ARCH 331 Note Set 10.

1 F2013abn

Beam Bending Stresses and Shear Stress

Notation:
A = name for area n = number of connectors across a joint
Aweb = area of the web of a wide flange n.a. = shorthand for neutral axis (N.A.)
section O = name for reference origin
b = width of a rectangle p = pitch of connector spacing
= total width of material at a P = name for a force vector
horizontal section q = shear per length (shear flow)
c = largest distance from the neutral Q = first moment area about a neutral
axis to the top or bottom edge of a axis
beam Qconnected = first moment area about a neutral
d = calculus symbol for differentiation axis for the connected part
= depth of a wide flange section R = radius of curvature of a deformed
dy = difference in the y direction beam
between an area centroid ( y ) and S = section modulus
the centroid of the composite shape Sreq’d = section modulus required at
( ŷ ) allowable stress
DL = shorthand for dead load tw = thickness of web of wide flange
E = modulus of elasticity or Young’s V = internal shear force
modulus Vlongitudinal = longitudinal shear force
fb = bending stress VT = transverse shear force
fc = compressive stress w = name for distributed load
fmax = maximum stress x = horizontal distance
ft = tensile stress y = vertical distance
fv = shear stress y = the distance in the y direction from
Fb = allowable bending stress a reference axis (n.a) to the centroid
Fconnector = shear force capacity per of a shape
connector ŷ = the distance in the y direction from
h = height of a rectangle a reference axis to the centroid of a
I = moment of inertia with respect to composite shape
neutral axis bending  = calculus symbol for small quantity
Ix = moment of inertia with respect to  = elongation or length change
an x-axis  = strain
L = name for length  = arc angle
LL = shorthand for live load  = summation symbol
M = internal bending moment
= name for a moment vector

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ARCH 331 Note Set 10.1 F2013abn

Pure Bending in Beams

With bending moments along the axis of the member only, a beam is
said to be in pure bending.

Normal stresses due to bending can be found for homogeneous

materials having a plane of symmetry in the y axis that follow
Hooke’s law.
y

x
Maximum Moment and Stress Distribution

In a member of constant cross section, the maximum bending moment will govern the design of
the section size when we know what kind of normal stress is caused by it.

For internal equilibrium to be maintained, the bending moment will be equal to the M from the
normal stresses  the areas  the moment arms. Geometric fit helps solve this statically
indeterminate problem:

1. The normal planes remain normal for pure bending.

2. There is no net internal axial force.
3. Stress varies linearly over cross section.
4. Zero stress exists at the centroid and the line of centroids is the neutral axis (n. a)

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ARCH 331 Note Set 10.1 F2013abn

Relations for Beam Geometry and Stress


Pure bending results in a circular arc deflection. R is the R
distance to the center of the arc;  is the angle of the arc
(radians); c is the distance from the n.a. to the extreme fiber; fmax
is the maximum normal stress at the extreme fiber; y is a
distance in y from the n.a.; M is the bending moment; I is the c y
L
moment of inertia; S is the section modulus.
 y ½ ½
L  R  R f  E  f max
L c
f max I Mc M
M  f i Ai M  y i2 Ai I  y 2 A S f max  
c c I S
My bh 3 bh 2
Now: fb  for a rectangle of height h and width b: S 
I 12 h 6
2

RELATIONS: 1 M *
My I
 fb  S 
R EI I c

Mc M M
f bmax   S required 
I S Fb

*Note: y positive goes DOWN. With a positive M and y to the bottom fiber as positive, it results
in a TENSION stress (we’ve called positive)

Transverse Loading in Beams

We are aware that transverse beam loadings result in internal

shear and bending moments.

We designed sections based on bending stresses, since this stress

dominates beam behavior.

There can be shear stresses horizontally within a beam member.

It can be shown that f horizontal  f vertical

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ARCH 331 Note Set 10.1 F2013abn

Equilibrium and Derivation

In order for equilibrium for any element CDD’C’, there needs to be a horizontal force H.

