ENDING STRESS where:

A4 = bending nlornent at the section in question,

Any force applied transversely to the structural axis of in.-lbs
a partially supported member sets up bending moments
( M ) along the length of the member. These in turn I = moment of inertia of the section, in.*
stress the cross-sections in bending. c z:distarlce from neutral axis to the point at
As shown in Figure 1, the bcnding stresses are zero which stress is drsiretl, in.
at the neutral axis, and are assumed to increase linearly
ub = bending stress, may he tension or compres-
to a maximum at the outer fiber of the section. The
sion, psi
fibers stressed in tension elongate; the fibers stressed
in compression contract. This causes each soction so
stressed to rotate. The cumulative effcct of this move- TABLE 1-Beam Diagrams
ment is an over-all deflection (or bending) of the Maximum Maximum Mmxirnum
T y p e d Beam
member. moment deflection shear
~A-.~ -..___. i

FIGURE 1
I Fixedend 1 1
The cantilever beam shown in Figure 1 is in
tension along the top and in compression along the
bath ends a d d e d end
bottom. In contrast, the relationship of the applied
force and the points of support on the member shown
in Figure 2 is such that the curve of deflection is
inverted, and the member is in tension along the bottom
and in compression along the top.
Fixed end 1 Free end 1

center I center I

Fixed end 1 1
FIGURE 2
M = - -PL I '=- P L3

Within the elastic range (i.e. below the propor-

3
Fined end 1 svided end
tional elastic limit or the yield point), the bending
stress (u,) at any point in the cross-section of a
beam is - both endr I cenler I
2.4-2 / Loud & Stress Anulysis

n = 1.47"
1, = 62.6 in'

P = 10,000 lbs

FIGURE 3
5,000 ibs 5,000 lbs

The bending moment ( M ) may be determined The top portion of the benm being in compression,
from standard beam diagrams. Table 1 lists several
of these, along with the formulas for bending moment,
shear, and deflection. A more complete presentation is
included in the Hcfsrcnce Section on Beam Diagrams.
Normally there is no interest in knowing what the
bending stresses are somewhere inside a beam. Usually
= 5,870 psi (compression)
the bending strrss at the outer fiber is needed because
it is of ~naximumvalue. In an unsymmetrical section,
the distance c must hr taken in the correct direction
across that portion of the section which is in tension
or that portion which is in compression, as desired.
Ordinarily only the maximum stress is needed and
this is the stress at the outer fiber under tension, which
rests at the greater distance c from the neutral axis.

FIGURE 4

A standard rolled '"I? section (ST-6" wide flange, Find the maximum deflection of the previous beam
80.5 lbs) is used as a bcam, 100" long, supported on under the sainr loading. From the beam diagrams,
each end and bearing a concentrated load of 10,000 Table 1, the appropriate iormula is found to he -
Ibs at the middle. Find the maximum tensile and
maximum compressive bending stresses. Amax = L:' and therefore
Figure 3 shows the cross-section of this beam, 48 E 1
together with its load diagram. ( 10,000) (100)"
Referring to Tahlc I, the formula for the bending = flr6-2q
moment of this type of bcam is found to be-
=r. ,111'
- '
PL
M = -- and therefore
4
. HORlZONTAL SHEAR STRESS

Since thc bottom portion of the beam is stressed Moment

in tension, substituti~igappropriate known values into
the formula:

FIGURE 5

In addition to pure bending stresses, horizontal shear

=1 21,845
-.-. psi
- (tension)
stress is often present in beams, Figure 5. I t depends
 Anolysis of Bending / 2.4-3

on vertical shear and only occurs if the bending

moment varies ;dong the beam. (Any beam, or portion
of the bcam's length, that has uniform bending moment
has no \wtical shear and thrtreforc no horizontal shcar).
Unlike: bending stress, thc horizontal shear stress
is zero at thc onter fibers of the beam and is maximum
at the neutral axis of the beam. It tends to cause one
part of the heam to slide past the olhex. i
The horizontal shear stress at any point in the
FIGURE 6
cross-section of a beain, Figure 6, is -

