Beams V M Graphical

[semi] Graphical method
1st Step) compute the reactions at the supports

2nd Step) draw the beam with all the applied forces (and reactions) according to a [relative] scale,
upward for positive [downward for negative] forces at their respective points of application; this will be
the load diagram
3rd Step) draw the shear diagram [to scale] by plotting consecutively along their line of action each of
the forces in the load diagram [from left to right] cumulatively following each's magnitude & direction;
hence, a concentrated load [force] is plotted vertically [upward for positive, downward for negative]
along its point of application; any portions of beam with no force means a “no change” in the value
[ordinate] of the plot [diagram] before it, hence its plot is a horizontal line; equilibrium dictates that the
plot of the shear diagram must return to zero [the starting ordinate]
4th Step) draw the moment diagram following the rule: "the change in the ordinate of the moment
diagram between any two points is equal to the area of the shear diagram between these two points"
the plot of which is drawn one degree higher than the degree of the curve of the shear diagram [i.e., a 1 st
degree curve shear diagram will correspond to a 2 nd degree curve moment diagram]; but take note that
this will mean that a positive portion of the shear diagram will correspond to an “increasing” [not
necessarily positive] moment diagram
Example 1: A 3-m simply-supported [simple] beam with an 18-kN concentrated load acting at the
midspan.
1st Step) RA = 9kN, RB = 9 kN
2nd Step) your beam diagram when complete with all applied forces will be the load diagram
3rd Step) draw the beam line [axis of zero shear]; draw 9kN [R A] as a vertical line at 'A', upward from zero
to 9; there is no load from 'A' to 'C', hence the diagram will remain at an ordinate of 9kN {use a
horizontal line at the 9kN ordinate to connect R A to the starting point of the plot for the 18-kN
concentrated load above 'C'}; draw the concentrated load vertically downward from the 9kN ordinate
level, because its magnitude is 18kN, its plot must end in the -9kN ordinate below 'C'; a second
horizontal line {along the -9kN ordinate level} is needed from below point 'C' to below point 'B' because
there is no load between 'C' and 'B'; draw vertically upward from the -9kN ordinate that ends below 'B'
the 9kN reaction at 'B' [this will bring back the diagram to zero value]
4th Step) draw the beam line [axis of zero moment]; the first ordinate is zero at 'A' because the moment
at the support of a simple beam is zero; then, the change in ordinate from 'A' to 'C' is equal to area of
the shear diagram between 'A' and 'C' [9 x 1.5 = 13.5] so the ordinate [2nd] above point 'C' is 13.5 {an
increase of 13.5 from zero because the shear is positive} connecting these ordinates with a straight line
diagonal [1st degree curve, a one-degree increment from the zero-degree curve load diagram]; then,
the change in ordinate from 'C' to 'B' is equal to area of the shear diagram between 'C' and 'B' [-9 x 1.5 =
-13.5] so the ordinate [3rd] at point 'C' is zero {a decrease of 13.5 from 13.5 because the shear is
negative} connecting these ordinates with a straight line diagonal [1st degree curve, a one-degree
increment from the zero-degree curve load diagram]; the completed moment diagram from 'A' to 'B'
should be triangular from zero at 'A' to 13.5 above 'C' to zero at 'B'... take note that this is an entirely
positive-area diagram the ordinates of which are increasing at the left side of the midspan {point of zero-
shear} and decreasing at the right side of the midspan.
Example 2: A 4-m simply-supported [simple] beam with a 1-kN /m uniformly distributed load throughout
the midspan.
1st Step) RA = 2kN, RB = 2 kN
2nd Step) your beam diagram when complete with all applied forces will be the load diagram
3rd Step) draw the beam line [axis of zero shear]; draw 2kN [R A] as a vertical line at 'A', upward from zero
to 2; for distributed loads, the shear diagram also follows the "change in the ordinate rule", hence the
diagram for the 1kN/m load [zero degree] will be a straight diagonal line [1st degree curve] the area of
