Source:

Statics and Strength of Materials for

Architecture and Building Construction
- by Barry Onouye with Kevin Kane
Center of Gravity / Centroid

Center of gravity, or center of mass, refers to masses or

weights and can be thought of as a single point at which
the weight could be held and be in balance in all
directions. If the object is homogeneous, the center of
gravity and the centroid would coincide.
Centroid usually refers to the centers of lines, areas, and
volumes.
The centroid of cross-sectional areas (of beams and
columns) are used as the reference origin for
computing other section properties.
Center of Gravity / Centroid

The method of locating the center of gravity of a mass

or an area is based on the method of determining
the resultants of parallel force systems. If an area or
mass is divided into a large number of small, equal
areas, each of which is represented by a vector
(weight) acting at its centroid, the resultant vector of
the entire area would act through the center of
gravity of the total mass area.
The center of gravity of a mass or an area is the
theoretical point at which the entire mass or area
can be considered to be concentrated.
Center of Gravity / Centroid
Centroid of a plate with uniform thickness

Side views of the whole plate

Finding the Centroid of a Section
Area and Centroid of Two Commonly-Used
Shapes
Beam Bending under Load/Neutral Axis

The neutral axis, N.A. passes

through the centroid of the section.

Because of this bending action, we find that the lengths of the

upper parts of the beam (above the N.A.) decrease, while the
bottom parts of the beam (below the N.A.) lengthen. This action
has the effect of placing the upper portion of the beam in
compression and the lower portion of the beam in tension.
Centroid / Symmetrical and
Unsymmetrical Cross-sections of a Beam

Symmetrical
section

c = c1 = c2; f top = f bottom

Bending stress, f is directly proportional to the value c; therefore,
the largest bending stress on a cross-section is obtained by
selecting the largest c value for unsymmetrical cross-sections.

Unsymmetrical

cross section c = c1 f top > f bottom

Finding the Centroid of Composite Sections
Composite or more complex areas are first divided into
simpler geometric shapes with known centroids. A reference
origin is chosen (usually the lower left corner) to establish the
reference x and y axes. Then, moments of area are summed
about the reference x and y axes, respectively. The centroid
locates the new reference origin for subsequent computations
of
other cross-sectional properties (moment of inertia and
radius of gyration).

Composite
sections
Moment of Inertia of Commonly-
Used Shapes
Moment of Inertia on Structural Members –
Beams and Columns
The moment of inertia, or second-moment as it is
sometimes called, is a mathematical expression
used in the study of the strength of beams and
columns. It measures the effect of the cross-
sectional shape of a beam on the beam’s resistance
to bending stress and deflection. A beam section
with a large moment of inertia or I-value will have
smaller stresses and deflections under a given load
than one with a lesser I-value.
Instability or buckling of slender columns is also
affected by the moment of inertia of its cross-
section. A long, slender column will not be as
susceptible to buckling laterally if the moment of
inertia of its cross-section is sufficient.
Moment of Inertia of a Beam Section
The beam whose cross-sectional area had the greater moment of
inertia would have the greater resistance to bending. To have a
greater moment of inertia does not necessarily imply, however, a
greater cross-sectional area. Orientation of a cross-section with
respect to its bending axis is crucial in obtaining a large moment of
inertia.

Joist Plank
2”x6” 6”x2”

2” x 6” Joist 6” x 2” Plank

The joist is much more resistant to bending than the plank.

Rectangular section has a strong axis and a weak axis depending
upon its position with respect to bending.
Moment of Inertia of Composite
Areas
In steel and concrete construction, the cross-sections
usually employed for beams and columns are not like
the simple geometric shapes. Most structural shapes
are a composite of two or more of the simple shapes
combined in configurations to produce structural
efficiency or construction expediency. We call these
shapes composite areas.
Moment of Inertia of Composite
Areas – by the Parallel Axis Theorem
The parallel axis theorem provides a simple way
to compute the moment of inertia of a shape
about any axis parallel to the centroidal axis.
The principle of the parallel axis theorem may
be stated as follows:
The moment of inertia of an area with respect to
any axis not through its centroid is equal to the
moment of inertia of that area with respect to
its own parallel centroidal axis plus the product
of the area and the square of the distance
between the two axes.
Parallel Axis Theorem – to compute
Moment of Inertia of Composite Areas
Radius of Gyration
In the study of column behavior, we will be using the term
radius of gyration (r). The radius of gyration expresses the
relationship between the area of a cross-section and a
centroidal moment of inertia. It is a shape factor that
measures a column’s resistance to buckling about an axis.
Assume that a W14 x 90 steel
column (left figure) is axially-loaded
until it fails in a buckling mode
(right figure).

An examination of the buckled

column will reveal that
failure occurs about the y axis. A
measure of the column’s
ability to resist buckling is its
radius of gyration (r) value.
Computations of Centroid and Moment of
Inertia

Refer to the separate PDF File

(Supplementary)
Computations of Moment of Inertia