Shear and moment diagrams to help you learn more about shear force and bending moment. Shear and bending moment diagrams are analytical tools used in conjunction with structural analysis to help perform structural design by determining the value of shear force and bending moment at a given point of a structural element such as a beam. Study further using these example diagrams below.
These shear and moment diagrams can be used to easily determine the type, size, and material of a member in a structure so that a given set of loads can be supported without structural failure. Another application of shear and moment diagrams is that the deflection of a beam can be easily determined using either the moment area method or the conjugate beam method. More example diagrams are listed below.
A shearing force occurs when a perpendicular force is applied to static material (in this case a beam). Think of a knife cutting through a carrot. Imagine the beam is the carrot and a point load is the knife. As the knife applies a downward force, it cuts (or shears) the carrot. These forces occur along numerous points of a beam, and it is important to determine where these shears are at the greatest points as this may be where a beam fails.
All these pictures presented are printable shear and moment diagram resources. Learn more about the other educational diagrams by browsing through our categories or looking it up on the search column!