Geometric Moments of Inertia for Homogeneous Planar Sections

Problem

For the following homogeneous planar section

a). find the coordinates yC′ and zC′ of the centroid with respect to the given
system of axes Oy'z' and represent the centroid on the figure;
b). calculate the geometric moments of inertia, that is
- the area moments of inertia (the moments of inertia of the area, the second
moments of the area) Iy and Iz and
- the area product of inertia (the product moment of the area) Iyz
with respect to a system of axes Cyz, whose axes have the same direction and sense as
the axes of the Oy'z' system.
c). determine the positions of the principal centroidal axes of inertia (PCAI) and
the values of the principal centroidal moments of inertia (PCMI).
d). calculate the principal centroidal radii of gyration.
The distance a [m] is known. Consider π ≈ 3.

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Solution:

a). The coordinates of the centroid C with respect to the given system of axes Oy'z'.

a1). Verify if the given section has any kind of symmetry.

Note that the straight line ∆ is an axis of symmetry for the given homogeneous planar
section. The centroid of the section belongs to the axis of symmetry:
C ∈∆ ⇔ yC′ = 6a [m] . (1)
In what follows, we only need to calculate the other coordinate of the centroid C with
respect to the given system of axes Oy'z', that is zC′ .

a2). Divide the section into simple components.

The section is composed of n = 3 parts:

(1) the rectangle ABDO ( )

(2) the disc with center C2 ( )
(3) the disc with center C3 ( )

The sign ( ) or ( ) written in the third column in the row of each component shows if
that component is added or if it is removed in order to obtain the final shape of the
given section. These signs will be used in only two steps of the solution of such a
problem, steps that will be signaled in what follows.

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a3). For each component (i) of the section calculate the coordinate zC′ i of the centroid
Ci and the area Ai.
Component 1: the rectangle ABDO:

 zC′ 1 = 3a [m]
 (2)
 A1 = AB ⋅ AO = 12a ⋅ 6a = 72a [m ].
2 2

Component 2: the disc with center C2:

 zC′ 2 = 2a [m]
 (3)
 A2 = πR22 =
πa 2 [m 2 ].

Component 3: the disc with center C3:

 zC′ 3 = 2a [m]
 (4)
 A3 = πR32 =
πa 2 [m 2 ].

a4). The previous calculations are tabulated as follows (in the table, the signs of the
areas of the components are those at step a2) of the solution):

Component zC′ i Ai zC′ i Ai

(1) 3a 72a2 216a3
(2) 2a πa2 –2πa3
(3) 2a πa2 –2πa3
3 3
A = ∑ Ai ∑ z′ A Ci i
i =1 i =1

The summations on the last row of the table:

3
=
A ∑ A=
i =1
i 72a 2 − πa 2 − πa=
2
(72 − 2π)a=
2
2(36 − π)a 2 [m 2 ]. (5)

A is the area of the given section.

3

∑ z′ A=
i =1
Ci i 216a 3 − 2πa 3 − 2πa=
3
(216 − 4π)a=
3
4(54 − π)a 3 [m3 ]. (6)

a5). The coordinates of the centroid of the given composite section are:
 yC′ = 6a [m] (resulted from the symmetry of the section)

 3
C:  ∑ zC′ i Ai
4(54 − π) a 3
54 − π 54 − 3 51
(7)
 z′ = i =1
= =2 a ≈ 2⋅ a = 2 ⋅ a ≈ 3.09a [m].
 C A 2(36 − π)a 2 36 − π 36 − 3 33

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Represent the centroid and the centroidal system of axes Cyz. Its axes have the same
direction and sense as the axes of the given Oy'z' system.

The Cyz system of axes is used at step b) of the solution to calculate the geometric
moments of inertia.

b). Since the given section is composed of n = 3 simple parts (components), the
geometric moments of inertia of the section with respect to the Cyz system of axes will
be calculated as algebraic summation of the corresponding moments of inertia of all
the parts; in order to be added, the moments of inertia of the parts must be calculated
with respect to the same system of axes. (It is meaningless to add moments of inertia
calculated with respect to different systems of axes.)
For each part of the given section (that is, for each of the three rectangles), we
know the values of the moments of inertia with respect to its own centroidal system of
axes ( C1 y1 z1 for component 1, C2 y2 z2 for component 2, C3 y3 z3 for component 3), and
not with respect to the system Cyz:

bh3 b3h
=I y1 = , I z1 = , I y1z1 0. (8)
12 12

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 πR 4
I=
y2 I=
z2 , I y2=
z2 0. (9)
4

In order to find the moments of inertia of the given section with respect to the
Cyz system of axes, we must firstly apply the Huygens – Steiner theorem for each part
of the section, in order to calculate its moments of inertia with respect to the Cyz system
of axes.

