Centre of Advanced Design Engineering

ENG4082 Mathematics and Mechanics

BENDING
MOMENTS
AND
STRESSPOINT
LOADS
Bending

N. Walker

Page 1

Centre of Advanced Design Engineering

ENG4082 Mathematics and Mechanics

MOMENTS
We have seen that Forces tend to accelerate bodies in a straight line. If we consider the
rotation of a body we find that
MOMENTS tend to produce ANGULAR ACCELERATIONS.

For example: If we apply a force to the end of a spanner to tighten a nut then we are
applying a turning moment to the nut. Probably you will recognise this turning
moment as an applied TORQUE.

Mathematically we define a the turning moment produced by a force at any point as

Moment force distance

The units of a moment are Nm. Clockwise moments are held to be positive or negative
depending on the convention used.

The moment applied to the nut and bolt is a Torque which twists the bolt and is given by

Torque

T F d

We shall consider the stresses produced by the application of a torque (TORSION) at a later
date.
The shaft of the spanner also experiences turning moments. For instance at the section X
X there is a different type of moment which tends to bend the shaft and this is called a
BENDING MOMENT. At the section X-X this moment is given by

Bending Moment

Bending

N. Walker

M F x

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Centre of Advanced Design Engineering

ENG4082 Mathematics and Mechanics
Equilibrium
For the complete equilibrium of a body

a) The net force at all points in a body is zero.

b) The net moment at all points in a body is zero.

Consider the part of the beam between the force

F and the section X-X as a free body. For this
body to be in equilibrium there must be a moment
at X-X to react to the applied Bending Moment.

This is supplied by the tractions generated by the

stresses in the shaft. On the top surface there will
be a net tensile force and on the bottom surface
there will be a net compressive force.

This

system provides the necessary moment to react

to the Bending Moment at that point. Note that
the bending moment will vary with distance along
the shaft of the spanner.

In the next section we shall see how the value of these stresses depends on the Bending
Moment.

BENDING STRESSES
Consider an element of a beam which has a vanishingly small length, dx, so that the Bending
Moment, M, on the element can be considered to be constant over the length of the element.

Bending

N. Walker

Page 3

Centre of Advanced Design Engineering

ENG4082 Mathematics and Mechanics
Before the application of the moment the line NA which runs through the centroid of the
section of the beam and the line CD, a distance y above NA, have the same length.
After straining the part of the beam above NA increases in length with a resulting tensile
stress and the part of the beam below NA decreases in length and bears a compressive
stress. The line NA which is not strained is called the NEUTRAL AXIS. In particular the line
CD increases to length C'D'.

but CD NA R and C D R y
The strain in CD is given by

C D CD
CD

R y R
R

y
R

y
R

E
R

E
y
R

From the above we can see that since E and R will be constants for a particular point on a
beam then the stress is proportional to the distance y from the neutral axis. The maximum
stresses will then be on the top and bottom surfaces.

Unfortunately R is difficult to predict or measure and this equation is not very useful. We
need to link the stresses to the applied moment.
Bending

N. Walker

Page 4

Centre of Advanced Design Engineering

ENG4082 Mathematics and Mechanics
The figure shows a section through a beam subjected to a moment M

Consider a small strip element of area dA a distance y from the Neutral Axis. This element is
thin enough for the stress to be considered constant over the width of the element.
The force on the element is given by dA and the moment of this force about the
Neutral Axis is given by

dM y dA

b ut
so dM

E
y
R

E 2
y dA
R

The total moment M will be equal to the sum of the moments generated by all the strip
elements across the section, i.e. the integral of the elements.

E
y 2 dA

We define

I y 2 dA
I is the SECOND MOMENT OF AREA with units of m4.
Hence

M E

I
R
or

M E

I
R

Most usefully we have

Bending

My
I

N. Walker

Page 5

Centre of Advanced Design Engineering

ENG4082 Mathematics and Mechanics
The quantities y and I are sometimes combined into the parameter Z (= I/y) called the
SECTION MODULUS so that

M
Z

Second Moment of Area of Common Sections

Rectangular Sections

dA B dy

I y 2 dA
H
2
H

I y 2 B dy
H

y 3 2
I B
3 H
2

B H3
12

For section comprised of rectangular blocks we can use the above to calculate the Second
Moment of Area.

