College of Engineering

Mech. Eng. Dept.

Subject: Strength of Materials
Second Class Lecturer: Sadiq Muhsin Almosawy

Curved Beams

Due to the curvature of the beam, the normal strain in the beam does not vary linearly
with depth as in the case of a straight beam .As result, the neutral axis does not pass
through the centroid of the cross section.
C7

If we isolate a differential segment of the beam let a strip material located at r distance
has an original length r dθ .Due to the rotations δθ/2, the strip's total change in length is
δθ(R-r)

 ( R  r )  Rr
 ,k     k( )
rd d r
Strain is a nonlinear function of r, in fact it varies in a hyperbolic fashion .Hooke's law
applies,

95
 College of Engineering
Mech. Eng. Dept.
Subject: Strength of Materials
Second Class Lecturer: Sadiq Muhsin Almosawy

Rr
  Ek ( )
r
 FR  0
Rr
 dA  0
A
  Ek (
A
r
)dA  0

dA
R   dA  0
A
r A

A
R
dA
A r
R-: The location of the neutral axis, specified from the center of curvature 0' of the
member.
A-:The cross -sectional area of the member.
r -:The arbitrary position of the area element dA on the cross section, specified from
the center of curvature 0' of the member.

96
College of Engineering
Mech. Eng. Dept.
Subject: Strength of Materials
Second Class Lecturer: Sadiq Muhsin Almosawy

My

Ae( R  y)

y=R-r , e= r -R
σ -:The normal stress in the member.
M -:The internal moment, determined from the method of sections equations of equilibrium
and computed about the centroidal axis .
A -:The cross-sectional area of the member.
R -:The distance measured from the center of curvature to the neutral axis.
r -:The distance measured from the center of curvature to the centroid of the cross-
sectional area.
r -:The distance measured from the center of curvature to the point where the stress σ
is to be determined.

M (ro  R)
o  Normal stress at the bar's top.
Aro (r  R)

M ( R  ri )
i  Normal stress at the bar's bottom.
Ari (r  R)

97
College of Engineering
Mech. Eng. Dept.
Subject: Strength of Materials
Second Class Lecturer: Sadiq Muhsin Almosawy

Example:-The curved bar has a cross-sectional area shown below .If it is subjected to
bending moments of 4 kN • m, determine the maximum normal stress developed in the
bar.

Area A(mm2) y-(mm) y-A(mm3)

rectangle 2500 225 562500
triangle 750 260 195000
3250 757500

r
 yA  757500  233.076 mm
 A 3250
A
R
dA
A r
 A  3250 mm
dA r br2 r
 R
 b ln 2  ln 2  b
r1 (r2  r1 ) r1
250 50  280 280
= 50 ln  ln  50  14.04389 mm
200 (280  250) 250
3250
R  231.417 mm
14.04389
M ( R  ri ) 4  10 3 (231.417  10 3  200  10 3 )
B     116.5373 MPa
Ari (r  R) 3250  10 6  200  10 3 (233.076  10 3  231.417  10 3 )

M (ro  R) 4  10 3 (280  10 3  231.417  10 3 )

A    128.7231 MPa
Aro (r  R) 3250  10 6  280  10 3 (233.076  10 3  231.417  10 3 )
The maximum stress at point A= 128.7231 MPa

98
College of Engineering
Mech. Eng. Dept.
Subject: Strength of Materials
Second Class Lecturer: Sadiq Muhsin Almosawy

Example:-The frame of a punch press is shown below. Find the stresses at the inner and
outer surface at section x-x of the frame if W=5000 N.

W
x x 25 mm 50 mm
W

6 mm 18 mm 100 mm

40 mm

bi  bo
A h
2 bo bi

h
18  6
A( )  40  480 mm 2
2
dA b r  bo ri r 18  65  6  25 65
 R
( i o
h
) ln o  (bi  bo )  (
ri 40
) ln
25
 (18  6)  12.365 mm

A 480
R   38.8175 mm
dA 12.365
A r 6 mm 18 mm

40 mm 25 mm

65 mm
2 2 -
Area(mm ) A(mm ) y (mm) y A(mm3)
-

rectangle 720 45 32400

Triangle -120 51.666 -6200
Triangle -120 51.666 -6200
480 20000

99
College of Engineering
Mech. Eng. Dept.
Subject: Strength of Materials
Second Class Lecturer: Sadiq Muhsin Almosawy

r
 yA  20000  41.666 mm
 A 480
M=W×d=5000×(100×10-3+41.666×10-3)=708.33 N.m
M ( R  ri ) W 708.33(38.8175  10 3  25  10 3 ) 5000
i    
Ari (r  R) A 480  10  25  10 (41.666  10  38.8175  10 ) 480  10 6
6 3 3 3

 296.747 MPa
M (ro  R) W 708.33(65  10 3  38.8175  10 3 ) 5000
o     
Aro (r  R) A 480  10  65  10 (41.666  10  38.8175  10 ) 480  10 6
6 3 3 3

 198.26 MPa

100