Component 1:
 (1) bh3 12a ⋅ (6a )3
 I y =I y1 + A1 zC1 =12 + A1 zC1 = 12 + 72a 2 ⋅ [−(3.09a − 3a )]2 =
(1) 2 2
  
 zC1 = −0.09a

 = (63 + 72 ⋅ 0.092 )a 4 = 216.58a 4 [m 4 ],
 (10)
 (1) b3h (12a )3 ⋅ 6a
 I z = I z1 = = =122 ⋅ 6a 4 =864a 4 [m 4 ],
(1)

 12 12
 I yz = 0 [m ] (since Cz is axis of symmetry).
(1) 4


Component 2:
 (2) πR 4 πa 4
I y = I y2 + A2 zC2 = + A2 zC2 = + πa 2 ⋅ [−(3.09a − 2a ]2 =
(2) 2 2

4 4   
 zC2 = −1.09a

 1 
 = π ⋅  + 1.092  a 4 = 4.31a 4 [m 4 ],
 4 
 (2) πR 4 πa 4
I z = I z2 + A2 yC2 = + A2 yC2 = + πa 2 ⋅ [−(6a − 2a )]2 =
(2) 2 2
(11)
4 4 
 yC2 = −4a

 1 
 = π ⋅  + 42  a 4 = 48.75a 4 [m 4 ],
 4 
 I = I + A y z = + πa 2 ⋅ (−1.09a ) ⋅ (−4a ) = 13.08a 4 [m 4 ].
(2) (2)
 yz  y2 z 2 2 C2 C2

 =0

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Component 3:
 (3) πR 4 πa 4
I y = I y3 + A3 zC3 = + A3 zC3 = + πa 2 ⋅ [−(3.09a − 2a ]2 =
(3) 2 2

4 4   
 zC3 = −1.09a

 1 
 = π ⋅  + 1.092  a 4 = 4.31a 4 = I y(2) [m 4 ],
 4 
 (3) πR 4 πa 4
I z = I z3 + A3 yC3 = + A3 yC3 = + πa 2 ⋅ (6a − 2a ) =
(3) 2 2 2
(12)
4 4   
 yC3 = 4a

 1 
 = π ⋅  + 42  a 4 = 48.75a 4 = I z(2) [m 4 ],
 4 
 I (3) =I (3) + A y z =+ πa 2 ⋅ (−1.09a ) ⋅ 4a =−13.08a 4 =− I (2) [m 4 ].
 yz  y3 z3 3 C3 C3 yz

 =0

Important remark: The convention of signs considered at step a2) was not applied and
must not be applied when we use the Huygens – Steiner theorem for each part of the
given section. The fact that a part of the section is added or is removed has nothing to
do with the calculation of the moments of inertia of that part!

Only now, after we already know the moments of inertia of the components with
respect to the same system of axes, we can algebraically add them in order to calculate
the moments of inertia of the given plate. This means that for the missing parts of the
given section, the moments of inertia must by multiplyed by (−1). Again, apply the
convention of signs from step a2).

 I y= + I y(1) − I y(2) − I y(3)= 216.58a 4 − 4.31a 4 − 4.31a 4= 207.96a 4 [m 4 ],


 Iz = + I z(1) − I z(2) − I z(3) =864a 4 − 48.75a 4 − 48.75a 4 =766.5a 4 [m 4 ], (13)

 I yz = + I yz − I yz − I yz = 0 − 13.08a − (−13.08a ) = 0 [m ].
(1) (2) (3) 4 4 4

The result I yz = 0 in eq. (13) is a consequence of the fact that the Cz axis is an axis of
symmetry.
c). Since ∆ =Cz is an axis of symmetry, it is one of the PCAI. The other PCAI should
be perpendicular to ∆ and pass through the centroid C, so Cy is the second PCAI.
It means that the area moments of inertia with respect to Cy and Cz, which have already
been calculated, are in fact the PCMI.
The result I yz = 0 in eq. (13) is also a consequence of the fact that the Cz axis is a PCAI.

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According to the results in (13), I z > I y . It results that
 4 not
 I max= I=
z 766.5a= I1 [m 4 ],
 (14)
 I min= I= 207.96a=4 not
I 2 [m 4 ].
 y

d). The principal centroidal radii of gyration:

From (5) we can aproximate:

=A 2(36 − π)a 2 ≈ 2 ⋅ 33=
a 2 66a 2 [m 2 ]. (15)
It results that
 I1 766,5a 4
=
1
i = = 3.4a [m],
 A 66a 2
 (16)
 I2 207.96a 4
=i
2 = = 1.77 a [m].
 A 66a 2

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