# Struct beam with a uniform loading and point load

**URL:** <https://community.blackspectacles.com/t/struct-beam-with-a-uniform-loading-and-point-load/5533>\
**Category:** Project Planning & Design\
**Created:** [December 21, 2023, 8:18pm UTC](https://community.blackspectacles.com/t/struct-beam-with-a-uniform-loading-and-point-load/5533 "2023-12-21T20:18:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![vmoreno](https://blackspectacles.com/uploads/images/5.png) [@vmoreno](https://community.blackspectacles.com/u/vmoreno)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2023, 8:18pm UTC](https://community.blackspectacles.com/t/struct-beam-with-a-uniform-loading-and-point-load/5533/1 "2023-12-21T20:18:44Z")

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“structural engineer to design a new beam so that a load-bearing wall can be removed on a renovation project”…“Which of the following diagrams accurately depicts the shear forces that the beam will be subject to?” I selected “Correct. Simply supported beams experience shear” but the results say I failed that question.

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**Author:** ![DrD](https://blackspectacles.com/uploads/images/25.png) [@DrD](https://community.blackspectacles.com/u/DrD)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2024, 3:54am UTC](https://community.blackspectacles.com/t/struct-beam-with-a-uniform-loading-and-point-load/5533/2 "2024-01-07T03:54:20Z")

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The shear diagram for a uniform loading looks like this:  
 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/blackspectacles/original/2X/b/bee702cef57de56f710bc43c79f257f3a31b01c7.png)

The shear diagram for a point load looks like this (point load in middle):  
 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/blackspectacles/original/2X/9/911e5514b76d4f444d284ab4e62df0b84aeda614.png)

The shear diagram for uniform load and point load (point load in middle) looks like this.  
 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/blackspectacles/original/2X/9/9528117897e111a29e3dff366a37a93f34e9f3dd.png)

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**Author:** ![vmoreno](https://blackspectacles.com/uploads/images/5.png) [@vmoreno](https://community.blackspectacles.com/u/vmoreno)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 3:01pm UTC](https://community.blackspectacles.com/t/struct-beam-with-a-uniform-loading-and-point-load/5533/3 "2024-01-21T15:01:07Z")

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Interesting that twice I have selected the correct answer on 2 specific questions and the result always shows incorrect and a different selected answer. I even printed out the question to review later.

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**Author:** ![avatarlucas](https://blackspectacles.com/uploads/images/22.png) [@avatarlucas](https://community.blackspectacles.com/u/avatarlucas)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2025, 2:47am UTC](https://community.blackspectacles.com/t/struct-beam-with-a-uniform-loading-and-point-load/5533/4 "2025-11-26T02:47:05Z")

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The problem is, even on your exam Form 3 for PPD Qu. 6 you have the drawing vertically mirrored… you may want to look into that because it’s confusing for a student

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**Author:** ![kiaragalicinao](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/community.blackspectacles.com/kiaragalicinao/32/1607_2.png) [@kiaragalicinao](https://community.blackspectacles.com/u/kiaragalicinao)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2025, 9:47pm UTC](https://community.blackspectacles.com/t/struct-beam-with-a-uniform-loading-and-point-load/5533/5 "2025-12-01T21:47:46Z")

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@vmoreno @avatarlucas Our team has checked this question for answer validation and it appears to be working correctly; let us know if you encounter further issues with that.

As for structural diagrams, the positive/negative values are a matter of convention and neither is correct or incorrect. For example, shear can be shown as positive on the left (or negative); it does not matter as long as it’s shown as the opposite on the right side of the diagram.

Hope this helps!

Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB  
Product Coordinator  
**[Black Spectacles](https://www.blackspectacles.com/en-us/)**