Stresses in a Crane Hook

1 Introduction
A crane hook is a curved beam and the simple theory of straight,
shallow beam bending does not apply. The stress distribution
across the depth of such a beam, subject to pure bending, is non
linear (actually hyperbolic) and the position of the neutral surface
is displaced from the centroidal surface towards the centre of
curvature. A rigorous solution is quite comple and some
simplifying assumptions are made in practice.
The diagrams below show the nomenclature used!
"n the epressions below
h # the depth of the beam.
A # the beam cross section area.
c
o
# distance from the neutral surface to outer $bre.
c
i
# distance from the neutral surface to inner $bre.
2 Suggested Simple Approach
The stress distribution due to the moment only can be found by
balancing the eternally applied moment against the internal
resisting moment. The result is!
sigma # % y&(A e(r
n
' y))
The critical stresses occur at the inner and outer surfaces!
sigma
i
# % c
i
&(A e r
i
) and sigma
o
# % c
o
&(A e r
o
)
The
di(cult part is
evaluating e
(or r
n
). e # )
' r
n
*alues that can be used for common sections are given
below!

Rectangl
e
Trapezium Circle
Area b d 0.5 d(b
i
+ b
o
) 3.14159 d

!4
R
0.5 (r
i
+
r
o
)
r
i
+ (d!3)(b
i
+ b
o
)!(b
i
+ b
o
) 0.5 (r
i
+ r
o
)
r
n
d!ln(r
o
!r
i
)
The equations for the stress, sigma, are for pure bending and for
a crane hook the bending moment is due to a force acting on one
side of the cross section. "n this case the bending moment is
calculated about the centroidal ais, not the neutral ais. Also
additional tensile and & or compressive stresses must be added to
the bending stresses, given by the two equations above, to obtain
the total stresses acting on the section.
The most highly stressed points in a typical crane hook area + and
,, see diagram below!
sigma
+
# - ) c
i
&(A e r
i
) . -&A (tension) and
sigma
,
# ' - ) c
o
&(A e r
o
) . -&A
The cross section of many crane hooks can be approimated to
that of a trape/ium giving rise to only a small error so the data
given above can be used. Alternatively a more rigorous approach
can be used, see reference (i) below.
3 Reference
i) 0Advanced %echanics of %aterials0, by A 1 ,oresi and 2 %
3idebottam, 4ohn 5iley and 3ons, 6th +d. 789:, "3,;! <'6=7'
96>?>'=.
)eturn to module introduction
@avid 4 Arieve, 7Bth August ?<<6.