Third Edition

MECHANICS OF

6
CHAPTER

MATERIALS
Ferdinand P. Beer
E. Russell Johnston, Jr. Shearing Stresses in
John T. DeWolf
Beams and Thin-
Lecture Notes:
J. Walt Oler
Walled Members
Texas Tech University

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Shearing Stresses in Beams and

Thin-Walled Members
Introduction
Shear on the Horizontal Face of a Beam Element
Example 6.01
Determination of the Shearing Stress in a Beam
Shearing Stresses txy in Common Types of Beams
Further Discussion of the Distribution of Stresses in a ...
Sample Problem 6.2
Longitudinal Shear on a Beam Element of Arbitrary Shape
Example 6.04
Shearing Stresses in Thin-Walled Members
Plastic Deformations
Sample Problem 6.3
Unsymmetric Loading of Thin-Walled Members
Example 6.05
Example 6.06

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Introduction
• Transverse loading applied to a beam
results in normal and shearing stresses in
transverse sections.

• Distribution of normal and shearing

stresses satisfies
Fx    x dA  0  
M x   y  xz  z  xy dA  0
Fy    xy dA  V M y   z  x dA  0
Fz    xz dA  0 M z    y  x   0

• When shearing stresses are exerted on the

vertical faces of an element, equal stresses
must be exerted on the horizontal faces

• Longitudinal shearing stresses must exist

in any member subjected to transverse
loading.
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Shear on the Horizontal Face of a Beam Element

• Consider prismatic beam
• For equilibrium of beam element
 Fx  0  H    D   D dA
A
M D  MC
H   y dA
I A
• Note,
Q   y dA
A
dM
M D  MC  x  V x
dx

• Substituting,
VQ
H  x
I
H VQ
q   shear flow
x I

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Shear on the Horizontal Face of a Beam Element

• Shear flow,
H VQ
q   shear flow
x I
• where
Q   y dA
A
 first moment of area above y1
2
I  y dA
A  A'
 second moment of full cross section

• Same result found for lower area

H  VQ
q     q
x I
Q  Q  0
 first moment with respect
to neutral axis
H    H

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Example 6.01

SOLUTION:
• Determine the horizontal force per
unit length or shear flow q on the
lower surface of the upper plank.

• Calculate the corresponding shear

force in each nail.
A beam is made of three planks,
nailed together. Knowing that the
spacing between nails is 25 mm and
that the vertical shear in the beam is
V = 500 N, determine the shear force
in each nail.

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Example 6.01

SOLUTION:
• Determine the horizontal force per
unit length or shear flow q on the
lower surface of the upper plank.
VQ (500 N)(120  106 m3 )
q 
I 16.20  10-6 m 4
Q  Ay
 3704 N
 0.020 m  0.100 m 0.060 m  m

 120  106 m3
• Calculate the corresponding shear
I 1 0.020 m 0.100 m 3
 12 force in each nail for a nail spacing
 2[121 0.100 m 0.020 m 3 of 25 mm.
F  (0.025 m)q  (0.025 m)(3704 N m
 0.020 m  0.100 m 0.060 m 2 ]
F  92.6 N
 16.20  106 m 4

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Determination of the Shearing Stress in a Beam

• The average shearing stress on the horizontal
face of the element is obtained by dividing the
shearing force on the element by the area of
the face.
H q x VQ x
 ave   
A A I t x
VQ

It

• On the upper and lower surfaces of the beam,

yx= 0. It follows that xy= 0 on the upper and
lower edges of the transverse sections.

• If the width of the beam is comparable or large

relative to its depth, the shearing stresses at D1
and D2 are significantly higher than at D.

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Shearing Stresses xy in Common Types of Beams

• For a narrow rectangular beam,
VQ 3 V  y 2 
 xy   1

Ib 2 A  c 2 
3V
 max 
2A

• For American Standard (S-beam)

and wide-flange (W-beam)
beams VQ
 ave 
It
V
 max 
Aweb

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Further Discussion of the Distribution of

Stresses in a Narrow Rectangular Beam
• Consider a narrow rectangular cantilever beam
subjected to load P at its free end:
3 P  y 2  Pxy
 xy  1 x  
2 A  c 2  I

• Shearing stresses are independent of the distance

from the point of application of the load.
• Normal strains and normal stresses are unaffected
by the shearing stresses.
• From Saint-Venant’s principle, effects of the load
application mode are negligible except in immediate
vicinity of load application points.
• Stress/strain deviations for distributed loads are
negligible for typical beam sections of interest.

