Shear Centre (1) ----- Ref: Gere & Timoshenko pp312-316, 323-328

1. Introduction
In the last two lectures we looked at the shear stress distribution for different shaped beams. The presence of
shear stresses in beams was shown to be a result of the change in bending moment from one point along the
beam to another. From an analysis of the direct stresses due to bending and equilibrium of an element of the
beam we derived the shear formula for parallel sided beams.
All the beams considered previously were symmetric about the y-axis which coincided with the line of action of
the shear force. A more general case would be a beam which is not symmetric such as the one shown in Fig.1

2. Shear centre of singly symmetric beam

Consider the beam cross section in Fig.1 with a bending moment about the z-axis. If we split the section into
three rectangles we can estimate the amount of the bending moment carried by each part. Each part has the
same N-A and hence the same curvature. The moment carried by each part is
proportional to the second moment of area of the part about the N-A (z-axis)
and from Hooke's law:
S
M1 M 2 M 3 3
κ= = = (1)
EI 1 EI 2 EI 3 2
Since I3<<I1 and I2 we can neglect the moment carried by the web part. Thus 1
the applied moment Mz is
M z = M1 + M 2 (2) h1
h
M1 M 2
From (1) = (3) Fig.1 Cross section of beam
I1 I2
From Eqs(2) and (3) the moment carried by each flange are

M z I1 M zI2
M1 = M2 = (4)
I1 + I 2 I1 + I 2
Since the shear force Q=dM/dx the ratio of M1 and M2 and Q1 to Q2 are equal i.e.
Q1 M 1
= (5)
Q2 M 2
Also the total shear force P=Q=Q1+Q2. From this and Eqs(4) and (5) we get the respective shear forces
QI 1 QI 2
Q1 = Q2 = (6)
I1 + I 2 I1 + I 2
The line of action of the resultant of these two forces gives the SHEAR CENTRE of the cross section. Q1 acts
through the centriod of the left hand flange while Q2 acts through the centroid of the right hand flange. If the
resultant, P, acts through the point S, a distance h1 from the line of action of Q1 we can obtain an expression for
the distance, h1 from the law of the lever:
Q2 h
Q1 h1 = Q 2 (h − h1 ) ⇒ h1 =
Q1 + Q 2 (7)
where h is the distance between the centroids of the two flanges. Substituting for Q1 and Q2 from Eq(6)
⎛ QhI 2 ⎞ ⎛ QI 1 QI 2 ⎞ I2h
h1 = ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ ⎜⎜ + ⎟⎟ = (8)
⎝ I1 + I 2 ⎠ ⎝ I1 + I 2 I1 + I 2 ⎠ I1 + I 2
12
Example: Calculate the location of the shear centre for the beam 12
in Fig.2
10
3 6 4 250 175
Solution: For the left flange : I1=12×250 /12=15.62×10 mm
Similarly: I2=12×1753/12=5.36×106mm4 2
The distance between the flange centres is 375-12=363 mm. 1
Neglecting the 10mm thick web,
h1
I2h 5.36 × 363 375
h1 = = = 92.7 mm
I 1 + I 2 15.62 + 5.36 Fig.2 Example (dims in mm)
 From the centroid of the left flange, i.e. 98.7 from the leftmost face.
(Note that the centroid of the whole x-section is located 166 mm from the leftmost face)

Exercise: Check the position of the centroid above.

From the example we can deduce that the shear centre occurs between the centroid of the whole section and the
larger of the two flanges. This is proved by algebra in G&T on pp314 and 315.

3. T sections and doubly symmetric sections

Figure 3 shows a T beam loaded parallel to the flange. Since I2 is zero, h1 is zero from Eq.(8). Therefor the
shear centre of a T acts through the centroid of the flange.
In the I section in Figure 3, I1= I2 and from Eq(8) the distance h1=h/2 , i.e. at the mid point of the web. From
this evidence we might deduce that if the cross section is symmetric then the shear centre will lie on the axis of
symmetry. If a section is double symmetric, then the shear centre will be at the centroid.

1 2
h1
h h

Fig.3 T and I sections

4. Effect of shear centre on beam behaviour

Having derived the location of the shear centre and found that in many cases it does NOT coincide with the
centroid we should consider the implications of this on beams. The shear centre is the point through which the
forces due to shear stresses act. It is a property of the shape of the cross section and is related to the I values of
the various parts of the section.
If a shear force is applied to a beam at the shear centre
then the two lines of action (action and reaction)
coincide. If the load is applied anywhere else then a
couple is induced. This is equal to the applied force times
the distance between its line of action and shear centre.
Figure 4 demonstrates this. The resultant is a force
through the shear centre and a couple equal to P⋅e. The
couple causes the beam to twist in torsion. The skew load
P can then be broken down into a vertical component for
bending about the z-axis, a horizontal component about
the y-axis and a twist about the x-axis (along the length
of the beam). The two bending components result in
direct stresses which can be superimposed. The torsion
results in a pure shear stress. Fig.4 Load not acting at shear centre