CHAPTER

MECHANICS OF
MATERIALS
Shearing Stresses in Beams and Thin-Walled Members

PROF. AHMED B. SHURAIM

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
C I V I L E N G I N E E R I N G D E P T.
K I N G SAU D U N I V ER S I TY

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

Introduction

Distribution of normal and shearing

stresses satisfies
Fx x dA 0
Fy xy dA V
Fz xz dA 0

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Transverse loading applied to a beam

results in normal and shearing stresses in
transverse sections.

M x y xz z xy dA 0
M y z x dA 0
M z y x 0

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.
6-2

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

shear formula
Area=

Solving for ,

Noting that

shear formula

6-3

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CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

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6-4

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

Determination of the Shearing Stress in a

Beam
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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,

yx= 0. It follows that xy= 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
edges (D1 and D2) are significantly higher than
at the middle ( D.
6-5

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

Shearing Stresses xy in Common Types of Beams

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the distribution of shearing stresses in a transverse section of a

rectangular beam is parabolic. Making y = 0 in Eq. (6.9), we obtain the
value of the maximum shearing stress in a given section of a narrow
rectangular beam:

For American Standard (S-beam)

and wide-flange (W-beam) beams
VQ
It
V
max
Aweb

ave

6-6

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

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6-7

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

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6-8

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

Example 6.01

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.
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.
6-9

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SOLUTION:

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

Example 6.01

Determine the horizontal force per

unit length or shear flow q on the
lower surface of the upper plank.

Q Ay
0.020 m 0.100 m 0.060 m
120 10 6 m3
I

1 0.020 m 0.100 m 3
12
1 0.100 m 0.020 m 3
2[12

0.020 m 0.100 m 0.060 m 2 ]

16.20 10 6 m 4

VQ (500 N)(120 106 m3 )

q

I
16.20 10-6 m 4
3704 N
m

Calculate the corresponding shear

force in each nail for a nail spacing
of 25 mm.
F (0.025 m)q (0.025 m)(3704 N m
F 92.6 N
6 - 10

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SOLUTION:

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

Sample Problem 6.2

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SOLUTION:

Develop shear and bending moment

diagrams. Identify the maximums.
Determine the beam depth based on
allowable normal stress.

A timber beam is to support the

Determine the beam depth based on
three concentrated loads
allowable shear stress.
shown. Knowing that for the
grade of
timber used,
Required beam depth is equal to the
12 MPa
0.8MPa
larger of the two depths found.
determine the minimum
required depth d of the beam.
all

all

6 - 11

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

Sample Problem 6.2

Develop shear and bending moment

diagrams. Identify the maximums.
Vmax 14.5kN
M max 10.95 kN .m

6 - 12

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SOLUTION:

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

Determine the beam depth based on allowable

normal stress.

Determine the beam depth based on allowable

shear stress.

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Sample Problem 6.2

Required beam depth is equal to the larger of the two.

d 322mm.
6 - 13

CE 302:
Prof.
Further
Ahmed
Shuraim

Consider a narrow rectangular cantilever beam

subjected to load P at its free end:
3 P
y 2
xy
1 2
2 A
c

Pxy
I

Shearing stresses are independent of the distance

from the point of application of the load.
Normal strains and normal stresses are unaffected
by the shearing stresses.

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Discussion of the Distribution of

Stresses in a Narrow Rectangular Beam

From Saint-Venants principle, effects of the load

application mode are negligible except in immediate
vicinity of load application points.
Stress/strain deviations for distributed loads are
negligible for typical beam sections of interest.
6 - 14

CE 302:
Prof.
Longitudinal
Ahmed
Shuraim

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Shear on a Beam Element

of Arbitrary Shape

We have examined the distribution of

the vertical components xy on a
transverse section of a beam. We
now wish to consider the horizontal
components xz of the stresses.

Consider prismatic beam with an

element defined by the curved surface
CDDC.
Fx 0 H D C dA
a

Except for the differences in

integration areas, this is the same
result obtained before which led to
H

VQ
x
I

q
6 - 15

H VQ

x
I

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

Example 6.04
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SOLUTION:

Determine the shear force per unit

length along each edge of the upper
plank.

Based on the spacing between nails,

determine the shear force in each
nail.
A square box beam is
constructed from four planks as
shown. Knowing that the
spacing between nails is 1.5 in.
and the beam is subjected to a
vertical shear of magnitude V =
600 lb, determine the shearing
force in each nail.

6 - 16

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

Example 6.04
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SOLUTION:

Determine the shear force per unit

length along each edge of the upper
plank.

