Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology

Department of Mechatronics Engineering

Lecture on

Shear & Moment in Beams

Md. Robiul Islam
Assistant Professor
Department of Mechatronics Engineering
Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET)
Rajshahi-6204

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 Mechanics of Solids

Course Title: Mechanics of Solids

Course No: ME 3155

Reference Book

• Strength of Materials By Andrew Pytel and Ferdinand L. Singer

• Strength of Materials By William A. Nash, Ph.D.

• Strength of Materials Dr. Ahmed

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 Mechanics of Solids
Course to be lessoned/taught as chapter
1. Chapter-01: Simple Stress

2. Chapter-02: Simple Strain

3. Chapter-03: Torsion

4. Chapter-04: Shear and Moment in Beams

5. Chapter-05: Stresses in Beams

6. Chapter-06: Beam Deflections

7. Chapter-09: Combined Stresses

8. Chapter-11: Columns
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 Shear & Moment in Beams
DEFINITION OF A BEAM
A beam is a bar subject to forces or couples that lie in a plane
containing the longitudinal of the bar. According to determinacy, a
beam may be determinate or indeterminate.

The term beam refers to a slender bar that carries transverse loading;
that is, the applied forces are perpendicular to the bar. In a beam, the
internal force system consists of a shear force and a bending moment
acting on the cross section of the bar.

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 Shear & Moment in Beams
Cantilever Beams
If a beam is supported at only one end and in such a manner that the
axis of the beam cannot rotate at that point, it is called a cantilever
beam. This type of beam is illustrated in Fig. 6-1. The left end of the
bar is free to deflect but the right end is rigidly clamped.
The reaction of the supporting wall upon the beam consists of a
vertical force together with a couple acting in the plane of the applied
loads shown.

Fig: A cantilever beam

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 Shear & Moment in Beams
Simple Beams
A beam that is freely supported at both ends is called a simple beam.
The term “freely supported” implies that the end supports are capable
of exerting only forces upon the bar and are not capable of exerting
any moments.

Fig: a Fig: b
Fig: Simple beams.

The beam of Fig (a) is subjected to a concentrated force; that of Fig (b)
is loaded by a uniformly distributed load as well as a couple.

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 Shear & Moment in Beams
Overhanging Beams
A beam freely supported at two points and having one or both ends
extending beyond these supports is termed an overhanging beam.
Two examples are given in Fig.

Fig: a Fig: b
Fig: Overhanging beams

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 Shear & Moment in Beams
STATICALLY DETERMINATE BEAMS
Statically determinate beams are those beams in which the reactions
of the supports may be determined by the use of the equations of
static equilibrium. The beams shown below are examples of statically
determinate beams.

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 Shear & Moment in Beams

STATICALLY INDETERMINATE BEAMS

If the number of reactions exerted upon a beam exceeds the number
of equations in static equilibrium, the beam is said to be statically
indeterminate. In order to solve the reactions of the beam, the static
equations must be supplemented by equations based upon the elastic
deformations of the beam.
The degree of indeterminacy is taken as the difference between the
number of reactions to the number of equations in static equilibrium
that can be applied.

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 Shear & Moment in Beams
In the case of the propped beam shown, there are three reactions R1, R2,
and M and only two equations (ΣM = 0 and sum;Fv = 0) can be applied, thus
the beam is indeterminate to the first degree (3 – 2 = 1).

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 Shear & Moment in Beams
TYPES OF LOADING
Loads applied to the beam may consist of a concentrated load (load applied
at a point), uniform load, uniformly varying load, or an applied couple or
moment. These loads are shown in the following figures.

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 Shear & Moment in Beams
Internal Forces and Moments in Beams
When a beam is loaded by forces and couples, internal stresses arise in the
bar. In general, both normal and shearing stresses will occur. In order to
determine the magnitude of these stresses at any section of the beam, it is
necessary to know the resultant force and moment acting at that section.
These may be found by applying the equations of static equilibrium.

Fig: Several forces acting on a simple beam.

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 Shear & Moment in Beams
Resisting Moment
The couple M shown in Fig. at section D is called the resisting moment. The
magnitude of M may be found by use of a statics equation which states that
the sum of the moments of all forces about an axis through D and
perpendicular to the plane of the page is zero. Thus

Resisting Shear
The vertical force V shown in Fig. is called the resisting shear at section D.
For equilibrium of forces in the vertical direction

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 Shear & Moment in Beams
Bending Moment
The algebraic sum of the moments of the external forces to one side of the
section D about an axis through D is called the bending moment at D. This is
represented by

for the loading considered above. Thus the bending moment is opposite in
direction to the resisting moment but is of the same magnitude. It is usually
denoted by M also.
Shearing Force
The algebraic sum of all the vertical forces to one side, say the left
side, of section D is called the shearing force at that section. This is
represented by R1 – P1 – P2 for the above loading. The shearing force
is opposite in direction to the resisting shear but of the same
magnitude. Usually it is denoted by V. It is ordinarily used in
calculations, rather than the resisting shear. 14
 Shear & Moment in Beams
Sign conventions
For consistency, it is necessary to adopt sign conventions for applied loading,
shear forces, and bending moments. We will use the conventions shown in
Fig, which assume the following to be positive:
• External forces that are directed downward;
• external couples that are directed clockwise.
• Shear forces that tend to rotate a beam element clockwise.
• Bending moments that tend to bend a beam element concave upward.

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 Shear & Moment in Beams

Fig: Sign conventions for external loads, shear force, and bending moment.

An easier method for determining the algebraic sign of the bending moment
at any section is to say that upward external forces produce positive bending
moments, downward forces yield negative bending moments.
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 Shear & Moment in Beams
Procedure for determining shear force and bending moment
diagrams
The following is a general procedure for obtaining shear force and bending
moment diagrams of a statically determinate beam:
 Compute the support reactions from the FBD of the entire beam.
 Divide the beam into segments so that the loading within each segment is
continuous. Thus, the end-points of the segments are discontinuities of
loading, including concentrated loads and couples.
Perform the following steps for each segment of the beam:
 Introduce an imaginary cutting plane within the segment, located at a
distance x from the left end of the beam, that cuts the beam into two
parts.
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 Shear & Moment in Beams

 Draw a FBD for the part of the beam lying either to the left or to the right
of the cutting plane, whichever is more convenient. At the cut section,
show V and M acting in their positive directions.
 Determine the expressions for V and M from the equilibrium equations
obtainable from the FBD. These expressions, which are usually functions
of x, are the shear force and bending moment equations for the segment.
 Plot the expressions for V and M for the segment. It is visually desirable to
draw the V-diagram below the FBD of the entire beam, and then draw the
M-diagram below the V-diagram.

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 Shear & Moment in Beams
Write shear and moment equations for the beams in the following problems. In each
problem, let x be the distance measured from left end of the beam. Also, draw shear
and moment diagrams, specifying values at all change of loading positions and at
points of zero shear. Neglect the mass of the beam in each problem.

Beam loaded as shown in Fig. P-403.

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Shear & Moment in Beams

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 Shear & Moment in Beams

Beam loaded as shown in Fig. P-405.

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Shear & Moment in Beams

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