Lecture 3

1) Bending moment diagrams

2) Bending stress in beams (BCA Chapter 6)
 Bending equation
 Position of neutral axis
 Second moment of area
 Application of the bending equation

3) Deflection of beams
4) Non-uniformly distributed loads
5) Buckling of beams
 Derivation:
Applied load (pure bending)
Bending equation
x  ?

NOT uniform tension /

compression!!
F
x 
A

M M
x 2D:
x-axis along beam
y-axis downwards
y Note: Bend of segment exaggerated on next slide

[Assumption 1: Pure bending, i.e. M only]

 Derivation: Deformation
(strain) in pure bending
Note: y is measured
d from neutral axis

R Compression
Neutral axis
x  0 Length: dx = R d
y dx
E F Length E´F´ = (R + y) d
Tension

( R  y )d  Rd y
x  
Rd R
[Assumption 2: Plane cross-sections remain plane during bending]
 Derivation:
Equilibrium of moments
Section of beam with ‘cut’ Cross-section
of beam
E
M x  y
R
Neutral axis x z
y

y y Area = dA
www.youtube.com/watch?v=asBW0Ojc0bY Force = dFx = xdA

E 2 E
M   ydFx   y x dA   y dA  I
A A
R A R
[Assumption 4: Vertical axis of symmetry for beam cross-section]
 Derivation:
The bending equation
y
 Deformation (strain) x 
R
 Stress distribution x E
 Hooke’s law   x   x / E  
y R
 Equilibrium of moments M E

I R

[Assumption 3: Elastic deformation in homogeneous material]

The bending equation

 Relates longitudinal stress (x) to bending

moment (M)
 At position of maximum bending moment ensure
x is within safe limit or design specification
 Is the beam strong enough?

M x E M = bending moment, Nm
  I = second moment of area, m4
x = stress, N/m2
I y R
y = distance from neutral axis, m
E = Young’s modulus, N/m2
R = radius of curvature of neutral axis, m
 Position of maximum stress

 x max (< Yield Stress) arises at:

 Position x along beam where M = Mmax
 Depth furthest from neutral axis where y = ymax
 Bending stress (due to M) dominates shear stress
(due to Q) in long beams
Section of beam with ‘cut’ x max y M M
M1
max
 x , max
  y max ymax
Mmax I I
Neutral axis x
For constant I along beam
M (Discussed later in this
x  y Chapter)
x I
y
Ideas to explore further…

 Bending depends on the beam cross-section:

 Neutral axis passes through the centroid of the
beam cross-section (i.e. determines y)
 Second moment of area of beam cross-section (I)
 Application of the bending equation
 Assumptions made in derivation (e.g. R)
Centroid (or Centre of area)

 Equivalent to the centre of mass for a very thin

homogenous plate
 An area supported at the centroid will remain in
equilibrium

 The centroid is the point at which the entire area

of a 2D body is assumed to be concentrated

 The neutral axis of a component loaded in

bending passes through the centroid of the beam
cross-section
 Equilibrium of forces along beam axis
 Calculation of centroid

• Moment of the whole area about

an axis is the same as the sum y-axis
of moments of all the elemental Area (A)
Centroid
areas about the same axis
z
zc dA
n
Ay
c
  yi dAi   A ydA
i 1
n yc y
Az   zi dAi   A zdA
c i 1 z-axis
Position of neutral axis

 Neutral axis passes through centroid of cross-

section
 Beam cross-section has vertical axis of symmetry
(from bending equation derivation)
n
Centroid Ay c   yi dA i
i 1

z z
y z

y y y y
 Derivation: Neutral axis passes
through cross-section centroid
Cross-section
Section of beam with ‘cut’ of beam
E
x  y
(Vertical axis of symmetry)

M R Centroid

Neutral axis x z
yc  0
y

y Area = dA y
Force = dFx = xdA
Equilibrium of forces:
E E
Fx    x dA   ydA  y c A  0
A
R A R
A  0 so yc  0
Calculation of
second moment of area
y-axis
• About axis through centroid y‫״‬
b Area (A)
n 2
Iz   yi dA i   A y 2 dA z
i 1
n 2 y dA
z 2 dA
z-axis
Iy   zi dA i  A
i 1
a
• About parallel axis not through Centroid
z‫״‬
centroid (Parallel axis theorem)

