Department of Civil Engineering

CIVL2201 Structural Mechanics

Problem Set 3 – Internal Actions - Solutions

When answering exam/assignment/tutorial questions, students should note that suitable working, diagrams and explanations are
required for each question; marks may be deducted for work that is not satisfactorily set out; and that units are important.

Part A – Basic Questions

1) Draw the BMD, SFD, and AFD for the following cases. Indicate the value and location of the
maximum bending moment/shear force/axial force in each case.

(a) P L/2 (b) a P (c) P a

L L L

+P/2 +Pa/L
+P(1-a/L)
-P/2 -Pa/L -P(1-a/L)
SFD SFD SFD

+Pa(1-a/L) +Pa(1-a/L)
+PL/4
BMD BMD BMD

0 0 0
AFD AFD AFD

(d) P P a (e) a (f) P L/2

a M0
w
L
L
L
+P +P/2+wL/2
- M0/L
-P +P/2
SFD
SFD

M0-M0a/L -P/2
+Pa SFD -P/2-wL/2
-M0a/L
BMD “pointy”
BMD
+PL/4+wL2/8
0
0 BMD
AFD
AFD
0
AFD
(g) P (h) w (i) a P

L L
L
+P +P
+wL
SFD SFD
SFD
-PL -Pa
-wL2/2
BMD BMD
BMD
0 0
0
AFD AFD
AFD

(j) a (k) w (l) P P

M0

L a
a L a a L
0 +wL/2 +wa
SFD
+P
-wa SFD -wL/2 -P
- M0 wL /8-wa2/2
2
SFD
BMD
0 -wa2/2 -Pa
AFD BMD
BMD
Note that the midspan moment maybe
positive or negative depending on the
relative magnitudes of a and L.
For what values of a is the midpsan moment 0
a) Positive
b) Negative AFD
c) Zero?

0
AFD
(m) w (n) w (o) w w
(per horizontal length)

θ
a L a
θ
L
L +wa
+wL -wa
SFD SFD
2
+wL cos θ
/
SFD
-wL2/2 -wa2/2 -wa2/2
BMD
BMD
-(wL2/2)cos2θ
0 0
BMD
AFD AFD

-wL cosθ sinθ

AFD

Part B – Intermediate Questions

2) Draw the BMD, SFD, and AFD for the following cases. Indicate the value and location of the
maximum bending moment/shear force/axial force in each case.

(a) w (b) P P P (c) w

L L/3 L
+wL/2
+wL/6
-wL/3 +3P SFD
+2P
+P -wL2/6
SFD
2 BMD
+ wL 3 / 27 SFD
0
-PL/3 AFD
BMD -2PL -PL
BMD
0
0
AFD
AFD
3
M = wLz/6 –wz /6L, max @ z = L√3
(d) 2w1 (e) 3w1 (f) w
w1 w1

L
L L +wL/2
-wL/2
+2wL
+2wL/3 -5wL/6 SFD
SFD

SFD -7wL2/6
2 +wL2/12
+ wL 3 / 27 BMD
0 BMD
AFD 0
BMD
AFD
M = -7 wL2/6 -wz2/2-wz3/3L-2wL
0
AFD

M = 2wLz/3 –wz2/2-wz3/6L,

max @ z = ((√21)/3-1)L = 0.5275L

w
(g) (h) P (i) P

L L
L/2 θ
L L/2 L/2
L
+P/2
+wL/2
-P/2

SFD
SFD
-wLcos θ/2 SFD =0

wL2/8
wL2/8

BMD
BMD
BMD =0

-P -P/2

AFD AFD
AFD

-wLsin θ/2
(j) (k) 10 kN (l) 20 kNm
2 kN/m
30 kNm
10 kN 2.5 kN/m
2m 4m 2m

1.5 m 1.5 m 1.5 m 1.5 m

4m 4m 8m
6m
+12.5 kN
4 kN
+2.5 kN +12.5 kN 0 kN

-2 kN
-17.5 kN
-10 kN
SFD -10 kN 0 kN
SFD
+50 kNm +60 kNm
SFD
20 kNm
+15 kNm

BMD +61.25 kNm -4 kNm

-15 kNm
BMD
0 BMD 0
AFD
0 AFD
AFD

(m) 30 kN (n) 10 kN/m (o) w

(per horizontal length)
10 kN/m
(per vertical length)
2m 2m

H
4 3
3 4

L
3m 4m
2m 4m 2m +wL/2
+1.71 kN
-wL/2
32.86 kN
5.33 kN 6.67 kN
2.86 kN
+30.29
26.67 kN 0 0
26.67 kN

