Ambo University Civil Engineering Department.

3. Shear Force and Bending Moment in Beams

3.1 Introduction

A structural member that is designed to resist forces acting laterally to its axis is called a beam. The main members
supporting floors of buildings are examples of beams. Beams are usually called flexural members.

Types of Supports and Their Representation

Supports are classified by the kind of resistance they offer to the forces.
Generally, there are three kinds of supports and they can be summarized in the figures shown below.

A B B B Mc
Rcx
Rbx or
or
● C
●
Rcy
Ray Rby Rby
Rby

(a) (b) (c)

Fig. 3.1Three basic types of idealized supports for planar structural systems.

Simple supports: (a) a pin support resists two force components and (b) a roller or link resists only one directed
force. Fixed support: (c) a fixed support resists two force components and a moment.

Loads Acting On Beams

Loads acting on beams may be of several kinds, as shown in Fig. 3.2. Concentrated loads are forces such as P 1 and
P2. Distributed loads act over a distance, as shown in Fig. 3.2. Such loads are measured by their intensity, which is
expressed in units of force per unit distance along the axis of the beam. (For example, in Newton per meter)

A uniformly distributed load has constant intensity q per unit distance. A varying distributed load has an intensity
that changes with distance along the axis; for instance, the linearly varying load of Fig. 3.2b has an intensity that
varies from q1 to q2. Another kind of load is a couple, illustrated by the couple of moment M 1 acting on the beam in
Fig. 3.2c. In beams the distance between supports is called span.
q q1 q2
P1 P2 M1
●

(a) (b) (c)

q q

(d) (e) (f)

Fig. 3.2 Types of beams and loads acting on them.

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Types of Beams

Beams are classified in to several groups, depending primarily on the kind of supports used. If the supports are at the
ends and are either pins or rollers, the beams are simply supported or simple beams as shown in Fig. 3.2a above. A
beam fixed at one end and completely free at the other end is called cantilever beam Fig. 3.2b. If the beam projects
beyond a support, the beam is said to have an overhang Fig. 3.2c. In all the above beam types (i.e. Fig. 3.2a, b and c)
the reactions at the supports can easily be determined from static equilibrium conditions and they are called
statically determinate beams.
If the ends of a beam have fixed supports then the beam becomes a fixed beam, or fixed-ended beam, Fig. 3.2d.
Fig. 3.2e shows a beam fixed at one end and simply supported at the other end and such beams are called restrained
beams or propped cantilevers.
If intermediate supports are provided for a physically continuous member acting as a beam, Fig. 3.2f, the beam is
termed a continuous beam. In all the above beam types (i.e. Fig. 3.2d, e, f) the reactions at the supports cannot be
determined using only static equilibrium conditions, and such beams are called statically indeterminate beams.

3.2 Shear Force and Bending Moment

In general, to maintain a segment of a beam, such as shown in Fig. 3.3b below, there must be an internal vertical
force V at the cut to satisfy the equation ΣF y = 0. This internal force acting at right angles to the axis of the beam is
called the shear or shear force. The second condition of static equilibrium for a planar problem is ΣM z = 0. This in
general, can be satisfied only by developing a couple or an internal resisting moment within the cross-sectional area
of the cut to counteract the moment caused by the external forces. The magnitude of the internal resisting moment
equals the external moment and it is opposite in direction. These moments tend to bend a beam in the plane of the
loads and are usually referred to as bending moments. Because shear forces and bending moments, like axial forces
in bars and twisting couples in shafts, are the resultants of stresses distributed over the cross section., they are
known collectively as stress resultants.
P y
m
A B
x n
x
L
(a) z

P
M (b)
x V

M Mb
V (c)
Rb
Fig. 3.3 stress resultants V and M.

The stress resultants in statically determinate beams can be calculated from equations of static equilibrium. As an
example consider the cantilever beam in Fig. 3.3 above.
From the free body diagram of Fig. 3.3b or c:
∑ F y =0 ⇒V =P
∑ M z =0 ⇒ M=Px
Where x is the distance from the free end to section mn.

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The shear force and bending moment are assumed to be positive when they act on the left-hand part of the beam in
the direction shown in Fig. 3.3b. If the right-hand part is considered (Fig. 3.3c) then the directions of these same
stress resultants are reversed.

Therefore, it can be recognized that the algebraic sign of stress resultants does not depend upon its direction in
space, such as upward or downward, or clockwise or counter clock wise, but rather the sign depends upon the
direction of the stress resultant with respect to the material against which it acts.

To understand the sign convention for shear force and bending moments, consider an element of the beam cut out
between two cross-sections that are small distance apart (Fig. 3.4).

V V
M M M M
+ -

V V
Fig. 3.4 Sign conventions for shear force V and bending moment M.
The deformations of an element caused by both positive and negative shear forces and bending moments are shown
in Fig. 3.5 below.
V V
+ - M M M M
-
+
V V
(a) (b)
Fig. 3.5 Deformations of an element caused by: (a) shear forces, and b) bending moments.

As can be seen on the figure above positive shear force tends to deform the element by causing the right-hand face
to move downward with respect to the left hand face, and a positive bending moment elongates the lower part of the
beam and compresses the upper part.
Because the signs for V and M are related to deformations of the material, these sign conventions are called
deformation sign conventions, like it was the case for axial forces (tension is positive, compression is negative). A
different kind of sign convention, called a static sign convention, is used in equations of static equilibrium. When
using a static sign convention, forces are taken as positive when they act in the positive direction of a coordinate
axis.
There are two types of sign convention used in mechanics: deformation sign conventions are used for stress
resultants and static sign conventions are used in equations of static equilibrium. The former are based upon how
the material is deformed, and the latter are based upon directions in space.
Generally, shear force at a section is equal numerically and is opposite in direction to the sum of all the vertical
forces, including the vertical reaction components, either to the right or left of the section. Similarly, bending
moment at a section is equal to the sum of all the moments caused by all the forces (including reactions) as well as
applied couples, either to the right or left of the section.

