BEAM DESIGN FORMULAS

WITH SHEAR AND MOMENT

DIAGRAMS
2005 EDITION
ANSI/AF&PA NDS-2005
Approval Date: JANUARY 6, 2005

ASD/LRFD

N DS

NATIONAL DESIGN SPECIFICATION

FOR WOOD CONSTRUCTION
WITH COMMENTARY AND

SUPPLEMENT: DESIGN VALUES FOR WOOD CONSTRUCTION

American
Forest &
Paper
Association

x
w

American W
ood Council
Wood

American Wood Council

R

V
Shear

Mmax
Moment

American
Forest &

DESIGN AID No. 6

Paper
Association

BEAM FORMULAS WITH

SHEAR AND MOMENT
DIAGRAMS

The American Wood Council (AWC) is part of the wood products group of the
American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA). AF&PA is the national trade
association of the forest, paper, and wood products industry, representing member
companies engaged in growing, harvesting, and processing wood and wood fiber,
manufacturing pulp, paper, and paperboard products from both virgin and recycled
fiber, and producing engineered and traditional wood products. For more information
see www.afandpa.org.

While every effort has been made to insure the accuracy

of the information presented, and special effort has been
made to assure that the information reflects the state-ofthe-art, neither the American Forest & Paper Association
nor its members assume any responsibility for any
particular design prepared from this publication. Those
using this document assume all liability from its use.

Copyright 2007
American Forest & Paper Association, Inc.
American Wood Council
1111 19th St., NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
202-463-4713
awcinfo@afandpa.org
www.awc.org
AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL

Notations Relative to Shear and Moment

Diagrams

Intr
oduction
Introduction
Figures 1 through 32 provide a series of shear
and moment diagrams with accompanying formulas
for design of beams under various static loading
conditions.
Shear and moment diagrams and formulas are
excerpted from the Western Woods Use Book, 4th
edition, and are provided herein as a courtesy of
Western Wood Products Association.

E =
I =
L =
R =
M=
P =
R =
V =
W=
w =
=
x =

modulus of elasticity, psi

moment of inertia, in.4
span length of the bending member, ft.
span length of the bending member, in.
maximum bending moment, in.-lbs.
total concentrated load, lbs.
reaction load at bearing point, lbs.
shear force, lbs.
total uniform load, lbs.
load per unit length, lbs./in.
deflection or deformation, in.
horizontal distance from reaction to point
on beam, in.

List of Figur
es
Figures
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
Figure 13
Figure 14
Figure 15
Figure 16
Figure 17
Figure 18
Figure 19
Figure 20
Figure 21
Figure 22
Figure 23
Figure 24
Figure 25
Figure 26
Figure 27
Figure 28
Figure 29
Figure 30
Figure 31
Figure 32

Simple Beam Uniformly Distributed Load ................................................................................................ 4

