − FB

M P = F1d − FB ( d − s ) 21
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Example 12
Draw the influence line for the shear in panel CD of the floor girder
in the Figure

22
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Example 13
Draw the influence line for the moment at point F for the floor girder
in the Figure

23
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Influence lines for trusses
− Trusses are often used as
primary load-carrying
elements for bridges.

− Hence, for design it is

important to be able to
construct the influence lines
for each of its members

24
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Procedure for constructing influence lines for trusses
1. Loading each joint along the deck with a unit load
2. Use the method of joints or the method of sections to calculate the
force in the member
3. The data can be arranged in tabular form, listing “unit load at joint”
versus “force in member.”
4. The influence line for the member is constructed by plotting the data
and drawing straight lines between the points
− Note: If the member force is tensile it is considered a positive value;
if it is compressive it is negative
25
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Example 14
Draw the influence line for the force in member GB of the bridge
truss shown in the Figure

26
 Influence lines (cont.)
 Example 15
Consider a truss as shown in the Figure. Determine the largest
force that can be developed in member AC due to a moving force of
25 kN and a moving distributed load of 2 kN/m. The loading is
applied at the top cord

27
 Maximum influence at a point
due to a series of concentrated loads
− In some cases, several concentrated forces may move along the
structure.

− In order to determine the maximum effect in this case, we can either

• Use a trial-and-error procedure
• Or a method that is based on the change in the reaction, shear,
or moment that takes place as the load is moved 28
 Maximum influence at a point
due to a series of concentrated loads (cont.)
 Example 16
Figure Determine the maximum positive shear created at point B in
the beam shown in the Figure due to the wheel loads of the moving
truck

29
 Maximum influence at a point
due to a series of concentrated loads (cont.)
 Example 17
Determine the maximum positive moment created at point B in the
beam shown in the Figure due to the wheel loads of the crane

30
 Maximum influence at a point
due to a series of concentrated loads (cont.)
 Example 18
Determine the maximum compressive force developed in member
BG of the side truss in the Figure due to the right side wheel loads
of the car and trailer. Assume the loads are applied directly to the
truss and move only to the right

31
 Absolute maximum shear and moment
− A more general problem involves the determination of both.
• The location of the point in the beam
• And the position of the loading on the beam
so that one can obtain the absolute maximum shear and moment
caused by the loads

32
 Absolute maximum shear and moment (cont.)
 A simply supported beam

x'
x=
2

Absolute maximum moment in a simply supported beam occurs

under one of the concentrated forces, such that this force is
positioned on the beam so that it and the resultant force of the
system are equidistant from the beam’s centerline
33
 Absolute maximum shear and moment (cont.)
 Example 19
The truck has a mass of 2 Mg and a center of gravity at G as shown
in the Figure. Determine the absolute maximum moment developed
in the simply supported bridge deck due to the truck’s weight. The
bridge has a length of 10 m

34
 Absolute maximum shear and moment (cont.)
 Envelope of maximum influence-line values
− Rules or formulations for determining the absolute maximum shear
or moment are difficult to establish
− An elementary way to proceed to solve this problem
• Constructing influence lines for the shear or moment at selected
points
• Computing the maximum shear or moment in the beam for each
point
• These values when plotted yield an “envelope of maximums”
 Both the absolute maximum value of shear or moment and its
location can be found 35
 HCMC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION

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FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING