Description This application computes reactions, point of zero shear and maximum

bending moment for simple span beams loaded with any combination of
uniform or linearly varying distributed loads and concentrated loads, normal to
the beam axis.

The user must divide beams into segments supporting no more than a single
distributed load over its length and a concentrated load at the right end, and
enter segment lengths, and loads. The end reactions, point of zero shear,
and the maximum bending moment are computed using a single function,
and are displayed immediately below the input for each beam.

Calculations are performed using globally defined functions which may be

placed as a group anywhere within a document to be used for beam analysis,
or added as an included document.

Sample problems shown below illustrate different loading conditions and

alternate ways of entering input. The user should be familiar with subscript
notation and entering numbers as vectors.

Notation

Input
Variables a segment lengths

w uniformly distributed loads on segments

P concentrated loads at right end of segments

Computed
Variables L span length
RL beam reaction at left end
RR beam reaction at right end

1
X0 distance from the left reaction to the point of zero shear
Mmax maximum bending moment

2
Sign Downward loads and upward reactions are positive.
Convention

Function f(a,w,P), computes RL , RR, X0 and Mmax for simple span beam

Sample Simple beam with a series of concentrated and uniformly

Problem 1 distributed loads of varying magnitude and spacing:

The last P
a
T
a ( 3.5 10 13.5 ) L L 27
over the right
reaction may
T T
be omitted. w ( 2.6 1.8 0.5 ) P ( 7.8 10.3 )

RL , RR, X0 & Mmax

f ( a w P)

Sample Simple span beam with uniformly distributed load

Problem 2 and equal, evenly spaced concentrated loads:
a, w and P ( a w P ) ( 0 0 0 ) n 4 i 0 n i1 0 n 1
must be set
to 0 before
using range
a 6
i
w 0.3
i
P 7.5
i1
L
a L 30
variables. f ( a w P)

Sample Simple span beam with uniformly distributed load,

Problem 3 with input entered directly in function:
f ( 27 1.45 0 ) ( 19.575 19.575 13.5 132.131 )

Sample Simple span beam with distributed load, linearly varying from
Problem 4 zero at each reaction to it's maximum value at midspan:
15 0 3 0
a w
15
P L
3 0 0 a L 30
f ( a w P) ( 22.5 22.5 15 225 )

For beams with one or more linearly varying distributed loads the value of
distributed loads at the end of each segment are entered in the second
column of a two column matrix.

3
Sample Simple span beam with distributed load, linearly varying from
Problem 5 zero at the left reaction to it's maximum value at the right reaction:

a 30 w ( 0 3 ) P 0 L a L 30

f ( a w P) ( 15 30 17.321 173.205 )

Sample Simple beam symmetrically loaded with two concentrated loads at third points,
Problem 6 a uniformly distributed load between the concentrated loads, and linearly
increasing distributed loads between the reactions and the concentrated loads:

a
T
a ( 9 9 9 ) L L 27
T
0.1 0.3 0.3 T
w P ( 10 10 )
0.3 0.3 0.1
f ( a w P)

The values of distributed loads at the left end of each segment are in the first
row of the transformed matrix, and the values of the distributed loads at the
right end of the segments are in the second row.

4
Function for use in f(a,w,P) to compute left and right end reactions:

f1( a w P) xR
0 a a0
for i 1 last( a)
xR xR a
i i 1 i

w0 a w1 a
2 a x R a xR P xR
RL
2 3 2 3
a
0 1
w w
RR
2
a
2
a
P R L

RL RR
T

5
 Function for use in f(a,w,P) to compute
point of zero shear, and maximum positive moment:

f2( a w P) for i 0 last( a)

w
i 1
w
r if a = 0 0
i 0
i i a
i
i0
x 0
i
V f1( a w P)
i 0
M 0
i
while V 0
i

wi 0 wi 1
Vs V ai
i 2

c V 0 Vs 0 V 0 Vs 0
i i
w
wi0
2
V 2 r V
x s if c if r = 0
i

i 0 i i
i w r ai
i 0 i
x x xs
i 1 i
V
i 1
if c [ ( c = 0 ) ( i = last( a) ) ] Vs P 0 0 Vs P
i i
M 0 if ( c = 0 ) ( i = last( a) )
i 1

wi0 ri x x
2 2
w x
i 0 s s s
M V xs otherwise
i i 3 6
ii1

xi
T
M
i

6
 Function for computing reactions, point of zero shear and maximum moment:

f ( a w P) if rows( a) = 0
a a
1
P P
1
w w if cols( w) = 0
1

0 0
w w w
otherwise
0 0 0 1
n last( a)
P ( length ( P) = length ( a) ) P
n n
1
1 0
w if cols( w) = 2 w w
T
stack( f1( a w P) f2( a w P) )

Thomas Magner is the author of Mathcad's Electronic Book, Building Structural Design: Reinforced
Concrete and Structural Steel Applications.