CHAPTER 4: PURE BENDING

Lecture 1:
1. Introduction
2. Shear and moment diagrams
3. Relation of load, shear and bending moment

Lecture 2:
4. Deformations of symmetric member in pure bending
5. Stress and strain due to pure bending
6. Design beam for bending

Lecture 3:
7. Composite sections
8. Eccentric bending
9. Unsymmetrical bending

1. Introduction
- To date we have studied:
+ Axial loading (bars and cables)
+ Torsion loading (shafts)
- Todays objective:
Member subjected to bending.
- Pure bending:
+ Member subjected to equal and opposite couples
M and M acting in the same longitudinal plane.
+ In this topic: Assume that each member possesses a
symmetric plane.

Example 1:
An athlete holds the barbell.
Distances from the weights to hands are equal (a).
Pure bending occurs on
center portion of bar.
PA = PB
M = M = PA.a = PB.a

PA

C
RC
M

PB

RD
C

Center portion in pure

bending will form a
circular arc

Beam and shaft:

Important mechanical elements in engineering.
Shaft:
Beam: slender and support loadings that are applied
perpendicular to their longitudinal axis.
General beam: long, straight, constant cross-section area

Classification of beams:
Statically
Determinate
beams

Statically
Indeterminate
beams

Beam
connected
by
hinges

Simply support
beam

Overhanging
beam

Continuous
beam

Beam fixed at
one end and
simply supported
at the other end

Cantilever
beam

Fixed beam

2. Shear and bending-moment diagrams

Sign convection:

- Analysis of a simply supported beam:

Example 2: Draw shear and moment-bending diagrams

Example 3: Draw shear and moment-bending diagrams

Example 4: Draw shear and moment-bending diagrams

Example 5: Draw shear and moment-bending diagrams

3. Relation of load, shear and bending moment

A simply supported beam AB with distribution load w per
unit length.
Free body
diagram of
the portion
of beam CC

= 0

V (V + V) w x = 0

V = - w x

the shear curve is negative

VD VC = -

= - (area under load curve between C&D)

Relations between shear and bending moment

x
= 0 (M + M) M - Vx + w x 2 = 0
M = V x -

1
2

Dividing by x and letting x approach 0

dM

dx

MD MC =

=V

= area under shear curve between C & D

Example 7: Draw shear and moment-bending diagrams

1/ Draw shear and bending moment diagrams

2/ Example 4

Symmetric member in pure bending

Compression on
the top

Tension on the
bottom

x: Normal stress

xy, xz: Shear stress

The system of the elementary internal forces exerted on the

section is equivalent to the couple M.

= 0
= 0;

4. Deformations in a symmetric member in pure bending

A prismatic member processing a
symmetric plane and subjected to
couples M and M.
+ M: same in any cross section
bend uniformly
+ Top portion symmetric plane
= AB (a portion of a circle of center C).
+ AB and AB change in length.

Consider a rubber (highly deformable material) straight

prismatic member subjected to a bending moment.

3 assumptions:
- The longitudinal axis x (within the neutral surface) does not
experience any change in length.
- All cross sections of the beam remain plane and
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis during deformation.
- Any deformation of the cross section within its own plane
will be neglected.

5. Stress and Strain due to bending

- Neutral surface: x = 0; x = 0
- Neutral axis: Neutral surface
Intersects a transverse section.
Determine longitudinal strain
of JK (above neutral surface)?
Length of original JK (DE):
L =
Length of JK: L = (-y)
Elongated deformation of JK:
= L L = -y
; ;
x = =
=

(Geometry of deformation)

Transverse section

- Longitudinal normal strain x varies linearly with distance y

from the neutral surface.
x =

Transverse section

The largest distance from the neutral surface: c

Maximum absolute value: = =

Transverse Strain
Poissons ratio effect: = =
Consider transverse strain :
Above neutral axis, beam is compressed
< 0 > 0
Below neutral axis, beam is elongated
> 0 < 0

= ; =
The neutral axis of transverse section

will be bent into a circle of radius =

Stress distribution:
How stress distribution in a beam relates to the internal
resultant bending moment acting on the beams cross
section?
Assumptions:
- Stress under bending remains below yield strength y
(proportional limit and elastic limit)
- Homogeneous material
=

with =

= =

(Stress distribution over crosssectional area)

The location of neutral surface:

=

= 0

= 0

= 0

In elastic range, neutral axis pass through the centroid of the

section.
Elastic flexure formula

Iz =

= = ;

= 2 =

2 : Area moment of inertia

=

.
=

where
: The maximum normal stress in the member,
which occurs at a point on the cross-sectional area farthest
away from the neutral axis.
M: The resultant internal moment, determined from
the equations of equilibrium.
c: The perpendicular distance from the neutral axis to
a point farthest away from the neutral axis.
Iz: The moment of inertia of the cross-sectional area
about the neutral axis.