V  f D dA  f C dA

Q is a moment area with respect to the neutral axis of the area above or below the horizontal
where the H occurs.
VT Q
Vlongitudinal  x
Q is a maximum when y = 0 (at the neutral axis). I

q is a horizontal shear per unit length  shear flow Vlongitudinal VT Q

q 
x I
Shearing Stresses

f v ave = 0 on the beam’s surface. Even if Q is a maximum at y = 0, we

don’t know that the thickness is a minimum there.

V V
fv  
A b  x

VQ
f vave 
Ib

Rectangular Sections

f v max occurs at the neutral axis:

2
bh 3 Q  Ay  b h  1 2 h  bh
I 2 2 8
12
then:

VQ V 18 bh 2 3V 3V
fv    fv 
Ib 1 bh 3 b
12 2bh 2A

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ARCH 331 Note Set 10.1 F2013abn

Webs of Beams

In steel W or S sections the thickness

varies from the flange to the web.

We neglect the shear stress in the flanges

and consider the shear stress in the web to
be constant:

3V V V
f v  max   f v max 
2 A Aweb t web d

Webs of I beams can fail in tension shear across a

panel with stiffeners or the web can buckle.

Shear Flow

Even if the cut we make to find Q is not horizontal, but

arbitrary, we can still find the shear flow, q, as long as the
loads on thin-walled sections are applied in a plane of
symmetry, and the cut is made perpendicular to the surface of
the member.
VQ
q
I

The shear flow magnitudes can

be sketched by knowing Q.

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ARCH 331 Note Set 10.1 F2013abn

Connectors to Resist Horizontal Shear in Composite Members

p
Typical connections needing to resist shear are y p
plates with nails or rivets or bolts in composite p
8”
sections or splices. 2”
4.43”
x 4”
The pitch (spacing) can be determined by the ya
2”
capacity in shear of the connector(s) to the
12”
shear flow over the spacing interval, p.

Vlongitudinal VQ VQ
 Vlongitudinal  p
p I I
where
VQconnected area
p = pitch length nFconnector  p
I
n = number of connectors connecting the connected area to the rest of the cross section

F = force capacity in one connector

Qconnected area = Aconnected area  yconnected area

yconnected area = distance from the centroid of the connected area to the neutral axis

Connectors to Resist Horizontal Shear in Composite Members p

p
Even vertical connectors have shear flow across them. p

The spacing can be determined by the capacity in shear of the

connector(s) to the shear flow over the spacing interval, p.
nFconnectorI
p
VQconnected area

Unsymmetrical Sections or Shear

If the section is not symmetric, or has a shear not in that plane, the member can bend and twist.

If the load is applied at the shear center

there will not be twisting. This is the
location where the moment caused by
shear flow = the moment of the shear
force about the shear center.

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ARCH 331 Note Set 10.1 F2013abn

Example 1 (pg 303)

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ARCH 331 Note Set 10.1 F2013abn

Example 2 (pg 309)

Second Floor:

, and evaluate the shear stress.

*Also select the most economical
Roof: Snow +DL = 200 lb/ft
nd steel section for the second-floor
Walls: 400 lb on 2 floor beams
when Sreq’d ≥ 165 in3 and evaluate
Railing: 100 lb on beam overhang
the shear stress when V = 60 k.
Second Floor: DL + LL = 300 lb/ft
(including overhang)

Roof:

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ARCH 331 Note Set 10.1 F2013abn

Example 3 (pg 313)

ALSO: Determine the minimum nail

spacing required (pitch) if the shear
capacity of a nail (Fconnector) is 250 lb.

7 84

12 3 36

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ARCH 331 Note Set 10.1 F2013abn

Example 4

y= 4.5"

Q = Ay = (9")(½")(4.5")+(9")(½")(4.5")+(1.5")(3.5")(8.25") = 83.8 in3

(2,600 # )( 83.3in.3 )
f v  max   180.2 psi
(1,202.6 in. 4 )( 1 2 " 1 2 " ) (n)
(n)

(n) 

(n)FI
 (n)F p

p

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