SHEAR FORCE

INFLUENCE LINES

1.0

OBJECTIVE
1.1

Part 1 : To plot shear force influence line.

1.2

Part 2 : To verify the use of a shear force influence on a simply supported

beam

2.0

LEARNING OUTCOMES
2.1

Able to apply the engineering knowledge in practical application

2.2

Able to enhance technical competency in structural engineering through

laboratory application.

2.3

Able to communication effectively in group.

2.4

Able to identify problem, solving and finding out appropriate solution

through laboratory application.

3.0 INTRODUCTION
Moving loads on beam are common features of design. Many road bridges
are constructed from beam, and as such have to be design to carry a knife edge
load, or a string of wheel loads, or a uniformly distributed load or perhaps the
worst combination of all three. The method of solving the problem is to use
influence line.

SHEAR FORCE

INFLUENCE LINES

4.0

THEORY
Definition: Shear influence line is defined as a line representing the
changes in shear force at a section of a beam when a unit load moves on the beam.
Part 1 : This experiment examines how shear force varies at a cut section as a
unit load moves from one end to another (Figure 1). From the diagram, shear
force influence line equation can be written.
For 0 x a a shear line is given by:
Sy = -x / L..(1)
For a x b shear line is given by :
Sy = -x / L..(2)

INFLUENCE LINES

SHEAR FORCE

Part 2 : If the beam are loaded as shown in Figure 2, the shear force at the cut
can be calculated using the influence line. (Diagram 2).
Shear force at cut section = F1Y1 + F 2Y2 + F3Y3 .(3)
(Y1 ,Y2 and Y3 are ordinates derived from the influence line in terms of x1, x2 , x3,
a, b and L

INFLUENCE LINES

SHEAR FORCE

SHEAR FORCE

INFLUENCE LINES

5.0

APPARATUS

6.0

PROCEDURES
5.1

Part 1
1.

Check the Digital Force Meter reads zero with no load.

2.

Place hanger with a 300g mass at the first grooved hanger support
at the left support and record the Digital Force reading in Table 1.

3.

Repeat the procedure to next grooved hanger until to the last

grooved hanger at the right hand support.

4.
5.1

Complete the calculation in Table 1.

Part 2
1.

Place three load hangers with 100g, 200g and 300g mass
respectively at any position between the supports. Record the
position and the Digital Force Display reading in Table 2.

2.

Repeat the procedure with three other locations.

3.

Complete the calculation in Table 2.

SHEAR FORCE

INFLUENCE LINES

7.0

RESULT
6.1

Part 1
6.1.1

Shear force at cut section is the same value given by Digital force
reading. Add negative sign to the value.

6.1.2

Shear Force (N)

Load(N)
Experimental Influence line values =

6.1.3

Calculate the theoretical value using equation 1 for load position

40 to 260 mm and equation 2 for load position 320mm to 280mm.

Location of
load from left
hand support
(m)
0.04

Digital Force
Display
Reading (N)

Shear Force at
cut section (N)

Experimental
Influence line
value

Theoretical
Influence line
value

0.1

-0.1

-0.1

-0.09

0.06

0.2

-0.2

-0.2

-0.14

0.08

0.3

-0.3

-0.3

-0.18

0.10

0.4

-0.4

-0.4

-0.23

0.12

0.5

-0.5

-0.5

-0.27

0.14

0.6

-0.6

-0.6

-0.32

0.16
0.18
0.20
0.22
0.24
0.26
0.34
0.36
0.38

0.7
0.8
0.9
1.0
1.1
1.1
-0.5
-0.4
-0.3

-0.7
-0.8
-0.9
-1.0
-1.1
-1.1
0.5
0.4
0.3

-0.7
-0.8
-0.9
-1.0
-1.1
-1.1
0.5
0.4
0.3

-0.36
-0.41
-0.45
-0.50
-0.55
-0.59
0.23
0.18
0.14

0.40

-0.2

0.2

0.2

0.09

Table 1

SHEAR FORCE

INFLUENCE LINES

Table 2
6.2

Part 2
6.2.1

Location

Theoretical Shear Force is calculated using Equation 3.

Position of hanger from left hand

support (m)
100g
200g
300g
0.36
0.10
0.18

Shear force
Digital
Reading (N)

Theoretical
Shear (Nm)

1.4

-1.51

0.12

0.22

0.40

1.0

-1.00

0.36

0.20

0.08

1.3

-1.29

0.04

0.38

0.14

0.8

-0.77

SHEAR FORCE

INFLUENCE LINES

8.0

DATA ANALYSIS

PART 1
For location 0.08m of load from left hand support,
Digital Force Reading = 0.3
Load (N)

=1N

Shear Force at cut section

= - (Digital force reading)

= - 0.3

Experimental Influence line values

Shear Force (N)

Load (N)

= - 0.3/1
= - 0.3
By using equation of Sy = -x/L
L = 0.44m
Theoretical influence line value (N) = - 0.08/0.44
= - 0.19
For location 0.20m of load from left hand support,
Digital Force Reading = 0.9
Load (N)

=1N

Shear Force at cut section

= - (Digital force reading)

= - 0.9

SHEAR FORCE

INFLUENCE LINES

Experimental Influence line values

Shear Force (N)

Load (N)

= - 0.9/1
= - 0.9
By using equation of Sy = -x/L
L = 0.44m
Theoretical influence line value (N) = - 0.20/0.44
= - 0.45
PART 2
Calculation for theoretical shear (Nm)
Location 1
Position at hanger from left hand support (m)
100g (1N) 0.36m

y1 = 0.18

200g (2N) 0.10m

y2 = - 0.23

300g (3N) 0.18m

y3 = - 0.41

Shear Force at cut section

= F1Y1 + F 2Y2 + F3Y3
= 1(0.18) + 2(- 0.23) + 3( - 0.41)
= - 1.51 Nm
Location 2
Position at hanger from left hand support (m)
100g (1N) 0.12m

y1 = 0.27

200g (2N) 0.22m

y2 = - 0.50

300g (3N) 0.40m

y3 = 0.09

SHEAR FORCE

INFLUENCE LINES

Shear Force at cut section

= F1Y1 + F 2Y2 + F3Y3
= 1(0.27) + 2(-0.50) + 3(0.09)
= - 1 Nm
Location 3
Position at hanger from left hand support (m)
100g (1N) 0.36m

y1 = 0.18

200g (2N) 0.20m

y2 = - 0.45

300g (3N) 0.08m

y3 = - 0.18

Shear Force at cut section

= F1Y1 + F 2Y2 + F3Y3
= 1(0.18) + 2(-0.45) + 3(-0.18)
= - 1.29 Nm
Location 4
Position at hanger from left hand support (m)
100g (1N) 0.04m

y1 = -0.09

200g (2N) 0.38m

y2 = 0.14

300g (3N) 0.14m

y3 = -0.32

Shear Force at cut section

= F1Y1 + F 2Y2 + F3Y3
= 1(0.09) + 2(0.14) + 3(-0.32)
= - 0.77 Nm

INFLUENCE LINES

9.0

DISCUSSION

10.0

CONCLUSION

11.0

REFERENCES

SHEAR FORCE