Mechanics of Materials III:

Beam Bending
Dr. Wayne Whiteman
Senior Academic Professional and Director of the Office of Student Services
Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
Module 32 Learning Outcome
• Continue design for an appropriate beam to be
used in a real world engineering problem.
Elastic Worksheet: A steel beam is subject to a loading and
Beam Design has a cross section as shown below, Design for an
appropriate wide flange I-beam to carry the load.
90 kN
145 kN/m 90 kN

0.6 m 1.8 m 0.6 m 0.9 m

M Listed in tables in “Manual of Steel

S 
MAX


PROPORTIAL
250 MPa Construction,” American Institute

LIMIT ( YIELD )
ACTUAL
( ALLOW ED )
 ACTUAL
 of Steel Construction (most of the
( ALLOW ED ) FoS 1 .2
resources are free to the public)

 1000 N   1000 mm 
Select
130 . 5 kN  m   
S   kN  m  W 356 X 45
 626 . 4 X 10
3 3
 250 MPa  mm
 N 
   2

S  688 X 10
mm 3 3
 1 .2    mm
 MPa 
 
Select W 356 X 45

S  688 X 10
3 3
mm

171 mm
9.8 mm

6.9 mm

166.2 mm
Neutral
352 mm axis

9.8 mm
W 356 X 45 171 mm

S  688 X 10
3
mm
3
.. A 9.8 mm
B
6.9 mm

166.2 mm
Neutral
352 mm axis
.
C

9.8 mm
Critical Checks
Maximum flexural stress experienced at extreme fiber due to
maximum bending moment along the length of beam
Maximum transverse shear stress experienced at neutral axis
due to maximum shear force along the length of the beam
Maximum principal stress at the junction of the web and At the junction of the web and the flange, the simultaneous
flange due to the highest combination of bending moment high normal stress due to bending and the large transverse
and shear force along the length of the beam shear stress make is a critical point for investigation
 171 mm
W 356 X 45 .A 9.8 mm
S  688 X 10
3 3
mm
6.9 mm

166.2 mm
Critical Checks Neutral
352 mm axis
Maximum flexural
stress experienced
at extreme fiber due
to maximum
bending moment
along the length of
beam 9.8 mm

 PROPORTIAL
LIMIT ( YIELD ) 250 MPa  208 . 3 MPa
 ACTUAL
 
( ALLOW ED ) FoS 1 .2

 ACTUAL
( ALLOWED ) 208 . 3 MPa
 ACTUAL
   104 . 6 MPa
( ALLOWED ) 2 2
 171 mm
W 356 X 45 .A 9.8 mm
S  688 X 10
3 3
mm
6.9 mm
Critical Checks
166.2 mm
Maximum flexural
Neutral
stress experienced 352 mm axis
at extreme fiber due
to maximum
bending moment
along the length of
I  121 X 10
6 3
beam mm
  104 . 6 MPa 
ACTUAL
( ALLOWED )
 A

A
 94 . 9 MPa
9.8 mm 2

Maximum Flexural Stress  A

 94 . 9 MPa   ACTUAL
 104 . 6 MPa
c is the furthest distance ( ALLOW ED )

M c
on the cross section from Ok!
 A

MAX
the neutral axis
I

 352 mm   352 mm   1000 N   1000 mm 

130 . 5 kN  m   130 . 5 kN  m    
 2   2  kN  m  N
 A
 6 4
 6 4  189 . 8  189 . 8 MPa
121 X 10 mm 121 X 10 mm mm
2