PH0101 UNIT 1 LECTURE 3

Bending of Beams
Bending moment of a Beam
Uniform Bending (Theory and Experiment)
Worked Problem

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 Bending of Beams
A beam is a rod or bar of uniform crosssection
(circular or rectangular) whose length is very
much greater than its thickness as shown in
Figure B
A
M
N
D
C

A beam is considered to be made up of a large

number of thin plane layers called surfaces
placed one above the other.
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 Consider a beam to be
bent into an arc of a
circle by the application
of an external couple as
shown Figure
Taking the longitudinal
section ABCD of the
bent beam ,the layers
in the upper half are
elongated while those
in the lower half are
compressed.
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In the middle there is a layer (MN) which is not
elongated or compressed due to bending of the
beam.

This layer is called the neutral surface and the

line (MN) at which the neutral layer intersects the
plane of bending is called the neutral axis.

It is obvious that the length of the filament

increases or decreases in proportion to its distance
away from the neutral axis MN.

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 The layers below MN are compressed and those
above MN are elongated and there will be such
pairs of layers one above MN and one below MN
experiencing same forces of elongation and
compression due to bending and each pair
forms a couple.
The resultant of the moments of all these
internal couples are called the internal bending
moment and in the equilibrium condition, this is
equal to the external bending moment.

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 Bending Moment of a Beam

P
A

M
B

P N
D
C

Load

Consider the section PBCP , the extended filaments

lying above the neutral axis MN are in state of
tension and exert an inward pull on the filament
adjacent to them towards the fixed end of the beam.

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 In the same way the shortened filaments lying below the
neutral axis MN are in a state of compression and exert an
outward push on the filaments adjacent to them towards
the loaded end of the beam.

As a result tensile and compressive stresses develop in

the upper and lower halves of the beam respectively and
form a couple which opposes to bending of the beam.

The moment of this couple is called the moment of the

resistance.

When the beam is in equilibrium position the bending

moment and restoring moment or moment of resistance
should be equal.
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 To find an expression for the
moment of the restoring
couple consider a fiber DC at
a distance r from the neutral
axis MN as shown in Figure A B
Let the radius of curvature be
R and be the angle M N
subtended by it at the centre
of curvature. In unstrained D C
position of the beam, the
length of the fiber DC = MN =
R.

In the strained position the
length of the fibre,

DC = (R + r)
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 Change in the length
Strain in the fiber DC, =
Original length

(R r) R r
or Strain
R R

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 i.e., strain is proportional to the distance from the
neutral axis.
Let the area of the fiber be A and its neutral axis
be at a distance r from neutral axis of the beam
and the strain produced be r/R. We have
Stress = Y x Strain = Y r / R
Hence, force on the area A
F = Y(r/R) x A

Therefore the moment of this force about MN

= Y(r/R) x A x r = Y A r2 / R
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 As the moment of the forces acting on both the upper
and lower halves of the section are in the same direction,
the total moment of the forces acting on the filaments due
to straining
ar2 Y Y
Y ar I g
2

R R R

where Ig is the geometrical moment of inertia and

is equal to AK2, A being the total area of the
section and K being the radius of gyration of the
beam

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 :. moment of the forces Y I g
R

In equilibrium, bending moment of the beam is equal and

opposite to the moment of bending couple due to the load
on one end.
Y
:. Bending moment of the beam = Ig
R
The quantity YIg (=YAK2) is called the flexural rigidity of the
beam. Flexural rigidity is defined as the bending moment
required to produce a unit radius of curvature.
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 Uniform Bending
The beam is loaded
uniformly on its both ends,
the bent beam forms an arc
of a circle. An elevation in
the beam is produced. This
bending is called uniform
bending.
Consider a beam (or bar)
AB arranged horizontally on
two knife edges C and D
symmetrically so that AC =
BD = a ,as shown in Figure

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 The beam is loaded with equal weights W and W at
the ends A and B.

The reactions on the knife edges at C and D are

equal to W and W acting vertical upwards.

The external bending moment on the part AF of the

beam is

= W x AF W x CF = W (AF CF)
= W x AC = W x a

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 YI g
Internal bending moment =
where R
Y - Youngs modulus of the material of the bar
Ig - Geometrical moment of inertia of the cross-
section of beam
R - Radius of curvature of the bar at F
In the equilibrium position,
external bending moment = internal bending
moment YI g
Wa
R

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Since for a given value of W, the values of a, Y and
Ig are constants, R is constant so that the beam is
bent uniformly into an arc of a circle of radius R.
CD = l and y is the elevation of the midpoint E of the
beam so that y = EF F

y
C D
l/2 E
O
R

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EF (2R EF) = (CE)2
l
y (2R y) =
l 2 2
y 2R = (y2 is negligible)
4
2
l
y = 8R

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 1 8y
or 2
R l
8y
Wa = 2
YI g
or

2
Wl a
Y
8I g y
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If the beam is of rectangular cross-section,
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bd , where b is the breath and d is the
Ig
12
thickness of beam. If M is the mass, the
corresponding weight W = Mg

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Hence 2
3 Mgl a
Y 3
2 bd y

from which Y the Youngs modulus of the

material of the bar is determined.

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 Experiment

A rectangular beam (or bar) AB of uniform section

is supported horizontally on two knife edges A
and B as shown in Figure

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 Two weight hangers of equal masses are
suspended from the ends of the beam.

A pin is arranged vertically at the mid-point of the

beam.

A microscope is focused on the tip of the pin.

Initial reading of the microscope in the vertical

scale is noted.
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 Equal weights are added to both hangers
simultaneously and the reading of the microscope
in the vertical scale in noted.

The experiment is repeated for decreasing order of

magnitude of the equal masses.

The observations are then tabulated and the mean

elevation (y) at the mid point of the bar is
determined.

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 Microscope reading elevation Mean
elevation(y)
Load in Kg for
Load Load
Mean a load of M.
increasing decreasing

W
W+50 gms
W+100 gms
W+150 gms
W+200 gms
W+250 gms

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 The length of the bar between the knife
edges l is measured.

The distance of one of the weight hangers

from the nearest knife edge p is measured.

The breadth (b) and thickness (d) of the bar

are measured using vernier calipers and
screw gauge.

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The youngs modulus of the material of the
beam is determined by the relation
2
3 M g al
Y 3
Nm-2
2 bd y

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 THANK YOU

THANK YOU

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