Chapter Three

Stresses in beams
 Flexural (bending)stress is the normal stress that is induced to a
point in a body subjected to loads that cause it to bend
 Shearing stress is stress that will occur due to the application of
force in parallel to the plane of the area
 Beams are long straight members that are subjected to loads
perpendicular to their longitudinal axis.
 The bending moment causes the material within the top portion of the
bar to stretch and the material within the bottom portion to compress.
 Consequently, between these two regions there must be a surface,
called the neutral surface, in which longitudinal fibers of the material
will not undergo a change in length.
 the fibers of the beam near its top surface are shortened and the
fibers near the bottom surface are stretched /elongated
 Cross section of a straight beam remains plane when the beam
deforms due to bending.
 As summary,
 material above the centroid axis will be in compression with the
maximum compressive stress occurring at the top surface.
 Material below the centroid axis will be in tension with the
maximum tensile stress occurring at the bottom surface.
 Along the centroid axis itself, there is zero strain and stress due to
bending called as the neutral axis (N.A)
 𝑴𝒚
𝝈=− … … … … … flexure formula
𝑰
Note that the negative sign is necessary since it agrees with the
established x, y, z axes. By the right hand rule, M is positive along the
+z axis, y is positive upward, and σ therefore must be negative
(compressive) since it acts in the negative x direction.
• Determine the maximum bending moment on the beam
• Locate the centroid of the cross – section of the beam
• Compute the moment of inertia of the cross – section with
respect to its centroidal axis
• Compute the distance (y) from the centroidal axis to the top or
bottom of the beam
• Compute the bending stress from flexure formula
 As mention earlier, a beam will deforms under the influence of a
bending moment.
 The segment assumes the characteristic ‘bent’ shape as the upper
fiber are shortened and lower fiber are elongated.
 The neutral axis remain zero bending stress – coincident with the
centroidal axis of the x-x of the beam.
 To present the bending stress distribution diagram, we can express it
by determination of bending stress at specific point located as below
 In general, stress distribution diagram would vary linear with
distance from the neutral axis (N.A)
A beam of I-section shown in below figure is simply supported over a
span of 10 m. It carries a uniform load of 4 kN/m over the entire span.
A. Evaluate the maximum bending stresses.
B. Sketch the bending stress distribution over the cross section
 Determine the maximum bending moment on the beam

 Locate the centroid of the cross – section of the beam

Neutral axis passes through the centroid of I-section.
The distance of top and bottom fibre from the neutral axis, y = 330
mm
 Compute the moment of inertia of the cross – section with respect to
its centroidal axis
 Compute the bending stress from flexure formula
A)

B) bending stress distribution

The simply supported beam in below figure has a rectangular cross
section 120 mm wide and 200 mm high.
(a) Compute the maximum bending stress in the beam.
(b) Sketch the bending stress distribution over the cross section on
which the maximum bending stress occurs.
(c) Compute the bending stress at a point on section B that is 25 mm
below the top of the beam
 Determine the maximum bending moment on the beam
𝑀@ A=0 ,-6kn/m*3m*1.5m-15kn*2+3m*EY=0
EY=19kN
𝐹𝑌 = 0, 𝐴𝑌 = 14𝐾𝑁

Take a section for region 0 < x < 2

Mx = −3𝑥 2 +14
M =16 KN.m
  the distance between the neutral axis and the top (or bottom) of the
cross section is c = 100 mm = 0.1 m.

 The moment of inertia of the cross section about the neutral axis is

a)
 b)

c) we see that the bending moment at section B is M = + 9.28 kN·m.

The y-coordinate of the point that lies 25 mm below the top of the
beam is y = 100 -25 = 75 mm = 0.075 m.

 The negative sign indicates that this bending stress is compressive,

which is expected because the bending moment is positive and the
point of interest lie above the neutral axis.
 The other stress is shear stress which is equally important in beam
analysis.
 In this present chapter, we will develop a method for finding the
shear stress in a beam having a prismatic cross – section and made
from homogenous material.

 The shear stress in beam will be calculate using shear formula

For rectangular cross section
• We begin by identifying an element of area dA in the cross section
at distance y from the neutral axis.
 • The force acting on this element is σdA,

• In a similar manner, we find that the total forces F2 acting on the

right hand face

• After knowing the forces F1 and F2 , we can now determine the

horizontal force F3 acting on the bottom face of the sub element.
• Since the sub element is in equilibrium, we can sum forces in the x
direction
 • If the shear stresses are uniformly distributed across the width b of
the beam, the force F3 is also equal to the following:

• Combining the above two equations and solving for the shear stress , we get

• The quantity dM/dx is equal to the shear force V, and therefore the
preceding expression becomes
= first moment of area, This first moment is usually denoted
by the symbol Q

This equation, known as the shear formula,

Where,
= the shear stress in the member
V = internal resultant shear force
I = moment of inertia of the entire cross-sectional area
b = width of the member’s cross-sectional area
• Determine the maximum shear force on the beam
• Locate the neutral axis and compute the moment of inertia I of the
cross- sectional area about the neutral axis
• Compute the first moment Q of the cross- sectional area that lies
above (or below)the specified point.
 Calculate the shear stress
 In the previous slides we showed how to determine the stress in a
member subjected to either an internal axial force, a shear force, a
bending moment, or a torsional moment.
 Most often, however, the cross section of a member will be
subjected to several of these loadings simultaneously, and when this
occurs, then the method of superposition should be used to
determine the resultant stress.
 Normal Force. • The normal force is related to a uniform normal-
stress distribution determined from

 Shear Force. • The shear force is related to a shear-stress

distribution determined from the shear formula,

 Bending Moment. • This stress distribution is determined from the

flexure formula,
𝑀𝑐
 𝜎𝑚𝑎𝑥 =
𝐼
 Torsional Moment. For circular shafts and tubes the torsional
moment is related to a shear-stress distribution that varies linearly
from zero at the center of the shaft to a maximum at the shaft’s outer
boundary. This stress distribution is determined from the torsion
formula,.

 Superposition.
 • Once the normal and shear stress components for each loading
have been calculated, use the principle of superposition and
determine the resultant normal and shear stress components.
Determine the maximum shear force V that the strut can support if the
allowable shear stress for the material is τallow = 40 Mpa.
 Locate the neutral axis and compute the moment of inertia I of the
cross- sectional area about the neutral axis

 Compute the first moment Q of the cross- sectional area

that lies above (or below)the specified point.
 Apply the shear stress formula
If the beam is subjected to a shear of V= 15 kN, determine the web’s
shear stress at A and B.
 Determine the maximum shear force on the beam
Given
 Locate the neutral axis

 compute the moment of inertia I of the cross- sectional area

about the neutral axis
 Compute the first moment Q of the cross- sectional area that
lies above (or below)the specified point.

 Calculate the shear stress