Bending Stresses

Loading condition on the element: Lateral load on the member

y
x
z
Axial force on Acting along the longitudinal Produces axial deformation
the element Force Nx axis i.e., x – axis i.e., deformation in x-direction

Force Ny Acting along the

Lateral loading y - axis Produces bending in
on the element Acting about the xy-plane
Moment Mz
z - axis
Acting along the
Lateral loading Force Nz z - axis Produces bending in
on the element Acting about the xz-plane
Moment My y - axis
Axial moment
Acting about the Produces twisting in
on the element Moment Mx
x - axis yz-plane
(Torsion)

S I
Prismatic member with R
Rectangular cross section

K L
D N
G C
P J
Q
E F
M

A H B

ABCD & PQRS represent cross section of member

M-N line is the longitudinal axis (X - axis direction)
GMH and INJ is the lateral direction i.e., in Y – axis direction
EMF and KNL is the lateral direction i.e., in Z – axis direction
GMHJNI plane is the central plane of the member (load is applied in this plane)
GMHJNI i.e., GHJI plane represents the member subjected lateral loading
a) Forces in Y – direction
b) Couple i.e., moment vector about Z – direction
In the earlier chapter, the effects of a lateral load acting on the beam are analysed.
These effects are evaluated as stress-resultants i.e., shear force and bending moment
acting on the cross section of beam.

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• At any point in the cross section of beam, the resistance offered by the beam against the
bending moment, which is known as bending stress or flexural stress.
• At any point in the cross section of beam, the resistance offered by the beam against the
shear force, which is known as shear stress due to bending or flexural shear stress.
In this chapter the flexural stress (i.e., bending stress) is discussed.
In the next chapter the flexural shear stress will be discussed.
Sign convention: Bending moment

Sagging  Positive hogging  Negative

Example:
W1 X W2 W3

A B
x X Couple Rb
Va
moment
W1 X

Mx
A
Va X Vx

W1 X
C
T

Va X Vx
X W2 W3

Mx
Vx B
X Rb
W2 W3
X
C
T
Vx B
X Rb

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Types of Cross sections:
• Both axes symmetrical i) Rectangular, Square
(both horizontal and vertical centroidal axes) ii) Circular and (iii) Symmetrical I
• One axis symmetrical i) unsymmetrical I
(symmetrical about vertical centroidal axis)
ii) T section and
iii) Channel (as shown below)
• No axis symmetrical i) angle section (L)
These sections are not valid for bending ii) Z section

Theory of Simple bending (Pure bending)

The segment in a beam, subjected to only constant bending moment without
any shear force, is called Pure bending zone.
Examples:
Simply supported beam subjected to two
equal concentrated loads symmetrically.
Draw the SFD and BMD
Shear force in AC = +P
Shear force in DB = -P
Shear force in CD is zero
Bending moment in CD = +Pa

Zone CD is Pure bending zone

Cantilever beam subjected to couple (M) at
free end.
Draw the SFD and BMD
𝑀𝐴 = 𝑀
Shear force in AB is zero
Bending moment in AB = -M

Zone AB is Pure bending zone

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Assumptions:
i) The material of beam is homogeneous and isotropic.
ii) The material of beam obeys Hooke’s law.
iii) The beam is initially straight and prismatic.
iv) The cross section of beam is symmetrical about plane of bending. Therefore, the
longitudinal axis lies in the plane of loading i.e., plane of bending.
v) The beam is composed of infinite number of fibers which are parallel to its
longitudinal axis.
vi) Each layer of fibers is free to expand or contract independently of the layer above
or below it.
vii) The transverse sections of the beam which are plane before bending remain plane
even after bending.
viii) The Young’s modulus of elasticity is same in tension and compression.
ix) The radius of curvature of the beam is very large when compared to the
dimensions of beam.
Consider two adjacent sections AB and CD in pure bending zone of a horizontal beam
subjected to vertical loading. The distance between these two sections is ‘dx’.

