LBYCVT2 – THEORY OF STRUCTURES LABORATORY

STAREX NO. 3B
Shear Force due to a Moving Concentrated Load (STR2-Expt 3B.)

Group Name: 4
Members:
Balcos, Felicity
Peig, Kevin
Quiaem, Megan
Reyes, Luis
Tamayao, Princess
Tan, Gian

I.​ ​Objectives of the Experiment

(a) ​To investigate the influence of a moving load on the shear force (both magnitude
and sign) at the “cut” of a beam by applying a constant load P at various positions of the beam
from the left end (x = 0 mm) to the right end (x = 580 mm).
(b) ​To determine the position of P that will produce the maximum positive and negative
shear force at the “cut.”
(c)​ ​To verify the theorems on influence lines for the shear force in a beam.

II.​ ​Procedure

For experiment 3B, the group weighed the mass given. The mass was then applied on
the equipment (Fig A.) from the left end (x=0mm) up to the right end (x=580mm). The force was
recorded afterwards. To have a more accurate data, the experiment was done twice in order to
get the average of the forces. In order to locate the position of the highest positive or negative
shear, the group solved for each shear on the different distances.

III.​ ​Data and Results

Table 1. Experimental Data

X (mm) P (N) Force Data 1 (N) Force Data 2 (N) Force Data Ave. Vexpt

0 2.969 -1.0 -0.9 -0.95 -0.95

20 2.969 -0.8 -0.8 -0.8 -0.8

40 2.969 -0.6 -0.7 -0.65 -0.65

60 2.969 -0.5 -0.6 -0.55 -0.55

 80 2.969 -0.4 -0.4 -0.4 -0.4

100 2.969 -0.3 -0.2 -0.25 -0.25

140 2.969 0 0 0 0

180 2.969 0.2 0.3 0.25 0.25

200 2.969 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4

220 2.969 0.5 0.6 0.55 0.55

240 2.969 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7

260 2.969 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9

280 2.969 1 1 1 1

300 2.969 1 1.1 1.05 1.05

320 2.969 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3

340 2.969 1.3 1.4 1.35 1.35

360 2.969 1.4 1.5 1.45 1.45

380 2.969 1.5 1.6 1.55 1.55

400 2.969 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6

440 No data at Cut

480 2.969 -0.6 -0.7 -0.65 -0.65

500 2.969 -0.5 -0.5 -0.5 -0.5

520 2.969 -0.4 -0.4 -0.4 -0.4

540 2.969 -0.3 -0.3 -0.3 -0.3

580 2.969 0 0 0 0

Table 2. Comparison of experimental and theoretical data

V right FBD
Vexpt V left FBD
theory Error Difference %Error Ratio
(N) theory (N)
(N)

-0.95 -0.945 -0.945 0.005 -0.580 1.006

-0.8 -0.810 -0.810 -0.010 1.185 0.988

-0.65 -0.675 -0.675 -0.025 3.655 0.963

 -0.55 -0.540 -0.540 0.010 -1.903 1.019

-0.4 -0.405 -0.405 -0.005 1.185 0.988

-0.25 -0.270 -0.270 -0.020 7.361 0.926

0 0.000 0.000

0.25 0.270 0.270 0.020 7.361 0.926

0.4 0.405 0.405 0.005 1.185 0.988

0.55 0.540 0.540 -0.010 -1.903 1.019

0.7 0.675 0.675 -0.025 -3.756 1.038

0.9 0.810 0.810 -0.090 -11.167 1.112

1 0.945 0.945 -0.055 -5.873 1.059

1.05 1.079 1.079 0.029 2.729 0.973

1.3 1.214 1.214 -0.086 -7.050 1.070

1.35 1.349 1.349 -0.001 -0.050 1.001

1.45 1.484 1.484 0.034 2.308 0.977

1.55 1.619 1.619 0.069 4.273 0.957

1.6 1.754 1.754 0.154 8.786 0.912

No data at Cut

-0.65 2.294 -0.675 -0.025 3.655 0.963

-0.5 2.429 -0.540 -0.040 -1.636 0.926

-0.4 2.564 -0.405 -0.005 -0.187 0.988

-0.3 2.699 -0.270 0.030 1.117 1.112

0 2.969 0 0 0

Average -0.002 0.465 0.996

Table 3.Comparison between the influence line of experimental and theoretical data
Vexpt V left FBD theory V right FBD theory
Vexpt / P Vtheo / P
(N) (N-) (N-)

