Supports are used to provide suitable reactions (resisting force to beams or any body.

The following types of supports are used:

Simple support - are idealized by some to be frictionless surface supports. This is
correct in as much as the resulting reaction is always a single force that is perpendicular
to, and away from, the surface. However, are also similar to
roller supports in this. They are dissimilar in that a simple
support cannot resist lateral loads of any magnitude. The
built reality often depends upon gravity and friction to
develop a minimal amount of frictional resistance to moderate lateral loading.
http://web.mit.edu/4.441/1_lectures/1_lecture13/1_lecture13.html

Roller Support - free to rotate and translate along the surface (horizontal, vertical or
slopped at any angle) upon which the roller rests. Roller supports are commonly located
at one end of long bridges in the form of bearing pads. This
support allows bridge structure to expand and contract with
temperature changes and without this expansion the forces
can fracture the supports at the banks. This support cannot
provide resistance to lateral forces. Roller support is also used in frame cranes in heavy
industries, the support can move towards left, right and rotate by resisting vertical loads
thus a heavy load can be shifted from one place to another horizontally.
http://www.aboutcivil.org/types-of-supports.html

Hinged Support - capable of resisting forces acting in any direction of the plane. This
support does not provide any resistance to rotation. The
horizontal and vertical component of reaction can be
determined using equation of equilibrium. Hinge support may
also be used in three hinged arched bridges at the banks
supports while at the center internal hinge is introduced. It is also used in doors to
produce only rotation in a door. Hinge support reduces sensitivity to earthquake.

http://www.aboutcivil.org/types-of-supports.html

Fixed Support can resist vertical and horizontal forces as well as moment since they
restrain both rotation and translation. They are also known
as rigid support. For the stability of a structure there should
be one fixed support. A flagpole at concrete base is common
example of fixed support . http://www.aboutcivil.org/types-of-
supports.html

Types of Loads:

http://www.engineeringintro.com/mechanics-of-structures/sfd-bmd/types-of-load/

Point Load - the load which acts over a small distance. Because of concentration over
small distance this load can may be considered as acting on
a point.

Distributed Load - that acts over a considerable length or you can say over a length
which is measurable. Distributed load is measured as per unit length.
Uniformly Distributed Load (UDL) - magnitude remains uniform throughout the
length.
 Uniformly Varying Load (UVL) - magnitude varies along the loading length with a
constant rate.

Triangular Load - magnitude is zero at one end of span and increases

constantly till the 2nd end of the span.
Trapezoidal Load -acting on the span length in the form of trapezoid.
Trapezoid is generally form with the combination of uniformly distributed
load (UDL) and triangular load.
Coupled Load - two equal and opposite forces acts on the same span. The lines of action
of both the forces are parallel to each other but opposite in directions.

2. Shear Moment Equations and Diagrams

Statics and Mechanics of Materials by Ferdinand P. Beer, E. Russell Johnston,Jr., John T.
DeWolf, David F. Mazurek p.505
The determination of the maximum absolute values of the shear and of the bending
moment in a beam are greatly facilitated if V and M are plotted against the distance x
measured from one end of the beam. The knowledge of M as a function of x is essential to
the determination of the deflection of a beam.

The shear and bending-moment diagrams will be obtained by determining the values of V
and M at selected points of the beam. These values will be found
in the usual way, i.e., by passing a section through the point
where they are to be determined (Fig. 12.5a) and
considering the equilibrium of the portion of beam
located on either side of the section (Fig. 12.5b). Since
the shear forces V and V9 have opposite senses,
recording the shear at point C with an up or down arrow would be
meaningless, unless we indicated at the same time which of the free
bodies AC and CB we are considering. For this reason, the shear V will
be recorded with a sign: a plus sign if the shearing forces are
directed as shown in Fig. 12.5b, and a minus sign otherwise.