VQ 600 lb 4.22 in 3
lb
q

92
.
3
I
in
27.42 in 4
q
lb
46.15
2
in
edge force per unit length

For the upper

plank,
Q Ay 0.75in. 3 in .1.875 in.
4.22 in 3

For the overall beam crosssection,

I 1 4.5 in 3 1 3 in 3
12

27.42 in 4

12

Based on the spacing between nails,

determine the shear force in each
nail.
lb

F f 46.15 1.75 in
in

F 80.8 lb
6 - 17

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

Shearing Stresses in Thin-Walled Members

The longitudinal shear force on the

element is
H

VQ
x
I

The corresponding shear stress is

zx xz

H VQ

t x It

Previously found a similar expression

for the shearing stress in the web
xy

VQ
It

NOTE: xy 0
xz 0

in the flanges
in the web
6 - 18

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Consider a segment of a wide-flange

beam subjected to the vertical shear V.

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

Shearing Stresses in Thin-Walled Members

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The variation of shear flow across the

section depends only on the variation of
the first moment.
q t

VQ
I

For a box beam, q grows smoothly from

zero at A to a maximum at C and C and
then decreases back to zero at E.
The sense of q in the horizontal
portions of the section may be deduced
from the sense in the vertical portions
or the sense of the shear V.

6 - 19

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

Shearing Stresses in Thin-Walled Members

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For a wide-flange beam, the shear flow

increases symmetrically from zero at A
and A, reaches a maximum at C and the
decreases to zero at E and E.
The continuity of the variation in q and
the merging of q from section branches
suggests an analogy to fluid flow.

6 - 20

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

Plastic Deformations
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I
c

Recall: M Y Y maximum elastic moment

For M = PL < MY , the normal stress does

not exceed the yield stress anywhere along
the beam.
For PL > MY , yield is initiated at B and B.
For an elastoplastic material, the half-thickness
of the elastic core is found from
2

3
1
y
Y
Px M Y 1 2

2
3 c

The section becomes fully plastic (yY = 0) at

the wall when
3
PL M Y M p
2

Maximum load which the beam can support is

Pmax

Mp
L

6 - 21

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

Plastic Deformations
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Preceding discussion was based on

normal stresses only

Consider horizontal shear force on an

element within the plastic zone,

H C D dA Y Y dA 0

Therefore, the shear stress is zero in the

plastic zone.
Shear load is carried by the elastic
core, 3 P
y2
xy

2 A
yY

max

where A 2byY

3P
2 A

As A decreases, max increases and

may exceed Y
6 - 22

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

Sample Problem 6.3

For the shaded area,

Q 4.31in 0.770 in 4.815 in
15.98 in 3

The shear stress at a,

Knowing that the vertical
shear is 50 kips in a W10x68
rolled-steel beam, determine
the horizontal shearing stress
in the top flange at the point
a.

VQ 50 kips 15.98 in 3

It
394 in 4 0.770 in

2.63 ksi

6 - 23

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SOLUTION:

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Ahmed
Unsymmetric
Shuraim

Loading of Thin-Walled Members

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Beam loaded in a vertical plane

of symmetry deforms in the
symmetry plane without
twisting.
x

My
I

ave

VQ
It

Beam without a vertical plane

of symmetry bends and twists
under loading.
x

My
I

6 - 24

ave

VQ
It

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

Unsymmetric Loading of Thin-Walled Members

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If the shear load is applied such that the beam

does not twist, then the shear stress distribution
satisfies
D
VQ
ave
V q ds
It
B

F q ds q ds F

F and F indicate a couple Fh and the need for

the application of a torque as well as the shear
load.
F h Ve

When the force P is applied at a distance e to the

left of the web centerline, the member bends in
a vertical plane without twisting.

6 - 25

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

Example 6.05

Fh
I

where
b

b VQ

Vb h
F q ds
ds st ds
I0 2
0
0 I
Vthb2

4I

1 3
1 3
h
I I web 2 I flange th 2 bt bt
12
2
12
2

1 th 2 6b h
12

Combining,
e

h
2
3b

4 in.
6 in .
2
3 4 in .

e 1.6 in .
6 - 26

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Determine the location for the shear center of the

channel section with b = 4 in., h = 6 in., and t = 0.15 in.

CE 302:
Prof.
Ahmed
Shuraim

Example 6.06

q VQ

t
It

Shearing stresses in the flanges,

VQ V
h Vh
st
s
It
It
2 2I
Vhb
6Vb
B

2 1 th 2 6b h th 6b h

12

6 2.5 kips 4 in
2.22 ksi
0.15 in 6 in 6 4 in 6 in

Shearing stress in the web,

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Determine the shear stress distribution for

V = 2.5 kips.

1
VQ V 8 ht 4b h 3V 4b h
max

2
1
It
th 6b h t 2th 6b h
12

3 2.5 kips 4 4 in 6 in
3.06 ksi
2 0.15 in 6 in 6 6 in 6 in
6 - 27