ME2112 (Part 1) Chap 3 - 1 ME2112 (Part 1) Chap 3 - 2

Chapter 3 Shear Stresses in Laterally Loaded

Symmetrical Beams
• Dealt with calculation of shear force and bending moment when
different types of beams are subjected to various kinds of loads.
• Discuss shear stresses associated with the shear force V or Fxy . Rotating chair with box beam

Beams are important members

used in building construction

Box beams used in the

main strut of the trailer

I-beams
Railroad ties act as beams that support very large Beams resist forces acting transverse to their
transverse shear loadings. As a result, if they are axes, such as roof and floor loadings of buildings
made of wood, they will tend to split at their ends, and bridges. Circular cross-section beams
Box-beams and circular cross-
where the shear loads are the largest. used in FSAE car frame
section beams

ME2112 (Part 1) Chap 3 - 3 ME2112 (Part 1) Chap 3 - 4

Learning Objectives: Contents:

To study the distribution of the shear stresses, a comparison of the • Shear Stress in Beams
magnitudes of the shear and bending stresses, and the beams • Shear Stress Distribution in Beams of
under combined loading. Rectangular Cross Section
• Shear Stress in Beams of Circular Cross
Section
• Shear Stress Distribution in Flanged Beams
or I-Beams
• Comparison of Shear and Bending Stresses
• Beams under Combined Loading

or  xy 
FxyQ References:
Ib
• Ugural, A. C., Mechanics of Materials, John Wiley & Sons,
Some common formulas for stress analysis
Inc, 2008.
and design of beam structures.
Shear flow in a wide-flange
• Hibbeler, R. C., Mechanics of Materials, 8th SI Edition,
beam. Pearson, Prentice-Hall, 2011.
ME2112 (Part 1) Chap 3 - 5 ME2112 (Part 1) Chap 3 - 6

Shear Stress in a Straight Beams • Effects of Shear Stresses:

Boards slide relative Acting as a single beam
to each other
Transverse shear stress always has its associated longitudinal
shear stress acting along longitudinal planes of the beam.

Shear stresses acting between

• A beam supports both
shear and moment
• Shear force induces shear
stress in beam cross section
• This stress creates corresponding
longitudinal shear stress as shown
y
 yx
Fxy
x  xy  xy   yx
z Fxy
• Warping of cross section: boards and preventing their
relative sliding
Note:
1. Warping” violates the assumptions of
Fxy “plane section remains plane” in
flexure and torsion formulae.
2. However, we can ignore the cross-
section warping due to small shear
stress compared with normal stress.
This is true for most common case of
slender beam, i.e. one that has a small
depth compared with its length.

ME2112 (Part 1) Chap 3 - 7 ME2112 (Part 1) Chap 3 - 8

P Consider an elemental length x of a beam where the shear force

C is constant but there is a variation in the bending moment. e.g. a
h simply-supported beam with a central point load.
A L/2 L/2 B
2P
P/2 P/2
P C
C h
A a a B
A
B V  Fxy P P
x
Ugural’s sign convention
Fxy
P P
M xz
C
 xx Compressive stress on top P x
Tensile stress on bottom
A q( x )  P  x  1 2 P  x  a  1
x Fxy gives  xy M xz M xz  M xz  Fxy ( x )  P  x  0 2 P  x  a  0
M xz
M xz ( x )  P  x 1 2 P  x  a 1
Bending moment induces normal bending stresses in the direction
of the beam axis. Shear force induces shear stresses. x x x
 ME2112 (Part 1) Chap 3 - 9 ME2112 (Part 1) Chap 3 - 10

When deriving the formula for shear stress, we will consider the general case
2P of loading for beams such as following cases.
C
h
A a a B
P P A simply supported beam with a
x
Fxy vertical plane of symmetry that supports
P
y concentrated, distributed loads and
M xz Fxy M xz  M xz P x bending moments.
x Fxy N.A. M xz M xz  M xz
M xz

Compressive x x x
Normal stress
distribution N.A.

Tensile A cantilever beam with a vertical plane of

V  Fxy symmetry that supports concentrated and
z distributed loads.
Ugural’s sign convention

ME2112 (Part 1) Chap 3 - 11 ME2112 (Part 1) Chap 3 - 12

Consider the portion of the beam element above a vertical distance b

Fxy
y from the centroid of the cross-section; i.e. we have made an x A*  xx 2  xx1
imaginary horizontal cut at y and chosen the upper element which Fxy
M xz  xx 2
has a surface exposed by the cut. We follow the Ugural’s sign Fyx y
Fyx  xx1
convention for the free-body diagram. y y M xz  M xz M xz
Plane 2 M xz  M xz
b dA
Fxy N.A.
x A* Plane 1 Profile view
 xx 2 V  Fxy x
z
Fxy
Fyx  xx1 Force acting on differential element dA equals to  xx1 dA (plane 1)
M xz y y Ugural’s sign convention

N.A.  xx1 Force acting on area A* is  *  xx1dA and towards right.

 xx 2 A

x
z M xz  M xz Fyx y
N.A. Similarly, force acting on area (plane 2) towards left side is Fyx   *  xx 2dA
A
M xz
M xz  M xz
x Profile view
Force equilibrium in the axial direction A*
 xx1dA  Fyx    xx 2dA  0
A*

x x
 ME2112 (Part 1) Chap 3 - 13

M xz y
Using  xx   , we obtain
Iz 
A*
 xx1dA  Fyx    xx 2dA  0
A*

( M xz  M xz ) y M y
A*

Iz
dA  Fyx   *  xz dA  0
A Iz
( M xz  M xz ) y M y
 Fyx    * dA   * xz dA
A Iz A Iz b
Fxy
M xz x A*
 Fyx  
Iz  * ydA
A
 xx 2
Fxy
M xz
Dividing by x and letting x  0 Fyx  xx1
and taking the limit, we get y y M xz  M xz
Plane 2
*
dA N.A.
dFyx 1 dM xz
dx

I z dx 
A *
ydA Plane 1
x
z
Q   * ydA  A y (first moment of area about the z-axis)
*
A

*
A : area of the cross-section isolated by the horizontal cut; i.e. above the
location of the shear stress being determined (i.e. above y)
y : vertical distance between the centroidal axis and the CG of isolated section A*