A similar convention will apply for the bending moment M. It will be

considered as positive if the bending couples are directed as shown in that
figure, and negative otherwise. Summarizing the sign conventions we have
presented, we state:
The shear V and the bending moment M at a given point of a beam
are said to be positive when the internal forces and couples acting on each portion
of the beam are directed as shown in Fig. 12.6a.
These conventions can be more easily remembered if we note that
1. The shear at any given point of a beam is positive when the external forces (loads and
reactions) acting on the beam tend to shear off the beam at that point as indicated in Fig.
12.6b.
2. The bending moment at any given point of a beam is positive when the external forces
acting on the beam tend to bend the beam at that point as indicated in Fig. 12.6c.
Sign conventions

Strength of Materials: A Unified Theory by Surya N. Patnaik, Dale A. Hopkins p. 15-24

A consistent sign convention must be followed to solve strength of materials problem. Two
sets of sign conventions have to be used. The first, is referred to as the normal (n) sign
convention. It applies to vector quantities like external load, reaction, and displacement. The
second, which is called the tensor (t) convention, applies to stress and some other response
variables.

n-Sign Convention

Consider a bar subjected to an axial load P1 . Axial load is considered positive when it is

directed along the positive x-coordinate axis. The axial load P1 is positive, whereas P2 is negative.
Transverse load is considered positive when it is directed along the y-coordinate axis. The

transverse load Q1 is positive, whereas Q2 is negative.

Bending moment is positive when its line of action is directed along the z-coordinate axis.
In vector notation, it is shown by a double-headed arrow. In the two-dimensional x-y plane, a
positive moment can also be shown by a circle with a dot, indicating the arrowhead pointing
out of the x-y plane or along the z-coordinate direction.

Right-Hand Rule

The sign convention for torque and moment follows the right-hand rule,which is defined
with an arrowhead (thumb) and a curl (fingers).The thumb of the right hand aligned along the
double arrowhead represents the direction of moment or torque. The curled fingers indicate
the rotational tendency.
t-Sign Convention

This convention is based on the product of two factors (f and n). The factors f refers to the
direction of the variable, and it is assigned unity (f = 1) when directed along the positive
coordinate axis. It is negative (f = -1) when directed along the negative axis. The second factor
is orientation of the normal to the cross-sectional area. It is assigned unity (n = 1) when the
normal is directed along the positive coordinate direction. It is negative (n = -1) when pointing
along the negative coordinate direction.

Procedures for determining shear force and bending moment diagrams

Mechanics of Materials Third Edition by Ferdinand P. Beer, E. Russell Johnston Jr., John T.
DeWolf p. 312-313

1. Determine the reactions using the equilibrium

conditions of the overall structure

2. Cut the beam at the cross section at which shear

force and bending moment are to be determined.
Draw a free-body diagram

3. Set up equilibrium equations of the F.B.D. to

determine shear force and bending moment at the
cross section

4. Draw the shear force and bending moment

diagrams

Shear Diagrams

Introduction to Engineering Mechanics A Continuum Approach by: Jenn Stroud

Rossman, Clive L. Dym pp. 206-207

Protocol

1. Sketch the free-body diagram of beam.

2. Find reactions.

3. Draw V diagram directly below load diagram.

4. By solving F z 0
on sections, find and plot V.

5. Locate points of zero shear.

Fun Facts

For any part of the beam where there are no external load, the shear diagram will be a
straight horizontal line.

The shear diagram at the point of application of a concentrated load will be a vertical line-
that is, there will be a sudden change in the shear.

Where there is a uniformly distributed line load, the shear diagram will be a straight line
with slope equal to the load intensity.
 For a simply supported beam subjected to vertical loads, the absolute values of the
positive and negative areas contained by the shear diagram are equal.

Moment Diagrams

Protocol

1. Draw M diagram directly below shear diagram.

2. Either (a) calculate shear areas between key points and then calculate moments by
adding shear areas beginning at the left end of the beam; or (b) use free-body diagrams of
sections beginning at the left end of the beam to compute moments at key points and points
of zero shear.

3. Plot moment values. Sketch shape between plotted points by referring to the shear diagram.

Fun Facts

For a simply supported, single span beam, bending moment at both ends is equal to zero.

For a cantilever beam acted on only by vertical downward loads, bending moment is zero
at the free end and maximum at the fixed end. (Shear is also maximum at the fixed end.)

Bending moment is positive for simply supported beams and negative for a cantilever
beam.

Except for cantilever beams, maximum bending moment occurs at points of zero shear, or
where V goes through zero.