Before loading
• the cross sections AB and CD are vertical
• the longitudinal axis of beam is a horizontal line.
After loading
• all layers in the strip over ‘dx’ will bend
• top layer AC will bend to A1C1
• Intermediate layer GH will bend to G1H1
• bottom layer BD will bend to B1D1
• The sections AB and CD rotate relative to each
other by d. But the sections AB and CD
remain straight and perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of the beam.
• Initial length of layers AC, GH and BD is ‘dx’
• top layer AC is compressed to A1C1
• intermediate layer GH is compressed to G1H1, but
to lesser degree
• bottom layer BD is stretched to B1D1
top layers are subjected to compression
bottom layers are subjected to tension

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One intermediate layer EF is neither compressed nor stretched, the length of layer remains
as ‘dx’.
 Strain in EF layer is zero. This layer EF is called neutral layer.
The surface or plane containing the neutral layer is called neutral surface or neutral
plane.
The intersection of neutral surface with the cross section is called neutral axis.

Consider the deformation of intermediate layer GH located at a distance of ‘y’ from neutral
layer EF.
O = center of curvature
R = radius of curvature
= radial distance from center of curvature to the
neutral layer = OE = OF = OE1 = OF1
∠𝐸1 𝑂𝐹1 = 𝑑𝜃 (refer assumption ix)
Initial and final length of neutral layer EF = dx
𝑑𝑥 = 𝑅𝑑𝜃
Draw a line 𝑪′𝟏 𝑯′𝟏 𝑭𝟏 𝑫′𝟏 parallel to 𝑨𝟏 𝑮𝟏 𝑬𝟏 𝑩𝟏
and passing through 𝑭𝟏 . Therefore,
∠𝐻1 𝐹1 𝐻1′ = 𝑑𝜃  𝑯𝟏 𝑯′𝟏 = 𝒚𝒅𝜽
𝑦𝑑𝜃 1
strain in layer GH is ∈ = ⇒ ∈= 𝑦 (𝑅)
𝑑𝑥
⇒ ∈∝ 𝑦
1
where is the proportionality constant, i.e.,
𝑅
1
= curvature of the beam at that section, where the bending moment ‘M’ is acting
𝑅
Strain in any layer is proportional to its distance from the neutral layer
Variation of Strain across the depth of cross section is linear

𝑦𝑐
𝜀𝑐 =
𝑅

𝑦𝑡
𝜀𝑡 =
𝑅
Using Hooke’s law, the bending stress at any point in the cross section of beam at a
distance ‘y’ from neutral axis is 𝜎 = 𝜀𝐸 , the location of point may be in tension zone or
in compression zone (refer assumption viii).

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 𝑦 𝝈 𝑬 𝐸
𝜎 = 𝐸𝜀 = 𝐸  =  𝜎 = ( )𝑦
𝑅 𝒚 𝑹 𝑅
𝑬
= constant at a section in the beam
𝑹
Bending stress at any point in the cross section is
proportional to its distance from the neutral axis
Variation of bending stress across the depth of cross section is linear
Bending stress at any point in the cross section is normal
to the cross section and parallel to longitudinal axis

Consider an elemental area ‘dA’ on the cross section of beam at a distance ‘y’ from the
𝑬
neutral axis. The stress on this elemental area is 𝝈𝒙 = 𝒚 and the resisting force from this
𝑹
elemental area is 𝝈𝒙 𝒅𝑨. All these elemental resisting forces are parallel to longitudinal axis
i.e., X-axis.
The total resistance from all these elemental areas above N.A. is a single resultant force C.
The total resistance from all these elemental areas below N.A. is a single resultant force T.
Equilibrium conditions:
(i) ∑ 𝑭𝒙 = 𝟎 and there is no external force in the X-direction. Therefore, the internal forces
C and T are equal in magnitude and act parallel to longitudinal axis. These two internal
resisting forces C and T formulate a couple to resist the external bending moment.
The resultant force of a couple is zero.

