ShearandBendingMomentDiagramsMadeEasyUsingthe.docVIP

Shear and Bending Moment Diagrams Made Easy Using the “Continuous Segment Method” Timothy Wayne Mays, Ph.D., PE Abstract This paper presents a novel approach for developing shear and bending moment diagrams for beams and frames that is different than methods typically presented in structural analysis and mechanics of materials textbooks. This nontraditional approach called the “Continuous Segment Method” utilizes an organized bookkeeping methodology that results in a simplified means for solving structural analysis problems by direct integration. Irrespective of problem complexity, free body diagrams are not needed to develop shear and bending moment diagrams using the Continuous Segment Method. A student survey has been performed and students at The Citadel strongly prefer this nontraditional method to traditional methods used in the same and other courses. More importantly, the methodology is directly compatible with advanced topics in structural analysis such as deflections using virtual work and the analysis of indeterminate structures. This paper provides a derivation of the method, a simple outline of rules and procedures, and various application examples for beams and frames. Introduction Typical structural analysis and mechanics of materials textbooks introduce shear and bending moment diagrams by first defining the differential relationship among external loading, shear, and bending moment. Using the aforementioned relationship, such textbooks illustrate common loading cases graphically so that students can develop shear and moment diagrams by recognizing the change in slope of the loading and shear diagrams, respectively. For examples, see [Hibbeler, 1], [Gere, 2], [Nelson et al., 3], and [Hibbeler, 4]. This traditional approach to shear and bending moment diagrams conflicts with advanced structural topics such a deflection by virtual work, a process that requires students to define shear and bending moment diagrams as a function of x (i.e., along