For the section on the right

B H 3 b h3

12
12

Bending

N. Walker

Page 6

Centre of Advanced Design Engineering

ENG4082 Mathematics and Mechanics
Circular Sections.

I y 2 dA
dA r d dr

y r sin
I r 2 sin2 r d dr
R

I r 3 dr

R4
4

R4
I
8
I

sin d
2

1 cos2 d
2

sin2

0
2

R4

D4
64

For a circular tube we can simply subtract the contribution of the hole.

D4
64

d4
64

D 4 d 4
64

An example:
A beam with the section shown below is subjected to a moment of 30 kNm. Calculate the
greatest stress in the beam. All dimensions are in mm.

B H 3 b h3

12
12

0.17m 0.21m
0.14m 0.18m

12
12
3

I 6.32 10 5 m 4
y 0.105m

My
I

30 103 Nm 0.105m
6.32 10 5 m 4

49.9 MNm 2

Bending

N. Walker

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Centre of Advanced Design Engineering

ENG4082 Mathematics and Mechanics
EXERCISES

1. Calculate the Second Moment of Area of the sections shown below. All dimensions are
in mm. Assume that the moment is applied in the vertical plane.
(1.63 x 10-4m4, 7.17 x 10-5m4, 8.82 x 10-5m4)

2. a) Calculate the Second Moment of Area of a solid circular rod with a diameter of
50 mm.

b) (i) Calculate the dimensions of a hollow rod with a wall thickness of 10 mm and with
the same mass per unit length as the rod in part (a).
(ii) Calculate the Second Moment of Area of the hollow rod.

c) If the rods in (a) and (b) are subjected to the same Bending Moment calculate the
ratio of the maximum stresses in the rods.

3. The figure shows three beam sections which have the same cross-sectional area.
Calculate the Section Modulus for each section and find determine the greatest stress in
each section if they are subjected to a bending moment of 200 kNm

Bending

N. Walker

Page 8

Centre of Advanced Design Engineering

ENG4082 Mathematics and Mechanics

4. A box section beam with the section shown is subjected to a moment of 10 kNm.
Calculate the greatest stress in the beam.

5. A beam has the cross-section shown below

a) Calculate the Second Moment of Area of the beam about the horizontal axis through
the centroid of the section.

b) If the greatest moment in the beam is 50 kNm calculate the greatest bending stress in
the beam.
c) If the yield stress of the steel is 250 MNm-2 calculate the safety factor against yielding
in the beam.

Bending

N. Walker

Page 9

Centre of Advanced Design Engineering

ENG4082 Mathematics and Mechanics

Bending

N. Walker

Page 10

Centre of Advanced Design Engineering

ENG4082 Mathematics and Mechanics

6. a) A hollow pipe has an external diameter of 150 mm and an internal diameter of

120 mm. Calculate the Second Moment of Area of the pipe section.
b) If the greatest stress that the pipe can withstand is 250 MNm-2 calculate the greatest
bending moment that the pipe can bear.

7. Two beams are of the same material and the same mass per unit length.
One beam has a circular cross-section and the other has a square cross-section

Compare the Section Moduli of the two beams.

8. The cantilever shown below has a tubular cross-section and bears a concentrated load W
at the free end. If the maximum allowable stress in the cantilever is 250 MNm-2 calculate
the greatest possible value of W.

(14.5 kN)

9. The cantilever below has a hollow circular cross-section. The cantilever has an outside
diameter of 75 mm, a length of 300 mm and carries a vertical load of 10 kN at its free
end.
If the maximum allowable stress in the cantilever is 150 MNm-2, calculate the largest
permissible internal diameter of the cantilever.

Bending

N. Walker

Page 11