Area moment of inertia of a rectangular area:

Iz =

2 =

/2 2
()
;/2

Maximum absolute value: =

Definition: Curvature of the neutral surface

1
/

=
=
=
=

3
12

Example 1:
If the beam is subjected to a bending moment of M = 50
kN.m, determine the maximum bending stress in the beam?
Solution:

The centroid moment of inertia:

Example 2:
Bending in xz plane
determine Iz in yz plane.
A1 = A3 = 2400 mm2 A2 = 3060 mm2
Q1 = Q3 = 2400 x 50 = 120000 mm3
Q2 = 3060 x 15 = 45900 mm3
=

21 :2
=
21 :2

Iz,1 = Iz,3 =
Iz,2 =

36.37 mm

24 1003
12

102303
12

+ 2400*13.632

+ 3060*21.372

Iz = 2Iz,1 + Iz,2 = 6.519 x 106 [mm4]

Example 3: Determine centroid moment of inertia?

d1

d2

A1 = 1800 mm2; A2 = 1200 mm2

Q1 = 50 x 1800 = 90000 mm3
Q2 = 20 x 1200 = 24000 mm3
=

90000:24000
=
1800:1200

Ix,1 = I1 + A1d12
I = Ix,1 + Ix,2

38 mm

Ix,2 = I2 + A2d22

6. Design of prismatic beam for bending

The design of beam is controlled by the maximum absolute
value of bending moment.
=

For a safe design: < (elastic range)

where
Y is yield strength,

= , U is ultimate stress

1/ Determine the centroidal area moment of inertia (I,z)?

2/ Knowing that the allowable normal stress for the steel

used is 24 ksi. Determine the minimum flange width b that
can be used.

7. Composite sections
- Members material is made of homogeneous, with
modulus E:

- The member subjected to pure bending is made of 2 or

more materials with different moduli of elasticity: x =

E1
bonded

E2

8. Eccentric bending
Centric loading: Line of action of loads P and P passes
through the centroid of the cross section
P

Eccentric loading: Line of action of loads P and P does not

pass through the centroid of the cross section.

Vertical forces exerted on the press cause an eccentric loading

Member with eccentric loading: F = P and M = Pd

Internal forces in member of eccentric loading

Stress distribution in eccentric loading:

+ =

+
.
=

- The distribution of stresses across the section is linear but

not uniform.
Another example of stress distribution in eccentric loading:
Neutral axis

- The neutral axis does not coincide with the centroid axis
of the section.
At centroid axis: y = 0 but 0
Neutral axis corresponds to points = 0

Example 3: Determine max. value of P?

all = 30 Mpa (in tension), all = 120 Mpa (in compressive)

P uniform stress distribution 0 =

M= Pd linear stress distribution: 1 =

.
;

2 =

Superposition:

.
= - +
= 377P < 30

.
= - = - 1559P < -120

Example 4: P = 8 kN
Determine the stress at point A.
Solution:

9. Unsymmetrical bending
Symmetrical bending:
+ Member possesses at least one plane of symmetry
+ Member is subjected to couples acting in that plane.

+ The members remained symmetric and bend in the plane

of symmetry
+ The neutral axis of the cross section coincided with the
axis of the couple.

Un-symmetric bending:
+ Bending couples do not act in the plane of symmetry of
the member.

Bending couples act in

different plane

Member does
not possess any
plane of
symmetry

An unsymmetrical case: - Resolve M into Mz and My

Mz = Mcos;
My = Msin

= +

Example 5:
Couple M is applied to a beam of the cross section shown in
a plane forming an angle with the vertical.
Determine stress at:
(a) Point A
(b) Point B
(c) Point D

1/ Determine the stress at points A, B, D and E.