Relationships between load, shear force, and bending moment

When a beam is subjected to a variety of loads, the approach of cutting the beam and determining shear and moment
at a section by statics, as done before, may prove cumbersome. A convenient alternative procedure employs the
load, shear, and bending-moment relations.
Consider the free body diagram of an element dx length cut from a loaded beam (fig 3.6a). On the left hand face of
the element are shown the shear force V and bending moment M, acting in their positive directions (fig 3.6b). In
general, V and M are functions of the distance x measured along the axis of the beam.
If the increments in V and M are denoted by dV and dM, respectively, then the corresponding stress resultants on
the right hand face are V+ dV and M + dM.

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The load acting on the top surface of the element may be a distributed load, a concentrated load, or a couple. As an
example assume first that the load is distributed with intensity q. q
q
V
M M+dM
● ●
A B V+dV
x dx dx
(a) (b)
Fig.3.6 Beam and an element isolated from it
Assuming down ward load as positive, from equilibrium of forces in the vertical direction,
(V +dV )+ qdx−V =0
dV
⇒ =−q
dx (3.1)
Which states that at any section in the beam, the slope of the shear curve is equal to –q. (For example, if there is no
load on part of the beam (q=o), then dV/dx = 0 and the shear force is constant in that part of the beam .If q is a
constant over part of the beam (uniform load), then dV/dx is constant also & the shear force changes linearly in that
part of the beam.)
Integration of Eg. (4.1) between points A and B on the beam axis yields
B B

∫ dV =−∫ qdx
A A
B
V A−V B=−∫ qdx
A (3.2a)

Or
V −V =− ( area of load diagram between A and B )
A B (3.2b)
Note that eqn. (3.1) is not valid at the point of application of a concentrated load. Similarly, eqn (3.2) can not be
used when concentrated loads are applied between A and B, as the intensity of load q is undefined for a concentrated
load.
For equilibrium of the beam element in fig 3.6b, the sum of moments about the left hand face must also be zero.
Taking moments as positive when counter clockwise,

−M −qdx ( dx2 )− (V + dV ) dx+ M + dM =0

Discarding products of differentials because they are negligible compared to the other terms, the above eqn. reduces
to
dM
⇒ =V
dx (3.3)
This relationship indicates that the slope of the moment curve is equal to the shear force, V. Clearly, the maximum
value of the moment occurs at the point where V (and hence dM/dx) is zero. Integrating eqn 3.3 between A and B,
yields
B B

∫ dM =∫ Vdx
A A
B
M A −M B =∫ Vdx
A (3.4a)

Or
M A −M B =( area of shear force diagram between A and B ) (3.4b)

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Equation 3.4 can be used even when concentrated loads are acting on the beam b/n points A and B. However, it is
not valid if a couple acts between A and B. (Because a couple produces a sudden change in the bending moment
and the left hand side of eqn 4.4b cannot be integrated across such a discontinuity.)
Consider a concentrated load P acting on the beam element as shown below. (Assume that down ward concentrated
load is positive in sign.)
P
V
M M+M1

V+V1
dx
On the right hand face the stress resultants are denoted by V + V 1 and M+M1, where V1 and M1 represent the
possible increments in the shear force and bending moment.
From equilibrium of forces in the vertical direction,
V 1 =−P
This means that an abrupt change in the shear force occurs at any point where a concentrated load acts. As we pass
from left to right through the point of load application, the shear force decreases by an amount equal to the
magnitude of the downward load.

From equilibrium moments,

−M −P( dx2 )− (V +V ) dx+M +M =0

1 1

⇒ M =P ( )+Vdx+V dx
dx
1 1
2
Since the length dx of the element is infinitesimally small it can be seen from this eqn that the increment M 1 in the
bending moment is also infinitesimally small. Thus, it can be concluded that the bending moment does not change as
we pass through the point of application of a concentrated load Therefore, at the point of application of a
concentrated load P the bending moment does not change but the rate of change dM/dx (shear force) decreases
abruptly by an amount equal to P.

The last case is a load in the form of a couple Mo (fig below). A couple acting as a load on a beam is positive when it
is counterclockwise. M o
V
M M+M1

V+V1
dx
From equilibrium of the element in the vertical direction, V 1 = 0, which shows that the shear force does not change
at the point of application of a couple.
Equilibrium of moments for the element gives
−M + M o −( V +V 1 ) dx+ M + M 1 =0
Or, disregarding terms that contain differentials,
M 1=−M o
This equation shows that there is an abrupt decrease in the bending moment in the beam due to the applied couple
Mo as we move from left to right through the point of load application.

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3.3 Shear Force and Bending Moment Diagrams

The shear forces V and bending moments M in a beam are functions of the distance x measured along the
longitudinal axis. When designing a beam, it is desirable to know the values of V and M at all cross sections. A
convenient way to provide this information is to draw graphs showing how V and M vary with x. to plot such a
graph, we take the abscissa as the position of the cross-section (that is, the distance x), and we take the ordinate as
the corresponding value of either the shear force or the bending moment. These graphs are called shear-force and
bending moment diagrams. A point in the bending moment diagram where the bending moment changes sign (or
becomes zero) is called a point of inflection or a point of contra flexure.

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