I z   I z  a 2 A

I y   I y  b 2 A
 Second moment of area, I
(or Iz)
n 2
Iz   yi dA i
i 1

z z z
y y

y y y

• Assume these beam cross-sections have the same area

• Iz increases as we move material away from neutral
axis
Calculating I (1) –
Not from first principles

 See BCA Appendix A for example calculations

for standard beam cross-sections
Calculating I (2) – Use formulae
for standard cross-sections

 Learn I for these two standard beam cross-

sections (bending about axis through centroid)

B
BD 3 D 4
I I
12 64
D D
z z

y y

 Handbooks available for other cross-sections

Calculating I (3) – Use standard
shapes for other cross-sections

 I can be added or subtracted

B
b
d

D d
z z

D
y y

Iz  Iz1  Iz 2
Calculating I (4) – Using the
parallel axis theorem

a
z z Iz  Iz1  2 Iz 2
Parallel axis theorem
needed for Iz2

z z Iz  Iz1  2 Iz 2
Parallel axis theorem
not needed for Iz2

See Worked example 1

Calculating I (4) – Using the
parallel axis theorem

a
z z Iz  Iz1  2 Iz 2
Parallel axis theorem
needed for Iz2

z z
Iz  Iz1  2 Iz 2
Parallel axis theorem
not needed for Iz2
Radius of gyration, r

I  Ar 2

z z

y Same area y

Larger I Equates beam cross-section to

“equivalent” circle of radius r
Larger r
Lecture 4

1) Bending moment diagrams

2) Bending stress in beams (BCA Chapter 6)
 Bending equation
 Position of neutral axis
 Second moment of area
 Application of the bending equation

3) Deflection of beams
4) Non-uniformly distributed loads
5) Buckling of beams
Worked example 3:
Exam question
Worked Example 1

 Determine Iz for the following beam cross-

section. (All dimensions in mm).

14 8
230

14

100
Worked Example 2

 Determine Iz for the following beam cross-

section. (All dimensions in mm).
160
90

80

150

50
y
200
When is the bending
equation applicable?

 Assumptions made during derivation

 Pure bending
 External moment only applied
 Plane cross-sections remain plane during bending
 Beam forms part of circle of radius R
 Elastic deformation in homogenous material
 Yield stress not exceeded
 Vertical axis of symmetry for beam cross-section
 Moments summed along y-axis
Assumption 1

 Pure bending
 Bending equation is also used when concentrated
loads or UDLs applied (i.e. shear force varies
along beam so no longer pure bending)
 Errors <5% away from stress concentrators (e.g.
concentrated loads, beam ends)
 What more accurate methods exist?
 Finite elements (FE)
example using Matlab
Beam with Loads and Constraints
0.14
Beam with loads and constraints Bending stress, σx
0.12
Tension
0.1

0.08

M
x  y
0.06

L=2D 0.04
I
0.02

0
Built-in Concentrated
-0.02
support load Compression
-0.04
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2

Beam with Loads and Constraints

0.12
Beam with loads and constraints Bending stress, σx
0.1

0.08

0.06
For short beams, plane
L=D/2 sections do not remain
0.04
plane during bending
0.02 (effect of shear stress)

-0.02
-0.02 0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12
Assumption 2

 Plane cross-sections remain plane during bending

 Proved valid using finite elements, theory of elasticity
theory or experiment
 Transverse planes
 Shear stress causes beam ends to warp if beam is short
compared to depth (usually L >> 2D)
 Longitudinal planes
 Warp (anticlastic curve) due to transverse stress if R is small
compared to L
 Shear force (Q) used to calculate shear stress
 Short beams for some materials
 Beam cross-sections formed by welding or bolting
Assumption 3

 Elastic deformation in homogenous material

 x must remain below yield stress
 If beam comprises more than one material, theory
must be modified (BCA Chapter 6.10)
Assumption 4

 Vertical axis of symmetry for beam cross-section

 Theory modified (BCA Chapter 6.13) for bending of
 asymmetric cross-section
 symmetric cross-section about asymmetric axis
Tutorial 2: Bending stress in
beams

 Now available on Vision