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Some Theory: Conventions

The document discusses conventions for defining the signs of internal forces in beams: 1) An axial (normal) force N is positive if it creates tension, negative if it creates compression. 2) A shear force Q is positive if it causes clockwise rotation, negative for counterclockwise rotation. 3) A bending moment Mf is positive if it causes concave upward bending, negative for concave downward bending.

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24 views1 page

Some Theory: Conventions

The document discusses conventions for defining the signs of internal forces in beams: 1) An axial (normal) force N is positive if it creates tension, negative if it creates compression. 2) A shear force Q is positive if it causes clockwise rotation, negative for counterclockwise rotation. 3) A bending moment Mf is positive if it causes concave upward bending, negative for concave downward bending.

Uploaded by

Zdenko
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SOME THEORY

Conventions:

Engineers generally use a sign convention to report the three internal loadings, axial
force (N), share force (Q) and bending moment (M f). Although this sign convention can be
arbitrarily assigned. The one that is widely accepted will be used here.

The axial (normal) force N is said to be positive if it creates tension in beam.

A positive shear force Q will cause the beam segment on which it acts to rotate
clockwise.

A positive bending moment Mf will tend to bend the segment on which it acts in
concave upward manner.

Loading that are opposite to this are considered negative.

There are some other conventions like:

The axial (normal) force N is said to be positive if it creates tension (to extend it) in
beam, and negative if it create pressure (to compress it).

The shear force Q is said to be positive if it will cause the beam segment on which it
acts, if rotated for 900 counterclockwise, to create tension (to extend it) in beam, and opposite.

The bending moment Mf is said to be positive if it tend to bend the segment in way
that in bottom part of beam creates tension while in upper part of beam create compression.
Some authors will say: "The Mf is positive if it bend the beam in way that it "keeps water" in.

When a problem is given only in (by) words only and not by sketch, or on sketch with
generally displaced external loads with each of given magnitude is in appropriate table, then it
is ussual to understand that a positive sign in front of:

Horizontal force (Fx) that it is directed in rightside direction.

For vertical force (Fy or q) that it is directed in upward direction.

For bending moment (M) or bending couple (M=F x d) that it's rotation is directed
counterclockwise.

It is good to know that if share forces are positive bending moments will have
increasing (positive) slope, and if share forces are negative bending moments will have
decreasing (negative) slope.

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