AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES ANALYSIS OF

AIRCRAFT
– II STRUCTURES

(AER18R372)
© Kalasalingam academy of research and education
 Syllabus
SHEAR FLOW IN OPEN SECTIONS
Unit 2
Definition and expression for shear flow due
SHEAR FLOW IN OPEN
to bending, shear flow in thin-walled Open SECTIONS
sections with and without stiffening
elements, torsion of thin-walled Open
sections, the shear center of symmetric and Outcomes
unsymmetrical open sections, structural On completion of this unit, Students can able to
idealization analyze the thin walled open section beams supporting
shear loads, bending loads and torsional loads.

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Course Progress

Lesson 1. shear flow due to bending

Lesson 2. shear flow in thin-walled Open sections -

without stiffening elements
Lesson 3. shear flow in thin-walled Open sections - with
stiffening elements

Lesson 4. Torsion of thin-walled Open sections

Lesson 5. shear center of symmetric and unsymmetrical

open sections

Lesson 6. Structural idealization

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Lesson 5: Shear center of symmetric and unsymmetrical open sections
Topic 10: Problems on shear center of unsymmetrical open sections

The Shear centre is a point where a shear force can act without producing any twist in
the section.
At Shear centre of a section the applied force is balanced by the set of shear forces
obtained by summing the shear stresses over the section.
Shear centre is also known as the centre of twist.
When the load does not act through the shear center, in addition to bending, a twisting
moment will develop  in the section. 
The location of the shear center is independent of the direction and magnitude of the
transverse forces.
© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)
 Problem 1: Unsymmetrical Bending – Shear center

Determine the position

of the shear centre for a
channel section of
120mm by 120mm
outside and 10mm thick.

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Solution: Given Data

C-section
Applied load = F (Vertical Plane – on shear center)
channel section specification -120mm by 120mm outside and
10mm thick.

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Solution: Formulae Used

Parameter Formulae
Moment of Inertia, I
Ixx = {(breadth*height3)/12} + {Area*(y-Y)2)} ---- vertical load
(Ixx, Iyy, Ixy)
Shear center, e = (h2*t1*b2) / (4 Ixx)
Where, h- distance between the center lines of the flanges
t1 –thickness of flange
Shear center location for
b- length of flange up to the center line of the web
C- section Ixx – moment of inertia of the channel about axis of symmetry (X-X axis)
e- horizontal distance of applied vertical downward shear force from the
center of the web.

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Solution: Result

Parameter Result
Moment of
Ixx = 8113333mm4
Inertia, Ixx
Shear center, e
= (h2*t1*b2) / e = 49.3mm
(4 Ixx)

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Problem 2: Unsymmetrical Bending – Shear center

Determine the position of

shear center for unequal I-
section shown in figure.

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Solution: Given Data

I-section (Un-equal section)

Applied load = F (Vertical Plane – on shear center)

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Solution: Formulae Used
Parameter Formulae
Moment of Inertia, I
Ixx = {(breadth*height3)/12} + {Area*(y-Y)2)} ---- vertical load
(Ixx, Iyy, Ixy)
Shear center, e = (h2*t1*(b22-b12) / (4 Ixx)
Where, h- distance between the center lines of the flanges
t1 –thickness of flange of I-section
Shear center location for b1- Shorter length of flange up to the center line of the web
I- section b2- longer length of flange up to the center line of the web
Ixx – moment of inertia of the channel about axis of symmetry (X-X axis)
e- horizontal distance of applied vertical downward shear force from the
center of the web.

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Solution: Result

Parameter Result
Moment of
Ixx = 1303.2501mm4
Inertia, Ixx
Shear center, e
= (h2*t1*(b22- e = 4.538mm
b12) / (4 Ixx)

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Problem 3: Unsymmetrical Bending – Shear center
(Idealized structure)

Calculate the shear flow distribution in

the channel section shown in figure
produced by a vertical shear load of 4.8kN
acting through its shear center.
Assume that the walls of the section are
only effective in resisting shear stresses,
while the booms, each of area 300mm2,
carry all the direct stresses.

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education COURSE NAME

 Given Data:

C- channel section

Vertical shear load of 4.8kN acting
through its shear center.
The walls of the section are only effective
in resisting shear stresses,
The booms, each of area 300mm2, carry
all the direct stresses.

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Solution:

The effective direct stress-carrying thickness tD = 0

The centroid of area and the section properties refer to the boom areas
only.
Since Cx (and Cy as far as the boom areas are concerned) is an axis of
symmetry,
Ixy=0; also, Sx=0
© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)
 Formulae used:
Parameter Formulae
Ixx = {(breadth*height3)/12} + {Area*(y-Y)2)}
Moment of Inertia, I
Iyy = {(height*breadth3)/12} + {Area*(x-X)2)}
(Ixx, Iyy, Ixy)
Ixy = {Area*(x-X)*(y-Y))}

Shear flow, q

Shear force on an element

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Formulae used:
Parameter Formulae

Resultant shear force, S

The Moment Mq produced by

the shear flow q12 about any
point O in the plane of the web
Position of Shear center from the centroidal point,
Shear center
e = [(2A) / L12]

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Solution: Step by step procedure to find the shear
center location

Step 1: Find the shear flow distribution

Step 2: Calculate the shear force in each flanges and webs

Step 3: Find the resultant shear force, S

Step 4: Take moment about the centroid from the shear center (where the load is
applied)

Step 5: Find the shear center location from the centroidal axis.
© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)
 Result:

Parameter Result
Moment of
Ixx =48*106mm4
Inertia, I
Ixy = 0
(Ixx, Iyy, Ixy)

q1-2 = -6N/mm
Shear flow, q q2-3 = -12N/mm
q3-4 = -6N/mm

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Result:

Parameter Result

Resultant shear force, S S = 1200N

Moment Mq produced by the
shear flow q12 about any point Mq = 960000N-mm
O in the plane of the web
Shear Center, e e = 800mm

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Topic 10: Problems on shear
center of unsymmetrical open
sections

The effective direct stress-

carrying thickness tD = 0.

The centroid of area and the

section properties refer to the
boom areas only.

The shear center location can

be found by taking the moment
Fifth Lesson Summary
of the resultant shear force Shear center of symmetric and unsymmetrical
from the centroidal axis. open sections

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 References

T. Click
H. toG. Megson,
edit Master text stylesAircraft Structures for ◦ Engineering
Fourth level Students (Aerospace
◦ Second level ◦ Fifth level
Engineering) 6th
◦ Third level
Edition, Kindle Edition

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Problems on shear Problems on

Roadmap Problems on shear

center of symmetric
center of
unsymmetrical open
Definition and
expression for
Structural
Structural idealization
of thin walled open
section
idealization
open sections sections
Problems on torsion of thin-
walled Open sections
Expression for torsion of thin-
Problems on Expression for walled Open sections
shear flow in thin-walled
Open sections - with
stiffening elements Expression for shear flow in
thin-walled Open sections - with Problems on Expression for
stiffening elements shear flow in thin-walled
Open sections - without
stiffening elements

Definition and Expression for shear flow in thin-

expression for Problems on walled Open sections - without
shear flow due to shear flow due stiffening elements Lesson 1
bending to bending
Lesson 2

Lesson 3
Lesson 4

Lesson 5

Lesson
6

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Thank You!

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)