SFD SFD SFD

71.42 kNm 65.71 kNm
20.0 kN
wL2/8
33.3 kNm
35.4 kNm

BMD
BMD BMD
0
20.0 kNm

+2.28 kN 0 kN 4.0 kN

-wL/2 -wL/2
+26.28 kN

AFD
AFD AFD
-20.0 kN
(p) w (q) m (r) w

L/2 L
H
L

L -m -wL
SFD SFD
+wL/2
-wL/2
+wL2/2
0
wL2/8H wL2/8H BMD
BMD 0
SFD
AFD
0
AFD
wL2/8
m is a uniformly distributed
BMD moment (eg 10 kNm/m)
0

-wL2/8H

-wL/2 -wL/2

AFD
3) An American builder has a large supply of round timber rod, 2 inches in diameter. The timber has a
density of 650 kg/m3. The builder wants use a long piece of timber as a beam but must ensure that the
maximum moment due to the self-weight of the beam does not exceed 75 Nm.
a) What is the maximum length simply supported beam the builder could produce?
b) What is the maximum length cantilever beam the builder could produce?

Solution

The timber rod is circular cross-section, with diameter 2” = 50.8 mm. Hence its cross-sectional area is
πD2/4 = 2026 mm2, and its selfweight is w = Aρg = 2026 mm2 × 650 kg/m3 × 9.81 m2/s = 12.919 N/m. Th
length is yet unknown.

Distributed load, w

L φ = 2” = 50.8 mm
Beam cross section

wL2/8
+

BMD
CASE 1 – Simply Supported Beam

-wL2/2

CASE 2 – Cantilever

For each case, the maximum moment should not exceed 75 Nm.

For case 1 (simply supported beam)

Mmax = wL2/8 = 75 Nm → L2 = 8Mmax/w = 8×75 Nm/12.919 Nm-1 = 46.44 m2, and hence Lmax = 6.815 m.

Using a similar procedure for part 2 for the cantilever, the maximum moment is wL2/2, and Lmax = 3.407 m.
4) Consider the simply supported beam shown. a P
a) What is the value of a which produces the maximum bending moment
in the beam? What is the value of this moment?
b) What is the value of a which produces the minimum maximum shear
L
force in the beam? (Think what this is asking). Denote this Vmin.
c) For an arbitrary value of a, what magnitude of point load (W) is required to produce the same value of
maximum bending moment that was calculated in part (a) (W should be a function of P)? Plot the
ratio W/P (y axis) against a for 0 < a < L.
d) For the values of a and W considered in (c) above, what is the maximum shear force in the beam?
Denote this value Vmax. Plot the ratio Vmax/Vmin (y axis) against a for 0 < a < L.

Solution

Firstly, draw the BMD and SFD.

a P
(a)
Mmax = Pa(1-a/L) = Pa – Pa2/L
To find the value of a that maximises the moment, differentiate wrt a, set to
L
zero and solve for a.
dMmax/da = P – 2Pa/L = 0 → a = L/2.
+P(1-a/L) When a = L/2, Mmax = PL/4.
-Pa/L Hence placing a point load at the midpoint of a beam maximises the moment
SFD in that beam.
+Pa(1-a/L) (b)
From the SFD it can be seen that for a given a the minimum shear force is
BMD P(1-a/L) (note it is the magnitude of the shear force, not its sign that is
relevant). This is a function of a and the problem is to find the value of a that
minimises this value. However, note that this is a linear function of a and hance there are no minimum of
maximum values (in a mathematical sense – since a linear function varies from +∞ to -∞). But it is clear
that 0 < a < L/2, so the maximum or minimum occur at the extremes of the range of a values. (Use a
symmetry argument to ignore L/2 < a < L). Hence the minimum occurs at a = L/2 and Vmin = P/2.

(c)
For an arbitrary location a of point load, W, the maximum moment is Wa(1-a/L). If this equates to the
maximum determined in part (a) then Wa(1-a/L) = PL/4, and hence W = PL/{4a(1-a/L)}

(d)
For an arbitrary location a of point load, W, the maximum moment is Wa(1-a/L). If this equates to the
maximum determined in part (a) then Wa(1-a/L) = PL/4, and hence W = PL/{4a(1-a/L)}

It is left as an exercise to plot the graphs.

