4.3: Sign Convention


Axial Force

An axial force is regarded as positive if it tends to tier the member at the section under consideration. Such a force is regarded as tensile, while the member is said to be subjected to axial tension. On the other hand, an axial force is considered negative if it tends to crush the member at the section being considered. Such force is regarded as compressive, while the member is said to be in axial compression (see Figure 4.2a and Figure 4.2b).

Shear Force

A shear force that tends to move the left of the section upward or the right side of the section downward will be regarded as positive. Similarly, a shear force that has the tendency to move the left side of the section downward or the right side upward will be considered a negative shear force (see Figure 4.2c and Figure 4.2d).

Bending Moment

A bending moment is considered positive if it tends to cause concavity upward (sagging). If the bending moment tends to cause concavity downward (hogging), it will be considered a negative bending moment (see Figure 4.2e and Figure 4.2f).

$$Fig. 4.2$$. Sign conventions for axial force, shearing force, and bending moment.

This page titled 4.3: Sign Convention is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by René Alderliesten (TU Delft Open) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.