The following values also are known or deter-

mined to he -
where:

V == extem;il vrrtical shcar on bt:am, lhs

I = moinznt of incrtia of whole section, in.i
t = tbickncss of scctioil at plane whtm stress is

a - desird, in.
arca of section hiyxid planc where stress is
desired, in."
( a ) Substituting the above values into the formula,
the horizontal shear strcss ( 7 ) is found:
y = distance of wntcr of gravity of area to neutral
axis of entire section, in.
,. = VI at y
I Problem 3 ]
=-
1196 psi

( b ) Since the shear force is borne entirely by the

web of the " T , the horizontal shear force ( f ) depends
on the thickness of the web in the plane of interest:

FIGURE 7 = 1080 Ihs/in.
Assume that the "T' beam in our previous example
(Problem 1) is fabricated by wclding. Under the same
load conditions,
( a ) Find thc horizontal shear stress in the plane
wherc the weh joins the flange.
( b ) Then find thc size of co~itinuo~is fillet welds
on both sides, joining the web to the flange.
From the beain diagrams, Table 1, the appropriate
formula for vrrtical shear ( V ) is found to be-
r
V = - and thus
2
f = T t 'and thus
= I196 X 0.905
There are two M e t welds, one on each side of
the "T" joining the flange to the web. Each will have
to support half oi the shear force or 540 ibs/in. and
its leg size would be:
This would be an extremely small continuous fillet
meld. Bascd upon the AWS, the minimum size fillet
weld for the thicker 1.47" plate would be 5/16".
If manual mtermittent fillet welds are to be used,
the percentage of the length of the joint to be welded
would he:
2.4-4 / Load & Stress Analysis
 Amalysis of Bending / 2.4-5

loack. The length of the hmm is sl~ownboth in inches

fillct weld would satisfy this
requirement because it- resnlts in 25% of the length of
the joint being \vt4ded.
3. QUICK METHOD FOR FINDING REQUIRED
SECTION MODUL S (STRENGTH) OR
OMEN+ OF INERTIA (STIFFNESS)
To aid in designing members for lxnding loads, the
following two nomog;aphs have been consirncted. The
first nomograph drtermincs the reqnirtd strength of a
straight beam. Tlir st:cond nomograph deteimines the
required stiffness of thc beam.
In both nornographs sewral types of beams are
included for conccntratod loads as well as nniform
and in feat, tllc loi~din p n n d s . 111 the first n o ~ n o g a p h
( i . 8) an allo\v:rl,li: I~endingstreLss ( u )is shown
rind the strmgth pi-operty of the hcem is read as see-
lion modulus ( S ) . In the s w o l ~ dnomograph (Fig. 9 )
an allowable imit deflection (A/I,) is shown. This is
the resulting dc4ecti11ii of the 11e:ini dividtd by the
lt~ngtliof the 11e;rm. The stiffness PI-opertyof thc haam
is read as monicrit of irrri-tia ( I )
13y using thrse nomogr:~phs thc designer can
quiicidy find tliv required swtion moduhrs ( s t r c ~ ~ g t h )
or rno~nmtof irwrtia (stilhcssj of the be;rm. We can
thcrr refcr to a stecl handbook to choose a steel sectiori
that will meet these rcqrrirc~ments.
If he wisli<,sto fabricate the section from welded
steel, he may use any of the mcthods for building up
a steel section having tlrc rtquirrd vah~esof section
modulus or mointmt of incrtia discussed in Properties
of Sections.

More than a carlood of welding electrode was employed in the fabrication of this huge
bucket-wheel iron ore reclaiming machine at the Eagle Mountain Mine. Steel pipe was
used extensively in the 170' long all-welded truss, of triangular cross-section, that is the
main load-carrying member.
2.4-6 / Load & Stress Analysis