ASP 310 AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES II laboratory 1

Shear Center Location of Open Section – Channel

Aim: To determine the shear center location of an open section - channel

Theory: For any unsymmetrical section there exists a point at which any vertical force does not
produce a twist of that section. This point is known as the shear center. The location of this
shear center is important in the design of beams of open sections when they should bend
without twisting, as they are weak in resisting torsion. A thin walled channel section with its
web vertical has a horizontal axis of symmetry and the shear center lies on it. The aim of the
experiment is to determine its location on this axis if the applied shear to the tip section is
vertical (i.e. along the direction of one of the principal axes of the section) and passes through
the shear center tip, all other sections of the beam do not twist.

Test setup description: A thin walled uniform cantilever beam of channel section is fastened
firmly to the vertical member of the base frame structure. At the free end of the beam or
channel section two external flanges are attached on either side of the web with a hole on both
the ends of the flange to which the loading hangers with hooks are suspended thereby to
facilitate vertical loading. A strip of suitable length is placed on the surface of the upper flange
of the section on which two dial gauges are placed to note the deflection on the beam under
different loading conditions. Two magnetic stands are provided to mount the dial gauge firmly
at a known distance apart over the top flange. Two loading hangers with suitable weight of 0.6
Kg say six numbers of 100g weights are provided to note the deflection at every 100g of
weight being added. The whole experimental arrangement is placed on an aluminum
extrusion of suitable size

Experimental Procedure:
1. Mount the two dial gauges (dial gauge to be mounted as near to the web as possible) using
the

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 ASP 310 AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES II laboratory 2

magnetic stand provided on both ends of the flange at a known distance apart at the free end
of the
beam and set the dial gauge initial reading.
2. Now place the weight hanger on the both ends of the flange extending from the web of the
section and
fix the dial gauges and note down the initial readings.
3. Place the total weight says 0.6 Kg (excluding load hanger weight) load at position A (6
numbers of 100g
slotted weight pieces will make up the net load value) and note down the corresponding dial
gauge
readings. Dial gauge located at position A will rotate in anticlockwise direction and the dial
gauge
located at position B will rotate in clockwise direction. Note down the readings indicated in
both the
dial gauges and tabulate it accordingly
4. Now remove one 100g weight from the load hanger at position A and place in the load
hanger located
at position B. This means that the total vertical load on this section will be reduced by 100g.
Now
record the dial gauge readings.
5. Similarly transfer the entire load from the hanger located at position A to the hanger located
at position
B one after the other carefully noting down the dial gauge readings at each instance. This
procedure
ensures that while the magnitude of the resultant vertical force remains the same its line of
action
shifts by a known amount along AB every time a load piece is shifted. Calculate the distance ‘e’
from
the line of action from the web thus:
e = 2Wv

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 ASP 310 AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES II laboratory 3

AB (Wa−Wb)
6. For every load case calculate the algebraic difference between the dial gauge (u-v) readings
as the
measure of the angle of twist θ suffered by the section.
Though a nominal value of 0.6 Kg total load is suggested it can even be less also. In that case
the number of
readings taken will also be reducing proportionately.
Specification
▪ Length of the specimen or beam (L) : 500 mm
▪ Height of the web (h) : 100 mm
▪ Width of the flange (w) : 50 mm
▪ Thickness of the specimen : 2 mm
▪ Material of the specimen or beam : Aluminum
▪ Distance between the two hook stations (AB) : 310 mm
▪ Displacement measurement : by using dial gauges
▪ Least count of dial gauges : 0.01 mm
▪ Loading (Manually) : by using slotted weights & weight hanger
▪ Maximum Loading : up to 0.6 Kg

Instruments Required
▪ Dial gauges
▪ Magnetic stands

Formulae
3b
Shear Center , e Theo =
A
( )
6+ w
Af

Where,
b=breadth of the flange∈mm
A w =Area of web∈mm2=h t 2
A f = Areaof flange∈mm2=ht 1

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 ASP 310 AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES II laboratory 4

t 1=thickness of flange∈mm
t 2=thickness of web∈mm
h=height of the web∈mm

AB ( W a−W b )
Shear Center , e exp=
2W V

W v =W a +W b
Where,
AB=center distance between two loading point ∈mm

Observation Table

Tabulation

Wv Loading in Kg Dial gauge reading in div d1- d2 Shear Center

“e”
S.No in Kg Wa Wb da db

1 0.6 0.6 0 2 0.94 5.03 -1.85 2.79 155

2 0.6 0.5 0.1 2.25 0.69 4.44 -1.26 1.95 103.33

3 0.6 0.4 0.2 2.5 0.44 3.78 -0.6 1.04 51.67

4 0.6 0.3 0.3 2.74 0.2 2.16 1.02 -0.8 0

5 0.6 0.2 0.4 3.12 -0.18 2.49 0.69 -0.87 -51.67

6 0.6 0.1 0.5 3.30 -0.36 1.80 1.38 -1.74 -103.33

7 0.6 0 0.6 3.58 -0.64 1.16 2.02 -2.66 -155

Theoretical Calculation of ‘C’ Section

3b
Shear Center , e=
A
( )
6+ w
Af

Where,
b=breadth of the flange∈mm
A w =Area of web∈mm2=h t 2
A f = Areaof flange∈mm2=ht 1
t 1=thickness of flange∈mm

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 ASP 310 AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES II laboratory 5

t 2=thickness of web∈mm
h=height of the web∈mm

Calculation:

t1 = 2 mm, t2 = 2 mm, b = 50mm, h = 100 mm

Aw = ht2

= 100x 2

Aw = 200 mm2

A f = b t1

= 50 x 2

Af = 100 mm2

Shear Center, e = (3*50)/(6+(200/100))

=18.75mm

Shear Center, e = 18.75 mm

AB=310mm

1. Wa=0.6 kg,Wb= 0
e=AB(Wa-Wb)/2Wv
=310(0.6)/2*0.6=155mm

2. Wa=0.5 kg,Wb= 0.1

e=AB(Wa-Wb)/2Wv
=310(0.5-0.1)/2*0.6=103.33mm

3.Wa=0.4kg,Wb= 0.2

e=AB(Wa-Wb)/2Wv
=310(0.4-0.2)/2*0.6=51.67mm

4.Wa=0.3 kg,Wb= 0.3

e=AB(Wa-Wb)/2Wv
=310(0.3-0.3)/2*0.6=0mm

5.Wa=0.2 kg,Wb= 0.4

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 ASP 310 AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES II laboratory 6

e=AB(Wa-Wb)/2Wv
=310(0.2-0.4)/2*0.6=-51.67mm

6.Wa=0.1 kg,Wb= 0.5

e=AB(Wa-Wb)/2Wv
=310(0..1-0.5)/2*0.6=-103.33mm

7.Wa=0kg,Wb= 0.6

e=AB(Wa-Wb)/2Wv
=310(0-0.6)/2*0.6=-155mm

Plot a graph: (based on the tabular observation):

200
155
150
103.33
100
51.67
50
calculated
e in mm

0
0
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
-51.67
-50

-103.33
-100

-155
-150

-200
d1-d2

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 ASP 310 AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES II laboratory 7

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