Section modulus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_modulus

Section modulus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Section modulus is a geometric property for a given cross-section used in the design of beams or flexural members. Other geometric properties used in design
include area for tension, radius of gyration for compression, and moment of inertia for stiffness. Any relationship between these properties is highly dependent
on the shape in question. Equations for the section moduli of common shapes are given below. There are two types of section moduli, the elastic section modulus
(S) and the plastic section modulus (Z).

Contents
1 Notation
2 Elastic section modulus
3 Plastic section modulus
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

Notation
North American and British/Australian convention reverse the usage of S & Z. Elastic modulus is S in North America,[1] but Z in Britain/Australia,[2] and vice
versa for the plastic modulus. Eurocode 3 (EN 1993 - Steel Design) resolves this by using W for both, but distinguishes between them by the use of subscripts Wel and Wpl.

Elastic section modulus

For general design, the elastic section modulus is used, applying up to the yield point for most metals and other common materials.
The elastic section modulus is defined as S = I / y, where I is the second moment of area (or moment of inertia) and y is the distance from the neutral axis to any
given fibre.[3] It is often reported using y = c, where c is the distance from the neutral axis to the most extreme fibre, as seen in the table below. It is also often
used to determine the yield moment (My) such that My = S y, where y is the yield strength of the material.[3]

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Cross-sectional shape

Section modulus equations[4]

Figure
Equation

Comment

Rectangle

Solid arrow represents neutral axis

doubly symmetric I-section (strong axis)

NA indicates neutral axis

doubly symmetric I-section (weak axis)

NA indicates neutral axis

Circle

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[4]

Solid arrow represents neutral axis

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Circular tube

Solid arrow represents neutral axis

Rectangular tube

NA indicates neutral axis

Diamond

NA indicates neutral axis

C-channel

NA indicates neutral axis

Plastic section modulus

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The Plastic section modulus is used for materials where (irreversible) plastic behaviour is dominant. The majority of designs do not intentionally encounter this
behaviour.
The plastic section modulus depends on the location of the plastic neutral axis (PNA). The PNA is defined as the axis that splits the cross section such that the
compression force from the area in compression equals the tension force from the area in tension. So, for sections with constant yielding stress, the area above
and below the PNA will be equal, but for composite sections, this is not necessarily the case.
The plastic section modulus is then the sum of the areas of the cross section on each side of the PNA (which may or may not be equal) multiplied by the distance
from the local centroids of the two areas to the PNA:

Description

Figure

Equation

Comment

Rectangular section

Hollow rectangular
section

where: b=width, h=height, t=wall thickness

,[5]

For the two flanges of an

I-beam with the web
excluded
For an I Beam including
the web

where:
=width,
=thickness,
are the distances from the neutral axis to the
centroids of the flanges respectively.
[6]

For an I Beam (weak

axis)
Solid Circle

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Hollow Circle
The plastic section modulus is used to calculate the plastic moment, Mp, or full capacity of a cross-section. The two terms are related by the yield strength of the
material in question, Fy, by Mp=Fy*Z. Sometimes Z and S are related by defining a 'k' factor which is something of an indication of capacity beyond first yield.
k=Z/S
Therefore for a rectangular section, k=1.5

See also
Beam theory
List of area moments of inertia
Second moment of area

References
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

^ Specification for Structural Steel Buildings (http://www.aisc.org/2010spec). Chicago, Illinois: American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc. 2010. p. 16.1xxxiv.
^ AS4100 - Steel Structures (http://www.standards.org.au). Sydney, Australia: Standards Australia. 1998. p. 21.
^ a b Kulak, G.L. and Grondin, G.Y., 2006, Limit States Design in Structural Steel 8th Ed., Canadian Institute of Steel Construction.
^ a b Gere, J. M. and Timoshenko, S., 1997, Mechanics of Materials 4th Ed., PWS Publishing Co.
^ American Institute of Steel Construction: Load and Resistance Factor Design, 3rd Edition, pp. 17-34.
^ Megson, T H G (2005). Structural and stress analysis (http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=N2WyMxutXK4C&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false). elsever.
pp. 598 EQ (iv).

External links
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/american-wide-flange-steel-beams-d_1318.html - List of section moduli for common beam shapes
http://www.novanumeric.com/samples.php?CalcName=SectionModulus - Online Calculation for Section Modulus
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Categories: Structural analysis
This page was last modified on 29 August 2013 at 03:50.

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