Mastering Shear Force & Bending Moment Diagrams
Your complete roadmap to mastering these essential structural analysis skills
What you'll learn
You will have a robust system of analysis that allows you to confidently tackle the analysis of any statically determinate structure.
Description
Each lecture is developed and delivered with the benefit of my experience as a university lecturer in structural engineering. The teaching style appeals to all types of learners with material developed through hand-drawn notes and sketches. Students are encouraged to engage with each lecture by actively developing their own notes during each video lecture…no ‘death by PowerPoint’ here! We’ll focus on pinning down the basics before diving into worked examples.
If you follow all lectures and attempt all of the worked examples, by the end of the course you will have an excellent grasp of this essential civil engineering skill!
Section 1: Reviewing the basics
Before we get into the detail of shear force and bending moment diagrams, first we need to do a little housekeeping. We’ll clarify a few assumptions that apply to our analyses and make sure you can determine support reactions for statically determinate structures.
Section 2: Understanding internal bending moments
In this section we start laying the foundation for your understanding of bending moments. We kick things off by considering how the bending moment relates to the state of stress within the structure – we’re trying to answer the question ‘what is the bending moment telling us about the state of stress within the structure?’.
Then we’ll see how the principle of equilibrium allows us to determine the internal bending moment at any point within the structure. This will prepare us nicely to start thinking about how the bending moment changes along the structure.
We’ll wrap this section up with some worked examples to make sure you understand everything we have discussed in the section.
Section 3: Understanding internal shear forces
Everything we’ve done for bending moments we’re going to now do for shear forces:
- relating shear stress to shear force
- cutting the structure to reveal the internal shear force
- introducing a sign convention
As always we’ll confirm you understand everything by completing some worked examples.
Section 4: Differential relationships between loading, shear force and bending moment
In this section we take our understanding to the next level. We’re going to establish the relationships (and rules) that allow us to systematically build bending moment and shear force diagrams – 100% accurately every time. By the time you complete this section, you will understand how these diagrams can be developed in a systematic way, ensuring success every time.
Section 5 & 6: Bringing it all together – Worked Examples
In these final two sections we reinforce everything you have learning so far. Remember, structural analysis, like any other skill only improves through practice. By putting everything you have learning over the previous 4 sections into action here, you’re ensuring the skills are embedded.
We will start on familiar ground in section 5 by considering beam structures. In section 6 we’ll map what you have learned onto frame structures – greatly expanding the applicability of the tools and techniques you have developed in this course!
At this point you can confidently analyse any statically determinate structure you’re likely to come across in your civil engineering studies or career. Next step…statically indeterminate structures!
Who this course is for
- Students who know they should be able to but struggle to reliably draw shear force and bending moment diagrams.
- Students who have not yet come across the concepts of shear force and bending moments and want to get a head start.
- Students outside of traditional engineering disciplines, architecture students for example, who want to better understand how structures respond to loading.
- More advanced engineering students to want to give themselves a refresher – a good idea before a technical job interview!
Course Completion Certificate
- Download your personalised Certificate of Completion once you’ve finished all course lectures.
- Applying for jobs? Use your Certificate of Completion to show prospective employers what you’ve been doing to improve your capabilities.
- Independently completing an online course is an achievement. Let people know about it by posting your Certificate of Completion on your Linkedin profile or workplace CPD portfolio.
Course preview
Lecture 1: Welcome to the course - what to expect
Lecture 13: Test Yourself - Worked Example #4
Course content
Quick Review of the Basics
Internal Bending Moments - The Basics
Internal Shear Forces - The Basics
The Relationship Between Loading, Shear Force and Bending Moment
Bringing It All Together
Beyond Beams - Statically Determinate Frames
Student Feedback
I Crawford
J MacLellan
This course completely matched my expectation. Dr. Carroll has a smooth, friendly and exact style that I like. Sometimes, the explanations can seem laborious. But, the approach taken guarantees that full understanding is achieved. Great stuff!
July 2020
A Nair
The tutor is very clear and teaches at perfect speed.
March 2020
M Tilley
R M Ramos
A Pervov
Love this course!
December 2018
D Zubarev
Very clear exposition for anyone considering going into Structural Engineering
June 2018
T Thompson
Sean’s courses are amazingly detailed and he makes a lot of effort to go out of his way to ensure all questions and confusion are addressed thoroughly. Will definitely be buying his other courses!
August 2020
M E Hossain
It refreshed my knowledge which i have learned in my bachelor. Thank you Sean.
July 2020
M Ghanta
This is an excellent course and it truly gives you a deep insight into the way a structure behaves on the application of external loads and you develop a great understanding of the Shear force and Bending moment diagrams which essentially are the tools used to analyse a structure completely. The concepts and problems taught in the course are very close to the real world examples and the instructor provides you with a lot of practical knowledge drawing on from his experience as a Structural Engineer. This course will truly make you fall in love with structures and provide you with a solid foundation to go on and become one of the best in the field of Structural Engineering.
May 2018
G Abi
I am glad that I bought this course because he explains the concepts very well. I took Statics and Mechanics of Materials but it is good to review this stuff again.
April 2018
Roadmap
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Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. Even if you watched the full course, if you’re not satisfied, contact me in the first 30 days and I will give you a full refund, no questions asked. It would be helpful if you could tell me how I can improve the course for other students.