Beams Part I: Bending Stresses

Figure 1: Harrison St. Bridge, Princeton, NJ (Photo credit: Paul Suozzo)

FORM: The Beam

A beam is a member that resists applied

loads in bending. In contrast to columns
and cables in which the loads are applied
along the main axis of the member, loads
on a beam are perpendicular to the
member. Types of beams include a
cantilever beam, simply supported,
continuous with constant cross-section,
and continuous with varying cross-
section (with haunches as shown in Figure 2: Cantilever Construction (Photo Credit:
Figure 1). David Billington)

CANTILEVER BEAM The moment, M at the fixed end of a

Cantilevered construction is a technique
used when assembling a prestressed
concrete bridge (you will learn about
prestressing in the next Structural Study)
and results in horizontal cantilevers
(segments of the deck) springing from
the bridge piers (see Figure 2).
cantilever due to a load, Q (lbs or k)
applied at the free end is: M = Q * L
where L is the length of the cantilever
(ft). For example, if a force of 10 lbs is
applied at the end of a 5 ft long
cantilever (see Figure 3), then the
moment about point A is:
M = Q * L = (10lbs) * (5 ft ) = 50lbs ft

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 produce different bending moment
diagrams.

Uniformly Distributed Load on a

Simply Supported Beam

Under a uniformly distributed load, q

Figure 3: Cantilever Example
SIMPLY-SUPPORTED BEAM
In contrast to a cantilever beam which
has one fixed and one free end, a simply
supported beam is pin supported on both
ends. At the pin supports of a simply
supported beam the beam has no
rotational resistance and therefore no
bending moment. This is similar to the
free end of a cantilever. (A free end has
no rotational resistance and there is no
bending moment at that location.)
Typically we design pin supports for a
beam so that one support prevents
translation in two directions, while the
other support allows for translation in
one direction. Graphically we represent
the first support as a triangle and the
second support as a circle. We refer to
this second support as a roller. See
Figure 4.
Figure 4: Schematic of a Simply Supported
Beam
(lbs/ft or k/ft) the vertical reaction, V at
q*L
each support is: V = . See Figure 5.
2
Unlike for a cable or arch where vertical
loads are transformed into horizontal
reactions by the sag or rise, for a beam
under vertical loads there is no
horizontal reaction.
Figure 5: Simply Supported Beam with a
Uniformly Distributed Load
The maximum bending moment, M (lbs-
ft or k-ft) occurs at the center (midspan)
of the beam and isi:
q * L2
M=
8
The bending moment at each of the pin
supports is zero. See Figure 6 for the
bending moment diagram.

FORCES & BENDING MOMENTS

For a horizontal beam, the loads were

concerned with act downward. Well
consider both concentrated loads, Q (lbs
or k) and uniformly distributed loads, q Figure 6: Moment Diagram for a Simply
(lbs/ft or k/ft) The applied loads result Supported Beam under a Uniformly Distributed
in bending in the beam. We quantify Load
bending behavior with bending
moments, and various loading scenarios

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EXAMPLE 1: Walnut Lane Bridge Step 2: Calculate the vertical reaction at
Under a Uniformly Distributed Load each support for each case:
For Two Different Loading Cases
CASE 1
q * L (1.72k / ft)* (160 ft)
V1 = 1 =
2 2

V1 = 138 k

CASE 2
Figure 7: Schematic of the Walnut Lane Bridge
Under a Uniformly Distributed Load
q2 * L (2.53k / ft)* (160 ft)
V2 = =
Determine: The vertical reaction and the 2 2
maximum moment for a single beam of
the Walnut Lane Bridge under a V2 = 202 k
uniformly distributed load for two
different loading cases. See Figure 7. Step 3: Calculate the maximum moment
for each case:
Given:
CASE 1
Case 1 considers only the beams self- q * L2 (1.72k / ft)* (160 ft)2
M1 = 1 =
weight. Case 2 consists of the beams 8 8
self-weight plus external dead load, and
live load. M1 = 5,500 k-ft

qself = 1.72 k/ft

qdead = 0.36 k/ft
qlive = 0.45 k/ft

Span, L =160 ft
Figure 8: Case 1 Moment Diagram

Solution:
CASE 2
Step 1: Calculate the total load acting on q * L2 (2.53k / ft)* (160 ft)2
M2 = 2 =
the bridge for each case: 8 8

CASE 1 M1 = 8,100 k-ft

q1 = qself = 1.72 k/ft

CASE 2
q2 = qself + qdead + qlive
q2 = 1.72 + 0.36 + 0.45 = 2.53 k/ft
Figure 9: Case 2 Moment Diagram

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Concentrated Loads on a Simply
Supported Beam FORCE COUPLE

Under a single concentrated load, Q A bending moment can be represented

applied at the midspan of a simply
supported beam the vertical reaction, V
Q Well refer to this distance as a.
(lbs or k) at each support is: V = . As
2
previously mentioned, there will be no
horizontal reaction. See Figure 10.
by a force couple, a set of equal and
opposite forces separated by a distance.
Under loads acting vertically downward
the beam deflects as shown in Figure 12.
This action causes the top of the beam to
squeeze together (compression), and the
bottom of the beam to stretch (tension).

Figure 10: Simply Supported Beam with a

Concentrated Load at Midspan
Figure 12: Deflection of a Simply Supported
Beam under a Uniformly Distributed Load
The maximum bending moment, M (lbs-
ft or k-ft) occurs at the center of the Well refer to the compression force as
beam and is: C and the tension force as T. The
Q*L equation to solve for C or T is:
M =
4 M
This value of moment can be obtained C =T = . See Figure 13.
a
by drawing a free-body diagram with a
cut at midspan the same procedure that
we used to obtain the maximum moment
for a uniformly loaded beam.
Figure 13: Internal Forces
The bending moment at each of the pin
supports is zero. See Figure 11 for the
For the commonly used steel I-beam (see
bending moment diagram.
Figure 14) the distance a, is the distance
from the center of the top flange to the
center of the bottom flange.

