EXPERIMENT 3

BENDING MOMENT

OBJECTIVE

To show that bending moment at a cut of a beam is equal to the algebra sum of the moments
acting to the left or right of the section.

INTRODUCTION

Bending moment may be define as the sum of moment about that section of an external force
acting to one side of that section. Moments, at any point, are calculated by multiplying the
external force (loads or reactions) by the distance between the point at which moment is being
determined and the point at which the external force (loads or reactions) are being applied.

For beams spanning between two simple pin-jointed supports (i.e. no cantilevers) moment will
always be positive and, although the beams sags, moment is drawn above the axis. The
maximum bending moment occurs at the point of zero shear force.

Before shear force and bending moments can be calculated the reactions at the supports must be
determined. This usually done by first taking moments about one of the supports ( sum of the
moments about support = 0 ) to determined the reaction at the other support and secondly by
resolving vertically (sum of vertical reactions = 0) and determining the reaction at the other
support. A bending moment diagram is one which shows variation in bending moment along the
length of the beam.

APPARATUS

1- A pair of simple supports

2- Special beam with a cut section

3- A set of weight with several load hangers

PROCEDURE

1- The load cell connected to the digital indicator.

2- For stability of the reading, the indicator has been switched on 10 minutes before the
readings were taken.

3- The two simple supports were fixed to the aluminum base at a distance equal to the span
of the beam to be tested.

4- The load hanger was placed at the desire location.

5- A load was placed on each load hanger.

6- The indicator reading recorded. This represents the force at the cut section.

7- All loads removed from the load hangers and a different set of loading applied different
locations.

8- Steps 4 to 7 were repeated for another 5 sets of readings.

RESULT

Beam span = 1000mm

Distance of the cut section from the right support, L = 330mm

Distance of load cell from centre of the beam cross section = 175mm

Table 1 :

Load and Its Distance from The Left Support

Load Load Cell
Reading
W L W L W L
Case F (N)
(N) (mm) (N) (mm) (N) (mm)

Case 1 5.00 100.00 5.00 200.00 5.00 300.00 5.08

Case 2 10.00 100.00 10.00 200.00 10.00 300.00 10.69

Case 3 5.00 150.00 5.00 300.00 5.00 450.00 8.66

Case 4 15.00 150.00 10.00 300.00 5.00 450.00 13.67

Case 5 10.00 150.00 5.00 300.00 15.00 450.00 18.27

Table 2 :

Bending Moment (N.mm)

Percentage
Load Case
Error
Number Experimental
Theoretical (%)
(F 175)

1 889.00 990.00 10.20

2 1870.75 1980.00 5.50

3 1515.50 1485.00 2.01

4 2392.25 2475.00 3.30

5 3197.25 3217.50 0.66

CALCULATION

Percentage error :

[ (Theory Experimental) Theory ] 100%

Case 1 : [ (990.00 - 889.00) 990.00] 100% = 10.2%

Case 2 : [ (1980.00 - 1870.75) 1980.00] 100% = 5.52%

Case 3 : [ (1485.00 - 1515.50) 1485.00] 100% = 2.05%

Case 4 : [ (2475.00 - 2392.25) 2475.00] 100% = 3.34%

Case 5 : [ (3217.50 - 3197.25) 3217.50] 100% = 0.63%

Overall : [ (10147.50 - 9864.75) 10147.50] 100% = 2.79%

CALCULATION

Case 1 :

5(100) + 5(200) + 5(300) = Rb(1000)

Rb = 3N

Rb 330 = 990N

Case 2 :

10(100) + 10(200) + 10(300) = Rb(1000)

Rb = 6N

Rb 330 = 1980N

Case 3 :

5(150) + 5(300) + 5(450) = Rb(1000)

Rb = 4.5N

Rb 330 = 1485N

Case 4 :

15(150) + 10(300) + 5(450) = Rb(1000)

Rb = 7.5N

Rb 330 = 2475N

Case 5 :

10(150) + 5(300) + 15(450) = Rb(1000)

Rb = 9.75N

Rb 330 = 3217N
DISCUSSION

1- What actually happens when a load is applied to the beam and why does this condition
occur?

A reactive stresses will be produced inside the beam as the beam deforms. If the loads
acts downwards the material at the top of the beam is compressed while the material at
the bottom is stretched, direct compressional stress in the upper region of the beam, and
direct tensile stress in the lower region of the beam.

2- Will the reading of the load cell differ from the above if it is placed at 100 mm from the
centre of the cross section? If your answer is yes, by how much and if your answer is no,
give the reason.

Yes, by 5N.

3- Comment on the accuracy of the experiment.

In my opinion, the result obtained from this experiment has high accuracy because 3
decimal places is used.

4- State the probable factors that affect the accuracy of the experiment.

the readings were taken while the loads are still moving

the load hanger was not placed accurately for its distance from the left support

the loads have not been removed from the load hanger before another set of
loading were tested

CONCLUSION

It is shown that bending moment at a cut of a beam is equal to the algebra sum of the moments
acting to the left or right of the section.

REFERENCES

i. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bending

ii. http://web.mit.edu/course/3/3.11/www/modules/statics.pdf