5) A sign-pole is 10 m tall and supports a sign that is 3 m wide and 2 m high. The top of the sign is at
the same level as the top of the pole. The sign is connected to the post in 2 places, one is 200 mm
from the top of the sign, and the other is 200 mm from the bottom of the sign. It can be assumed that
each connection transfers the same amount of load from the sign to the post. The support (base) of the
pole is completely fixed, preventing deflection in every direction, and rotation about any axis. Wind
imparts a uniform pressure of 1 kPa perpendicular to sign. Draw the free body diagram clearly
showing all the reactions at the base of the pole; calculate all the reactions; and draw the twisting
moment diagram and bending moment diagram for the pole.

Solution

See Assignment 1 – the question is similar.

Part C – Advanced Questions

6) Draw the BMD, SFD, and AFD for the following cases. Indicate the value and location of the
maximum bending moment/shear force/axial force in each case.

(a) w P (b) Parabolic distributed load, maximum intensity w

at the midpoint

w
L L/2 L/2

L
wL/2

-wL/2
+wL/3
SFD -wL/2-P
-wL/3

SFD
wL2/8

5wL2/48

-wL2/4

BMD -wL2/4-PL/2

AFD = 0 BMD

AFD = 0
2 3 2
Note the bending moment is zero at the pin, and the BMD continues at the V = -2wz /L + 4wz /3L + wL/3
same slope to the right of the pin as it had just to the left of the pin. M = -2wz3/3L + wz4/3L2 + wLz/3
7) The simply supported beam has n equal point loads, equally spaced along
the length of the member. The total load is equal to P. Derive a general
expression for the maximum bending moment in the beam in terms of n, P,
L and L. Plot the variation of Mmax against n. Is there a limiting value as
n→∞? If so what is it and is there anything significant about it?

Solution

Clearly the maximum occurs at midspan, so the structure should be cut at midspan, to release the
internal bending moment. Equilibrium will then give the value of this moment. If there are n point
loads, then each point load has magnitude P/n, and there is a distance L/(n+1) between each point.

Firstly consider the case where n is odd. In this case there is a point load at the centre (which will not
affect moments taken about the midpoint, and the number of point loads on the beam (not including the
central point load) between the centre and the support will be (n-1)/2.

The FBD of the cut structure is thus:

P/n P/n P/n P/n

M M = P
⋅ L2 − Pn ⋅ nL+1 − Pn ⋅ n2+L1 − Pn ⋅ n3+L1 − ........ − Pn ⋅ n2−1 n2+L1
V 2

= PL
4
− n (PL
n +1)
⋅ (1 + 2 + 3 + ... + n2−1 )
L/(n+1) N = PL
4
− n (PL ⋅ 1 ⋅ n2−1 ⋅ (1 + n2−1 ) (sum of an arithmetic series)
n +1) 2

L/2 = PL
4
− n (PL
n +1)
⋅ n4−1 ⋅ n2+1
M = PL n +1
4 2n

A slightly different formulation will apply for the case of even values of n.
As n →∞, then (n+1)/2n→1/2, and hence M → PL/8. But when n →∞, the point loads become
equivalent to a uniformly load, w, where the total load P = wL, and hence M = wL2/8, which is what
would be expected! In the graph below it can be seen how the answer asymptotes towards PL/8 as n
increases.

It is left as an exercise to derive the slightly different expression for the case of even values of n, and to
plot the relationship between n and M for the even cases.

M
PL /4

PL /8

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
n
8) Rigid support The square hook-shaped structure is made up of
four components, each of length L. The structure
lies in a horizontal plane and each segment is
perpendicular to the adjacent segment. There is a
vertical load P at the end of the structure. The
P support is completely fixed, preventing deflection
in every direction, and rotation about any axis.

Draw the bending moment, twisting moment, and

shear force diagrams for the structure.

P Solution

This is very very tricky to visualise, particularly the

P fact that the beam is sagging in the second part,
while it is hogging everywhere else. This is due to
SFD
equilibrium – when the beam turns a corner, the
bending moment converts to a twisting moment,
P P and vice versa.

Visualising moments in 3D will give the correct

BMD & TMD.

2PL
PL
BMD
+PL

-PL

PL

PL
TMD

0 PL

Tim Wilkinson
Tim Wilkinson
Lecturer in Civil Engineering
March 2002