Simple Beam Uniform Load Partially Distributed..................................................................................... 4
Simple Beam Uniform Load Partially Distributed at One End .................................................................. 5
Simple Beam Uniform Load Partially Distributed at Each End ................................................................ 5
Simple Beam Load Increasing Uniformly to One End .............................................................................. 6
Simple Beam Load Increasing Uniformly to Center .................................................................................. 6
Simple Beam Concentrated Load at Center ............................................................................................... 7
Simple Beam Concentrated Load at Any Point.......................................................................................... 7
Simple Beam Two Equal Concentrated Loads Symmetrically Placed....................................................... 8
Simple Beam Two Equal Concentrated Loads Unsymmetrically Placed .................................................. 8
Simple Beam Two Unequal Concentrated Loads Unsymmetrically Placed .............................................. 9
Cantilever Beam Uniformly Distributed Load ........................................................................................... 9
Cantilever Beam Concentrated Load at Free End .................................................................................... 10
Cantilever Beam Concentrated Load at Any Point .................................................................................. 10
Beam Fixed at One End, Supported at Other Uniformly Distributed Load ............................................. 11
Beam Fixed at One End, Supported at Other Concentrated Load at Center ........................................... 11
Beam Fixed at One End, Supported at Other Concentrated Load at Any Point ..................................... 12
Beam Overhanging One Support Uniformly Distributed Load ............................................................... 12
Beam Overhanging One Support Uniformly Distributed Load on Overhang ......................................... 13
Beam Overhanging One Support Concentrated Load at End of Overhang ............................................. 13
Beam Overhanging One Support Concentrated Load at Any Point Between Supports ........................... 14
Beam Overhanging Both Supports Unequal Overhangs Uniformly Distributed Load ......................... 14
Beam Fixed at Both Ends Uniformly Distributed Load ........................................................................... 15
Beam Fixed at Both Ends Concentrated Load at Center .......................................................................... 15
Beam Fixed at Both Ends Concentrated Load at Any Point .................................................................... 16
Continuous Beam Two Equal Spans Uniform Load on One Span ....................................................... 16
Continuous Beam Two Equal Spans Concentrated Load at Center of One Span ................................. 17
Continuous Beam Two Equal Spans Concentrated Load at Any Point ................................................ 17
Continuous Beam Two Equal Spans Uniformly Distributed Load ....................................................... 18
Continuous Beam Two Equal Spans Two Equal Concentrated Loads Symmetrically Placed ............. 18
Continuous Beam Two Unequal Spans Uniformly Distributed Load ................................................... 19
Continuous Beam Two Unequal Spans Concentrated Load on Each Span Symmetrically Placed ..... 19
AMERICAN FOREST & PAPER ASSOCIATION

Figure 1

Simple Beam Uniformly Distributed Load

x
w

V
Shear

Mmax
Moment

Figure 2

7-36 A

Simple Beam Uniform Load Partially Distributed

b
wb

R2

R1
x
V1

Shear
V2
R
a + 1
w

Mmax
Moment

7-36 B
AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL

Figure 3

Simple Beam Uniform Load Partially Distributed at One End

a
wa

R2

R1
x
V1

Shear
V2
R
1
w

Mmax
Moment

Figure 4

7-37 ASimple

Beam Uniform Load Partially Distributed at Each End

w1a

c
w2c

R1

R2
x

V1
Shear

V2

R1

w1

Mmax
Moment

7-37 B

AMERICAN FOREST & PAPER ASSOCIATION

Figure 5

Simple Beam Load Increasing Uniformly to One End

R1

R2
.57741

V1
Shear

V2

Mmax
Moment

Figure 6

Simple Beam Load Increasing Uniformly to Center

7-38 A

x
W

V
Shear

Mmax
Moment

7-38 B
AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL

Figure 7

Simple Beam Concentrated Load at Center

V
Shear

Mmax
Moment

Figure 8

Simple Beam Concentrated Load at Any Point

7-39 A

R1

R2
a

V1
V2
Shear

Mmax
Moment

7-39-b

AMERICAN FOREST & PAPER ASSOCIATION

Figure 9

Simple Beam Two Equal Concentrated Loads Symmetrically Placed

R
a

V
Shear

Mmax
Moment

Figure 10 7-40 A Simple Beam Two Equal Concentrated Loads Unsymmetrically

Placed

R1

R2
b

V1
Shear

V2

M2

M1
Moment

7-40 B

AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL

Figure 11

Simple Beam Two Unequal Concentrated Loads Unsymmetrically

Placed

P2

P1
x

R1

R2
a

V1
Shear

V2

M2

M1
Moment

Figure 12

Cantilever Beam Uniformly Distributed Load

7-41-a

Shear

Mmax
Moment

7-41- B
AMERICAN FOREST & PAPER ASSOCIATION

Figure 13

Cantilever Beam Concentrated Load at Free End

P
R

V
Shear

Mmax
Moment

Figure 14

Cantilever Beam Concentrated Load at Any Point

7-42 A

Shear

Mmax
Moment

7-42-b
AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL

Figure 15

Beam Fixed at One End, Supported at Other Uniformly Distributed

Load

w
R2

R1
x

V1
Shear

V2

M1
Mmax

Figure 16

Beam Fixed at One End, Supported at Other Concentrated Load at

Center
7-43 A

R2
R1

V1
Shear

V2

M1
M2
3

11

AMERICAN FOREST & PAPER ASSOCIATION

7-43 B

Figure 17

Beam Fixed at One End, Supported at Other Concentrated Load at

Any Point

R2
R1
a

V1
Shear

V2

M1
Moment

M2

Pa

R2

Figure 18

Beam Overhanging One Support Uniformly Distributed Load

7-44 A

w(+ a)

