Shear stress

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Shear Force and Shear Stress
The internal forces and the corresponding stresses
discussed in previous Section were normal to the section
considered. A very different type of stress is obtained when
transverse forces P and P’ are applied to a member AB.
Passing a section at C between the points of application of
the two forces we obtain the diagram of portion AC. We
conclude that internal forces must exist in the plane of the
section, and that their resultant is equal to P.

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Shear Force and Shear Stress
These elementary internal forces are called shearing forces, and the
magnitude P of their resultant is the shear in the section. Dividing the
shear P by the area A of the cross section, we obtain the average
shearing stress in the section. Denoting the shearing stress by the
Greek letter (tau), we write

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Shear Force and Shear Stress
Shearing stresses are commonly found in bolts, pins, and rivets used to
connect various structural members and machine components.

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Shear Strength
When a hole is punched on a steel plate or is cut by guillotine, the
failure of the material occurs not in a plane normal to the force, as in
the case of tension or compression, but as a sliding failure parallel to
the load applied.
The material is said
to shear under action
of a shear force.

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Shear strength

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Single and Double Shear
Consider the two plates A and B, which are connected
by a bolt CD. If the plates are subjected to tension
forces of magnitude F, stresses will develop in the
section of bolt corresponding to the plane EE’. Drawing
the diagrams of the bolt and of the portion located
above the plane EE’ we conclude that the shear P in the
section is equal to F. The average shearing stress in the
section is obtained, according to formula by dividing
the shear P = F by the area A of the cross section:

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 Single and Double Shear
The bolt we have just considered is said to be in single shear.
Different loading situations may arise, however. For example, if splice plates C and D
are used to connect plates A and B, shear will take place in bolt HJ in each of the two
planes KK’ and LL’ (and similarly in bolt EG). The bolts are said to be in double shear.

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Single and Double Shear
To determine the average shearing stress in each plane, we draw free-
body diagrams of bolt HJ and of the portion of bolt located between the
two planes. Observing that the shear P in each of the sections is P= F/2,
we conclude that the average shearing stress is

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Example
Determine the shearing stress at pin C shown in the figure below.

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Example
If the diameter of the mild steel pin in figure is 10mm, and the
maximum force applied to coupling is 11.3 kN, what is the shear stress
in the material of the pin and the factor of safety.

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