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 12 Learning Outcome
• Determine how to find and use the section
property of Section Modulus, S
 y
Beam Bending
M x M
.
y dA
σx M
y
x
Neutral axis
c

Recall Maximum Stress

M c c is the furthest distance
 MAX
 on the cross section from
I the neutral axis
Section Modulus
I M
S   MAX

c S
 y
Beam Bending
M x M
.
y
Section Modulus
I M Neutral axis
S   MAX

c S
Factor of Safety (FoS)
For Design
maximum bending FoS  1 avoids failure
moment expected
M Failure Stress 
FoS  
FAILURE
S 
MAX

 ACTUAL
Actual Stress  ACTUAL
( ALLOW ED ) ( ALLOWED )

Listed in tables in “Manual of Steel

Construction,” American Institute
of Steel Construction (most of the
resources are free to the public)
Beam Bending
y
σx M
x
Neutral axis

Elastic Flexural Formula Recall from my 2D and 3D

M y M Dynamics courses
   
I zz   x  y  dm
MAX P 2 2
x
I S
B
Area Moment of Inertia, I Mass Moment of Inertia about
= the z-axis through point P
I  r
2
dA
A How much mass is located how
A cross section’s resistance to far from the axis of rotation.
bending about a certain axis Resistance to angular
acceleration.
Therefore more area further from the
neutral axis provides greater resistance to
bending.
This is the reason for I-beam shapes, etc.