The Shear Formula

• Now consider horizontal

stresses acting on segment.
 ’
• Linearly varying normal
stresses  and ’ due to M
M  M + dM
and (M + dM)
• Shear stress  acting on
bottom surface.
• Considering force equilibrium
of segment: dx

 ' dA    dA  (t dx)  0

A' A'
----[1]

shear stress  acts over an area t dx

assuming  is constant through thickness t
 The Shear Formula
• From bending equation:


My
' 
M  dMy
and
I I

• Substituting into equation [1]:

M  dM M
A ' I y dA  A ' I y dA  (t dx)  0
• Expand first term:
M dM M
A ' I y dA  A ' I y dA  A' I y dA  (t dx)  0
dM
A ' I y dA  (t dx)  0
 The Shear Formula
dM
• Therefore:
I A '
y dA  (t dx )

1 dM
• Rearranging to obtain :  
It dx A '
y dA

• Simplified further: dM
V
dx

 y dA = first moment of area A’ about neutral axis = Q

A'

VQ Equation known as
• Hence:  the Shear Formula
It
 The Shear Formula
• Derivation considered shear stresses acting on beam’s
longitudinal plane.
• Because of complementary nature of shear also used to find
transverse shear stress on beam’s CSA.

• As derivation used bending equation shear formula only valid if:

– material behaves in a linear-elastic manner,
– material is homogeneous and isotropic,
– material has same Young’s modulus in tension and compression.
 VQ
The Shear Formula 
It
 = shear stress at distance y’ from neutral axis.
Assumed constant across width, t, of beam.
V = internal resultant shear force, determined from sectioning
beam and considering equilibrium.
I = 2nd moment of area of entire CSA about neutral axis.
t = width of beam, at position where  to be determined.
Q = 1st moment of area of top (or bottom) portion of CSA,
defined from section where t is measured.

Q calculated using Q  y' A '

A’ = area of top (or bottom) portion of CSA, defined from section

where t is measured
y' = distance to centroid of A’ measured from neutral axis.
 Shear Stresses in Rectangular Beams
• Consider a beam with rectangular
cross-section.
• width = b and height = h. h
V
• Distribution of shear stress
throughout cross-section found by
determining shear stress at b
arbitrary distance y from neutral
axis.

y
 Shear Stresses in Rectangular Beams
• First step is to calculate Q A’
– 1st moment of area of A’
about neutral axis. h
y y 2
Q  y A'
h 
A'  b   y  h
2 
2
1h 
y    y  y
22 
b
1  h   h 
Q     y   y b   y 
2  2   2 

1  h2 2
Q   y  b
2 4 
 Shear Stresses in Rectangular Beams
• Second step, calculate I. A’
• For rectangular beam of width
b and height h, I, about h
neutral axis is: y y 2

bh3
I
12 h
2
• Applying shear formula:

b
1 h 2

V   y 2 b
VQ 2 4 
 
It bh3 6V  h2 
 3  2 
 4 y 
b
12 bh  
 Shear Stresses in Rectangular Beams
6V  h2 
 3  2 
bh  4 y 
 
h
• Shows shear stress distribution
over cross section is parabolic.
2

• Intensity varies from 0 at top

and bottom where y = h/2. h
2
• To maximum at neutral axis
where y = 0.
 Shear Stresses in Rectangular Beams
• To calculate maximum value:

6V  h2 
max    h
bh3  4  0
  2
3V
max 
2 bh

h
• Remember area of total cross 2
section, A = bh

3V
max 
2A

• Max shear stress is 1.5 times

average value calculated from
simple formula  = V/A