Beams
Shear & Moment Diagrams
Beams
• Members that are slender and support
loads applied perpendicular to their
longitudinal axis.
Distributed Load, w(x) Concentrated Load, P
Longitudinal
Axis
Span, L
Types of Beams
• Depends on the support configuration
FH
Pin
FV
FV
FH Fixed
Roller
M
Fv Roller Pin
FH
FV FV
Statically Indeterminate Beams
Continuous Beam
Propped Cantilever
Beam
Internal Reactions in Beams
• At any cut in a beam, there are 3 possible
internal reactions required for equilibrium:
– normal force,
– shear force,
– bending moment.
P
a b
L
Internal Reactions in Beams
• At any cut in a beam, there are 3 possible
internal reactions required for equilibrium:
– normal force,
– shear force,
– bending moment. Positive Directions
Shown!!!
Left Side of Cut M
N
Pb/L V
x
Internal Reactions in Beams
• At any cut in a beam, there are 3 possible
internal reactions required for equilibrium:
– normal force,
– shear force,
– bending moment. Positive Directions
Shown!!!
M V Right Side of Cut
N
Pa/L
L-x
Finding Internal Reactions
• Pick left side of the cut:
– Find the sum of all the vertical forces to the
left of the cut, including V. Solve for shear, V.
– Find the sum of all the horizontal forces to the
left of the cut, including N. Solve for axial
force, N. It’s usually, but not always, 0.
– Sum the moments of all the forces to the left
of the cut about the point of the cut. Include
M. Solve for bending moment, M
• Pick the right side of the cut:
– Same as above, except to the right of the cut.
Example: Find the internal reactions at
points indicated. All axial force reactions
are zero. Points are 2-ft apart.
P = 20 kips
1 2 3 4 5 8 9 10
6 7
8 kips 12 kips
12 ft
20 ft
Point 6 is just left of P and Point 7 is just right of P.
P = 20 kips
1 2 3 4 5 8 9 10
6 7
8 kips 12 kips
12 ft
20 ft
8 kips
V x
(kips)
-12 kips
96
80
64 72
48 48
32
16 24
M x
(ft-kips)
V & M Diagrams P = 20 kips
8 kips 12 kips
12 ft
20 ft
8 kips
V
(kips) x
-12 kips
What is the slope
of this line? 96 ft-kips What is the slope
96 ft-kips/12’ = 8 kips b of this line?
-12 kips
M a c
(ft-kips) x
V & M Diagrams P = 20 kips
8 kips 12 kips
12 ft
20 ft
8 kips
V
(kips) x
What is the area of
the blue rectangle? -12 kips
96 ft-kips What is the area of
96 ft-kips the green rectangle?
b
-96 ft-kips
M a c
(ft-kips) x
Draw Some Conclusions
• The magnitude of the shear at a point
equals the slope of the moment diagram at
that point.
• The area under the shear diagram
between two points equals the change in
moments between those two points.
• At points where the shear is zero, the
moment is a local maximum or minimum.
Common Relationships
0 Constant Linear
Load
Constant Linear Parabolic
Shear
Linear Parabolic Cubic
Moment
Common Relationships
0 0 Constant
Load M
Constant Constant Linear
Shear
Linear Linear Parabolic
Moment
Example: Draw Shear & Moment
diagrams for the following beam
12 kN 8 kN
A C
D
B
1m 3m 1m
RA = 7 kN RC = 13 kN
12 kN 8 kN
A C
D
B
1m 3m 1m
7 8
7 8
V
(kN) -15
-5
7
M
(kN-m)
2.4 m -8