Figure 11: Moment Diagram for a Simply

Supported Beam with a Concentrated Load at Figure 14: I-Beam
Midspan

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 Solution:
Bending Stresses
Step 1: Calculate T and C at the point of
Bending stress, fb refers to the stress in a maximum moment for each case:
structure caused by bending. For a steel
I-beam, fb is calculated by distributing CASE 1
the force T or C over the area of the M 5, 500k ft
flange on which the force acts. The T1 = = C = T
a 5.84 ft
equations for fb is:
T1 = +942 kips C1 = -942 kips
T C CASE 2
f b (+) = f b () =
A flange A flange M 8,100k ft
T2 = =
a 5.84 ft
EXAMPLE 2: Stress in a Beam of the T2 = +1,387 kips C2 = -1,387 kips
Walnut Lane Bridge for Different
Loading Cases Step 3: Calculate the maximum bending
stress for each case:

CASE 1
T +942k
fb1 = = = +295ksf
A flange 3.2 ft 2
C 942k
fb1 = = = 295ksf
A flange 3.2 ft 2

Figure 15: Simplified Beam Cross-Sectionii

CASE 2
T +1, 387k
Determine: The maximum stress in a fb2 = = = +434ksf
beam in one of the simply supported A flange 3.2 ft 2
spans of the Walnut Lane Bridge for C ,1387k
each loading case as described in the fb2 = = = 434ksf
A flange 3.2 ft 2
previous example. Use the cross-section
shown in Figure 15.

Given: Continuous Beam with Constant

Case 1 Max Moment, M1 = 5,500 kip-ft
Case 2 Max Moment, M2 = 8,100 kip-ft
The area of the flange, Aflange = 3.2 ft2
The distance from the center of the top
flange to the center of the bottom flange,
a = 70.1 in = 5.84 ft
Cross-Section
If an engineer is to design a bridge with
three spans, one option is to design three
simply supported beams as shown in
Figure 16. This design scheme leads to
large moments (and stresses) in the
middle of each beam and zero moment
at the ends.

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 Figure 16: Three Simply Supported Spans
Another option is to design a continuous
beam with a uniform cross section as
shown in Figure 17.
Figure 17: Continuous Beam with a Uniform
Cross-Section
For this design scheme, part of the
midspan moment of the simply
supported beam (qL2/8) is transferred to
the supports, resulting in a reduced
moment at midspan but also introducing
moments at each interior support. One
can think of each span in a continuous
beam as a combination of two
cantilevers and a simply supported beam
as shown in Figure 18.
Figure 18: Approximation of Interior Span
The cantilever sections extend from the
interior supports (where the moment is at
a maximum for a cantilever) to the point
in the span where the internal moment
equals zero. The simply supported
portion of a continuous beam spans
between the two cantilevers and is the
section where the moment goes from
zero to a maximum and then back to
zero. See Figure 19.
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Figure 19: Interior Span Moment Diagram
Comparing Figures 17 - 19, the length of
the simply supported section of the
continuous beam, L, is less than L.
Since the moment at midspan is a
function of the length of the simply
supported section squared (qL2/8), the
midspan moment of a continuous beam
will be less than that of a simply
supported beam. For a continuous beam
the maximum moments occur at the
interior supports.
Haunched Continuous Beam
While a continuous beam is an
improvement on a series of simply
supported beams because it reduces the
bending moments, a further
improvement is a haunched beam. A
haunched beam has a varying cross-
section. The beam height, h, is greatest
at the interior supports where the
moments are largest and decreases
smoothly toward the midspans where the
moments are smaller than at the interior
supports. See Figures 1 and 20.
Figure 20: Continuous Beam with Haunches
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Summary of Terms Internal Forces: C = T =
M
a
-a: distance between C and T, [ft]
-Aflange: area of one of an I-beams Bending Stress for an I-beam:
flanges, [in2]
-C: compressive internal force, [lbs] or T C
[k] f b (+) = f b () =
A flange A flange
-fb: bending stress, [psi] or [ksi]
-h: height of a rectangular cross-section
in a beam, [in] Notes
-L: span length, [ft]
i
-M: bending moment, [lb-ft] or [k-ft] To calculate the maximum moment in
-q: distributed load, [lbs/ft] or [k/ft] a simply supported uniformly loaded
-Q: concentrated load, [lbs] or [k] beam, a cut is made of the beam at
-T: tensile internal force, [lbs] or [k] midspan and a free-body diagram is
-V: vertical reaction, [lbs] or [k] drawn as shown below. Note that shear
equals zero at midspan since the applied
Summary of Equations load q on this diagram equals the
reactions (there is vertical equilibrium).
Vertical Reaction at the Support of a
Simply Supported Beam Due to a
q*L
Uniformly Distributed Load: V =
2

Vertical Reaction at the Support of a

Simply Supported Beam Due to a
Concentrated Load Applied at Midspan:
Summing the moments about the left
Q support:
V =
2
qL L
Moment at the Fixed End of a Cantilever
M = 0 = M 2 4
Under a Concentrated Load Applied at qL2
the Free End: M = Q * L M=
8

Maximum Bending Moment in a Simply

Supported Beam Under a Uniformly ii
The actual cross-section of one of the
q * L2 beams for the Walnut Lane Bridge is:
Distributed Load: M =
8

Maximum Bending Moment in a Simply

Supported Beam Under a Concentrated
Q*L
Load Applied at Midspan: M =
4

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This example assumes the following
simplified cross-section:

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