a
x1

R2

R1
(1 a 2 )
2
2
V1

V2
Shear

V3

M1
Moment

M2

a2 )
(1
2

7-44 B

AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL

Figure 19

Beam Overhanging One Support Uniformly Distributed Load on

Overhang

a
x1
wa

R2

R1

V2
V1
Shear

Mmax
Moment

7-45 A

Figure 20

Beam Overhanging One Support Concentrated Load at End of

Overhang

a
x1

R2

R1

V2
V1
Shear

Mmax
Moment

7-45 B
AMERICAN FOREST & PAPER ASSOCIATION

Figure 21

Beam Overhanging One Support Concentrated Load at Any Point

Between Supports

x1

R1

R2
a

V1
V2
Shear

Mmax
Moment

Figure 22

7-46
A
Beam

Overhanging Both Supports Unequal Overhangs Uniformly

Distributed Load
w

R1

R2

V4

V2
V1

V3
X
X1
M3

Mx 1
M1

M2

7-46 B

AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL

Figure 23

Beam Fixed at Both Ends Uniformly Distributed Load

x
w
R

V
Shear

.2113

M1
Moment

Figure 24

Mmax

7-47 A

Beam Fixed at Both Ends Concentrated Load at Center

x
P
R

V
Shear

4
Mmax
Moment

Mmax

7-47 B
AMERICAN FOREST & PAPER ASSOCIATION

Figure 25

Beam Fixed at Both Ends Concentrated Load at Any Point

R1

R2

V1
Shear

V2

Ma
Moment

M1

M2

7-48 A

Figure 26

Continuous Beam Two Equal Spans Uniform Load on One Span

x
w

R1

R2

R3

V1
Shear

V2

V3

7
16
Mmax
M1

Moment

7-48 B

AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL

Figure 27

Continuous Beam Two Equal Spans Concentrated Load at Center

of One Span

2
P

R1

R2

R3

V1

V3
Shear

V2

Mmax
M1

Moment

7-49 A

Figure 28

Continuous Beam Two Equal Spans Concentrated Load at Any

Point

b
P

R1

R2

R3

V1
Shear

V2

Mmax

V3

Moment

M1

7-49 B

AMERICAN FOREST & PAPER ASSOCIATION

Figure 29

Continuous Beam Two Equal Spans Uniformly Distributed Load

wl

wl

R1

R2

R3

V1

V2
V3

V2
3l/8

3l/8

M2

M1

max
0.4215 l

0.4215 l

7-50 A

Figure 30

Continuous Beam Two Equal Spans Two Equal Concentrated Loads

Symmetrically Placed

R1

R2

R3

a
V2
V3 V2

V1

x
M2

Mx

M1
l

AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL

Figure 31

Continuous Beam Two Unequal Spans Uniformly Distributed Load

w l1

w l2

R1

R2
l

R3
l

V3

V1
V4
x1

V2

x2
Mx2

Mx1

M1

Figure 32

Continuous Beam Two Unequal Spans Concentrated Load on Each

Span Symmetrically Placed

P1

P2

R1

R2
l

a
V1

R3
l

b
V3
V4

V2

Mm

Mm

M1

AMERICAN FOREST & PAPER ASSOCIATION

American FForest
orest & P
aper Association
Paper
American W
ood Council
Wood
1111 19th S
tree
t, NW
Stree
treet,
Suit
e 800
Suite
Washingt
on, DC 20036
ashington,
Phone: 202-463-4
713
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Fax: 202-463-2
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1
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791
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o@afandpa.org
cinfo@afandpa.org
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wc.org
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.aw

A F & P A

11-07