SHEARING STRESSES IN

BEAMS AND THIN-WALLED

MEMBERS
Lectured by:

Dr Volkan Esat
Based on:
Mechanics of Materials
Beer, Johnston, DeWolf, Mazurek
McGraw Hill

Contents

Introduction
Shear on the Horizontal Face of a
Beam Element
Example 21
Determination of the Shearing
Stress in a Beam

Shearing Stresses txy in

Common Types of Beams
Example 22
Longitudinal Shear on a Beam
Element of Arbitrary Shape
Example 23
Example 24

Introduction

Transverse loading applied to a beam

results in normal and shearing stresses
in transverse sections.

When shearing stresses are exerted on

the vertical faces of an element, equal
stresses must be exerted on the
horizontal faces.
Longitudinal shearing stresses must
exist in any member subjected to
transverse loading.
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Shear on the Horizontal Face of a Beam Element

Shear on the Horizontal Face of a Beam Element

Example 21
A beam is made of three planks,
nailed together. Knowing that the
spacing between nails is 25 mm
and that the vertical shear in the
beam is V = 500 N, determine the
shear force in each nail.
SOLUTION:
Determine the horizontal force per
unit length or shear flow q on the
lower surface of the upper plank.
Calculate the corresponding
shear force in each nail.

Example 21

A beam is made of three planks,

nailed together. Knowing that the
spacing between nails is 25 mm
and that the vertical shear in the
beam is V = 500 N, determine the
shear force in each nail.
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Determination of the Shearing Stress in a Beam

The average shearing stress on the
horizontal face of the element is obtained
by dividing the shearing force on the
element by the area of the face.

On the upper and lower surfaces of the

beam, tyx = 0. It follows that txy = 0 on the
upper and lower edges of the transverse
sections.
If the width of the beam is comparable or
large relative to its depth, the shearing
stresses at D1 and D2 are significantly
higher than at D.
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Shearing Stresses txy in Common Types of Beams

For a narrow rectangular beam,
VQ 3 V
t xy

Ib 2 A

t max

y 2
c 2

3V
2A

For American Standard (S-beam)

and wide-flange (W-beam)
beams
VQ
t ave
It
V
t max
Aweb
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Example 22
For the beam and loading shown, determine the minimum required
width b, knowing that for the grade of timber used,

tall = 825 kPa.

sall = 12 MPa and

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Longitudinal Shear on a Beam Element

of Arbitrary Shape
We have examined the distribution
of the vertical components txy on a
transverse section of a beam. We
now
wish
to
consider
the
horizontal components txz of the
stresses.

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Example 23
The built-up wooden beam shown is subjected to a vertical shear of
8 kN. Knowing that the nails are spaced longitudinally every 60 mm
at A and every 25 mm at B, determine the shearing force in the nails
(a) at A, (b) at B. (Given: Ix = 1.504 109 mm4.)

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Example 24
A beam is constructed from five boards bolted together as shown.
Determine the maximum shear force developed in each bolt if the bolts
are spaced s = 250 mm apart and the applied shear is V = 35 kN.

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