AR 3407: STRUCTURAL MECHANICS

Module 2

1. What do you mean by shear stresses in beams?

2. What do you mean by pure shear of beams? What are the assumptions followed for pure
shear of the beams?
3. Show that for a rectangular cross-section of the beams maximum shear stress is 1.5 times
the average stress. Maximum shear stress occur at neutral axis of the cross-section.
4. Prove that the shear stress distribution of a beam having rectangular cross-section with
width 𝑏 and height ℎ and at a distance y from the neutral axis is given by
𝑉 ℎ2
𝜏 = 2𝐼 ( 4 − 𝑦 2 ),

where 𝑉 is the shear force acting to the cross-section of the beam and 𝐼 is the moment of
inertia of the cross-section.
5. Show that maximum shear stress in a circular cross-section of a beam is 4/3 times the
average shear stress. Maximum shear stress occur at neutral axis of the cross-section.

Practice the following problems from the book of Mechanics of Materials by Gere and
Timoshenko.
Chapter 5 (Exercise problems)
5.3.4, 5.3.5, and 5.3.8 (For module 1)
5.5.3, 5.5.6, 5.5.10, and 5.5.11 (For module 2)
Also go through the problems discussed in class.