-0.95 -0.945 -0.945 -0.32 -0.32

-0.8 -0.810 -0.810 -0.27 -0.27

 -0.65 -0.675 -0.675 -0.22 -0.23

-0.55 -0.540 -0.540 -0.19 -0.18

-0.4 -0.405 -0.405 -0.13 -0.14

-0.25 -0.270 -0.270 -0.08 -0.09

0 0 0 0 0

0.25 0.270 0.270 0.08 0.09

0.4 0.405 0.405 0.13 0.14

0.55 0.540 0.540 0.19 0.18

0.7 0.675 0.675 0.24 0.23

0.9 0.810 0.810 0.30 0.27

1 0.945 0.945 0.34 0.32

1.05 1.079 1.079 0.35 0.36

1.3 1.214 1.214 0.44 0.41

1.35 1.349 1.349 0.45 0.45

1.45 1.484 1.484 0.49 0.50

1.55 1.619 1.619 0.52 0.55

1.6 1.754 1.754 0.54 0.59

No data at cut

-0.65 2.294 -0.675 -0.22 -0.23

-0.5 2.429 -0.540 -0.17 -0.18

-0.4 2.564 -0.405 -0.113 -0.1

-0.3 2.699 -0.270 -0.10 -0.09

0 2.969 0 0 0

Graph 1. V(experimental) vs X
IV.​ ​Theory
V.​ ​Data Analysis and Conclusions

Graph 1 shows the comparison between the shear present at different locations along
the beam. Based on the graph, the maximum negative shear can be found at X = 0 mm with an
equivalent value of -0.95 N while the maximum positive shear can be found at X = 400 mm
where the value of the shear at that distance from the left of the beam is equal to 1.60 N.

Table 2 shows the data gathered from the experiment and the values calculated based
from the theory considered. Based on the table, the maximum negative theoretical shear is
equivalent to -0.945 N while the maximum positive theoretical shear is equivalent to 1.754 N.
The locations of the maximum shears for the theoretical are the same to that of the
experimental. It means that the load P should be applied at X= 0 mm and X= 400 mm in order to
get the maximum negative and positive shears, respectively. It can be observed that the
maximum positive shear in general can be found on the location closest to the cut. It means that
the for positive shear, the closer the location of the load to the cut, the greater the equivalent
positive shear present at that point. The consistency of both experimental and theoretical values
is evident due to the part that variation of the shears are consistent at different location. If the
experimental shear increases from one point to another, the calculated shear also increases.

The difference between the theoretical and experimental values are due to the error
difference and its percentage error. Based on table 2, the average error difference and
percentage error are -0.002 and 0.465%, respectively. The negative sign indicates that the
experimental shear measured is greater than to that of the theoretical values calculated. On the
other hand, table 3 shows the values of the influence lines at certain points on the beam and the
comparison between the ratio of experimental and theoretical shear to the load applied. Based
on the table, it can be seen that there is a little difference between the two ratios. It indicates
that errors has occured during the experiment. Sources of error can be from the equipments
used and from the automatic rounding off of numbers. External factors can also be considered
such as disturbance of the beam during measurement.

The multiple graphs shown above expresses the different shear stresses at different
points on the beam. The maximum negative shear strength is -.95N at X=0 mm and the
maximum positive shear strength is 1.60N at X = 400mm. The ratio between experimental and
theoretical shear could also be seen which showed the errors during the experiment which was
just -0.002 and .465% for error difference and percentage difference.