Bending stress

CHAPTER 5

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Bending stresses
When loads are applied perpendicular to the long axis of a
beam, bending moments are developed inside the beam,
causing it to bend. Observe a thin beam. The
characteristically curved shape shown in Figure below is
evident.
The fibers of the beam near its top surface are shortened and
placed in compression. Conversely, the fibers near the
bottom surface are stretched and placed in tension.

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Taking a short segment of the beam from above, we show in Figure 7–5 how the
shape would change under the influence of the bending moments inside the beam.
In part (a), the segment is in its initially straight form when it is not carrying a load.
Part (b) shows the same segment as it is deformed by the application of the bending
moments.
Lines that were initially horizontal become curved. The ends of the segment, which
were initially straight and vertical, remain straight.
However, now they are inclined, having rotated about the centroidal axis of the
cross section of the beam. The result is that the material along the top surface has
been placed under compression and consequently shortened.
Also, the material along the bottom surface has been placed under tension and has
elongated.

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In fact, all of the material above the centroidal axis is in compression.
The maximum shortening (compressive strain) occurs at the top.
Because stress is proportional to strain, it can be reasoned that the
maximum compressive stress occurs at the top surface.
Similarly, all of the material below the centroidal axis is in tension.
The maximum elongation (tensile strain) occurs at the bottom,
producing the maximum tensile stress.
We can also reason that if the upper part of the beam is in
compression and the lower part is in tension, then there must be some
place in the beam where there is no strain at all. That place is called
the “neutral axis,” which is coincident with the “centroidal axis” of
the beam.

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In summary, we can conclude the following:
In a beam subjected to a bending moment of the type shown in Figure,
material above the centroidal axis will be in compression with the
maximum compressive stress occurring at the top surface.
Material below the centroidal axis will be in tension with the
maximum tensile stress occurring at the bottom surface.
Along the centroidal axis itself, there is zero strain and zero stress due
to bending. This is called the neutral axis.

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It can be concluded from this discussion that these maximums are dependent on the
distance from the neutral axis (centroidal axis) to the top and bottom surfaces. We will
call that distance c.
The stress due to bending is also proportional to the magnitude of the bending moment
applied to the section of interest. The shape and dimensions of the cross section of the
beam determine its ability to withstand the applied bending moment.
We now state the flexure formula, which can be used to compute the maximum stress
due to bending.

σmax is the maximum stress (tension or compression) at the outermost fiber of the beam
M is the bending moment at the section of interest
c is the distance from the centroidal axis of the beam to the outermost fiber
I is the area moment of inertia of the cross section with respect to its centroidal axis

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Guidelines for Applying the Flexure Formula

1. Determine the maximum bending moment on the beam by drawing

the shearing force and bending moment diagrams
2. Locate the centroid of the cross section of the beam,
3. Compute the moment of inertia of the area of the cross section with
respect to its centroidal axis,
4. Compute the distance c from the centroidal axis to the top or bottom
of the beam, whichever is greater.
5. Compute the stress from the flexure formula,

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Example
For the beam shown, compute the maximum stress due to
bending. The cross section of the beam is a rectangle 100
mm high and 25 mm wide.
The load at the middle of the beam is 1500 N, and the length
of the beam is 3.40 m.

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STRESS DISTRIBUTION ON A CROSS SECTION OF A BEAM

The figure below showing the manner in which a segment of a beam

deforms under the influence of a positive bending moment. The
segment assumes the characteristic “bent” shape as the upper fibers
are shortened and the lower fibers are elongated.
The neutral axis, coincident with the centroidal axis of the cross
section of the beam, bends, but it is not strained. Therefore, at the
neutral axis the stress due to bending is zero.
Figure also shows that the ends of the beam segment, which were
initially straight and vertical, remain straight. However, they rotate as
the bending moment is applied.

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It can be reasoned, therefore, that there is a linear variation of strain with
position in the cross section as a function of the distance away from the neutral
axis.
Moving from the neutral axis toward the top of the section results in greater
compressive strain, while moving downward toward the bottom results in greater
tensile strain.
To represent the stress at some point within the cross section, we can express it
in terms of the maximum stress by noting the linear variation of stress with
distance away from the neutral axis.
Calling that distance y, we can write an equation for the stress, σ, at any point as

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The general form of the stress distribution shown in Figure 7–10 would occur in
any beam section having a centroidal axis equidistant from the top and bottom
surfaces.
For such cases, the magnitude of the maximum compressive stress would equal
the maximum tensile stress.

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If the centroidal axis of the section is not the same distance from both
the top and bottom surfaces, a characteristic of the tee shape shown in
Figure below the stress distribution shown would occur.
Still the stress at the neutral axis would be zero. Still the stress would
vary linearly with distance from the neutral axis. Now, the maximum
stress at the bottom of the section is greater than that at the top because it
is farther from the neutral axis. Using the distances cb and ct

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Example
The tee section shown in Figure is from a simply supported beam that carries a
bending moment of 11.3 kN · m
due to a load on the top surface.
Compute the stress due to bending
in the beam at the six axes a to f
indicated in Figure 7–13.
Then, plot a graph of stress versus
position in the cross section.

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