𝑦𝑐
𝜀𝑐 =
𝑅

𝑦𝑡
𝜀𝑡 =
𝑅

𝑦
𝑐 𝑐 𝑦 𝐸 𝐸 𝑦
𝑐
∫𝑦 𝜎𝑥 𝑑𝑎 = 0 ⇒ ∫𝑦 𝑅 𝑦𝑑𝑎 = 0 ⇒ ∫ 𝑦𝑑𝑎 = 0
𝑅 𝑦
𝑡 𝑡 𝑡
𝐸 𝑦𝑐
⇒ ≠0 ⇒ ∫𝑦 𝑦𝑑𝑎 =0 ⇒ 𝐴𝑦̄ = 0 ⇒ 𝒚̄ = 𝟎
𝑅 𝑡
𝑦̄ = the distance from the reference axis to the centroidal axis
Therefore, the reference axis coincides with centroidal axis.
Therefore, neutral axis coincides with centroidal axis

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 Centroidal axis (normal to the plane of bending / loading) is the neutral axis
𝑦𝑐
(ii) ∑ 𝑴𝒛 = 𝟎 ⇒ external moment = internal moment ⇒ 𝑀 = ∫ (𝜎𝑥 𝑑𝑎) 𝑦
𝑦𝑡
𝑦𝑐 𝐸 𝐸 𝑦𝑐 2 𝐸 𝑀 𝐸
⇒ 𝑀= ∫𝑦 (𝑅 𝑦𝑑𝑎) 𝑦 ⇒ 𝑀= ∫ 𝑦 𝑑𝑎 ⇒ 𝑀= 𝐼⇒ =
𝑡 𝑅 𝑦𝑡 𝑅 𝐼 𝑅
𝑴 𝝈 𝑬
=𝒚=𝑹
𝑰
E Young’s modulus of beam material N/mm2
I moment of inertia of beam cross section about the neutral axis mm4
R radius of curvature of the beam at the section where BM is ‘M’ mm
1 1
curvature of the beam at the section where BM is ‘M’
𝑅 𝑚𝑚
 bending stress at a point located at ‘y’ distance from neutral axis on the N/mm2
beam cross section at the section where BM is ‘M’
If 𝝈 = 𝝈𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 and 𝒚 = 𝒚𝒎𝒂𝒙𝒊𝒎𝒖𝒎 then 𝑴 = 𝑴𝑹 , which is known as Moment of
resistance of the beam cross section.
𝐼 𝑰
𝑀𝑅 = 𝜎𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 [ ]  𝑴𝑹 = 𝝈𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒁 where 𝒁 = [ ]
𝑦𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝒚𝒎𝒂𝒙
where ymax is extreme fiber distance from neutral axis
Z = section modulus of the beam cross section
Various Cross sections:
• Both axes symmetrical i) Rectangular, Square
(both horizontal and vertical centroidal axes) ii) Circular
𝒚𝒄,𝒎𝒂𝒙 = 𝒚𝒕,𝒎𝒂𝒙  𝒁𝒄 = 𝒁𝒕 iii) Symmetrical I
• One axis symmetrical iv) unsymmetrical I
(symmetrical about vertical centroidal axis) v) T section
𝒚𝒄,𝒎𝒂𝒙 ≠ 𝒚𝒕,𝒎𝒂𝒙  𝒁𝒄 ≠ 𝒁𝒕 vi) Channel (as shown below)

Strain distribution and Stress distribution on the Beam cross section:

bc,max bc,max

da

yc,max
y
N A
y yt,max
da
bt,max bt,max
Line of Symmetry Sagging Bending

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 bt,max bt,max
da

yt,max
y
N A
y

da yc,max

bc,max bc,max

Line of Symmetry Hogging Bending

Types of Problems:
a) Analysis:
i) Evaluation of maximum bending stresses induced in the cross section for the
given beam and loading
ii) Estimating the moment of resistance (moment carrying capacity) of the given
cross section and material.
b) Design:
Determining the necessary cross section dimensions to resist the estimated maximum
bending moment for the given loading and material.
o0o

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