which is equal to 4 {1kN/m x 4m = 4 kN} so the diagram will be from the ordinate 2 at 'A' to an ordinate
of -2 below 'B' {2 plus the negative 4 total area of the distributed load}; draw vertically upward from the
-2kN ordinate that ends below 'B' the 2kN reaction at 'B' [this will bring back the diagram to zero value]
4th Step) draw the beam line [axis of zero moment]; the first ordinate is zero at 'A' because the moment
at the support of a simple beam is zero; then, the change in ordinate from 'A' to 'C' is equal to
{triangular} area of the shear diagram between 'A' and 'C' [2 x 2 x 1/2 = 2] so the ordinate [2nd] above
point 'C' is 2 {an increase of 2 from zero because the shear is positive} connecting these ordinates with a
parabolic [2nd degree curve, a one-degree increment from the 1st-degree curve shear diagram]... for the
technique in drawing the parabolic segment, you may follow any of the reference books, or use my
method as follows = the shear diagram is triangular between 'A' and 'C', the ordiante is 2 {larger} at 'A'
and zero {smaller} at 'C', considering this relation {larger vs smaller}, the moment diagram at 'A' must be
{almost} vertical {short line} while the moment diagram at 'C' must be {almost} horizontal {short line},
connecting these two short lines with a smooth curve should result to the moment diagram between 'A'
and 'C';
then, the change in ordinate from 'C' to 'B' is equal to area of the shear diagram between 'C' and 'B' [-2 x
2 x 1/2 = -2] so the ordinate [3rd] at point 'C' is zero {a decrease of 2 from 2 because the shear is
negative} connecting these ordinates with a parabolic [2nd degree curve, a one-degree increment from
the 1st-degree curve shear diagram]... for my method, the shear diagram is triangular between 'C' and
'B' with an ordinate of zero {smaller} at 'C' and an ordinate of -2 {larger} at 'B' which means that the
moment diagram at 'C' must be {almost} horizontal {short line} and must be {almost} vertical {short line}
at 'B', connecting these two short lines with a smooth curve should result to the moment diagram
between 'C' and 'B'; the completed moment diagram from 'A' to 'B' should be a parabolic (convex) curve
from zero at 'A' to 2 above 'C' to zero at 'B'... take note that this is an entirely positive-area diagram the
ordinates of which are increasing at the left side of the midspan {point of zero-shear} and decreasing at
the right side of the midspan.
assignments / exercises for this topic [method] will be due on May 10:
Draw the shear and moment diagrams using graphical method for the following:
A) a 4-m simple beam with three equally spaced concentrated load of 10kN each
B) a 4-m simple beam with 2 kN/m rectangular load throught the span and 3 equally-spaced
concentrated loads of 20 kN each on the beam
C) a 4-m cantilever beam with a 30kN concentrated load 1-m from its free end ['A']
D) a 4-m cantilever beam [free end at point 'A'] with a 2kN/m rectangular load from 'A' to 1m before the
fixed support 'B'
E) a 6-m overhanging beam with a 2kN/m rectangular load acting on the entire length {'A' - 'D'} of the
beam {main span = 4m from 'A' to 'B', overhanging section = 2m, from 'B' to 'D'}
F) a 6-m symmetrical overhanging beam with a 4kN/m rectangular load acting on the entire length {'E' -
'D'} of the beam and two 20kN concentrated loads acting at each of the free ends of the beam {main
span = 4m from 'A' to 'B', overhanging sections 'E' - 'A' = 'B' - 'D' = 1m}
G) a 4-m simple beam with 10 kN/m rectangular load acting from the midspan to 'B'
H) a 5-m simple beam with 4 kN/m rectangular load starting at 1m from 'A' up to 1m before 'B'
J) a 3-m simple beam with a triangular load varying from 6kN/m at ''A' to zero at 'B'
K) a 3-m simple beam with a 20-kN concentrated load acting upward at a point 1m from 'A' and a 20-kN
concentrated load acting downward at a point 1m before 'B'.

Beams V M Graphical

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Beams V M Graphical

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[semi] Graphical method

1st Step) compute the reactions at the supports

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