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Sample Problem 6.2

A timber beam is to support the three
concentrated loads shown. Knowing
that for the grade of timber used,
 all  1800 psi  all  120 psi
determine the minimum required
depth d of the beam.
SOLUTION:
• Develop shear and bending moment
diagrams. Identify the maximums.
• Determine the beam depth based on
allowable normal stress.
• Determine the beam depth based on
allowable shear stress.
• Required beam depth is equal to the
larger of the two depths found.

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Sample Problem 6.2

SOLUTION:
Develop shear and bending moment
diagrams. Identify the maximums.

Vmax  3 kips
M max  7.5 kip  ft  90 kip  in

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Sample Problem 6.2

• Determine the beam depth based on allowable
normal stress.
M max
 all 
S
90  103 lb  in.
1800 psi 
0.5833 in.d 2
d  9.26 in.
1 bd3
I  12 • Determine the beam depth based on allowable
I shear stress.
S   16 b d 2 3 Vmax
c  all 
2 A
 16 3.5 in.d 2
3 3000 lb
120 psi 
 0.5833in.d 2 2 3.5 in.d
d  10.71in.

• Required beam depth is equal to the larger of the

two.
d  10.71in.

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Longitudinal Shear on a Beam Element

of Arbitrary Shape
• We have examined the distribution of
the vertical components xy on a
transverse section of a beam. We
now wish to consider the horizontal
components xz of the stresses.
• Consider prismatic beam with an
element defined by the curved surface
CDD’C’.
 Fx  0  H    D   C dA
a
• Except for the differences in
integration areas, this is the same
result obtained before which led to
VQ H VQ
H  x q 
I x I

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Example 6.04

SOLUTION:
• Determine the shear force per unit
length along each edge of the upper
plank.

• Based on the spacing between nails,

determine the shear force in each
nail.

A square box beam is constructed from

four planks as shown. Knowing that the
spacing between nails is 1.5 in. and the
beam is subjected to a vertical shear of
magnitude V = 600 lb, determine the
shearing force in each nail.

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Example 6.04
SOLUTION:
• Determine the shear force per unit
length along each edge of the upper
plank.
q 

VQ 600 lb  4.22 in 3 
 92 .3
lb
I 27.42 in 4 in
q lb
f   46.15
2 in
For the upper plank,  edge force per unit length
Q  Ay  0.75in.3 in.1.875 in.
• Based on the spacing between nails,
 4.22 in 3
determine the shear force in each
nail.
For the overall beam cross-section,
 lb 
3
1 4.5 in   1 3 in  3 F  f    46.15 1.75 in 
I  12 12  in 
 27.42 in 4 F  80.8 lb

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Shearing Stresses in Thin-Walled Members

• Consider a segment of a wide-flange
beam subjected to the vertical shear V.
• The longitudinal shear force on the
element is
VQ
H  x
I
• The corresponding shear stress is
H VQ
 zx   xz  
t x It

• Previously found a similar expression

for the shearing stress in the web
VQ
 xy 
It
• NOTE:  xy  0 in the flanges
 xz  0 in the web

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Shearing Stresses in Thin-Walled Members

• The variation of shear flow across the
section depends only on the variation of
the first moment.
VQ
q t 
I

• For a box beam, q grows smoothly from

zero at A to a maximum at C and C’ and
then decreases back to zero at E.

• The sense of q in the horizontal

portions of the section may be deduced
from the sense in the vertical portions
or the sense of the shear V.

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Shearing Stresses in Thin-Walled Members

• For a wide-flange beam, the shear flow

increases symmetrically from zero at A
and A’, reaches a maximum at C and the
decreases to zero at E and E’.

• The continuity of the variation in q and

the merging of q from section branches
suggests an analogy to fluid flow.

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Plastic Deformations
I
• Recall: M Y   Y  maximum elastic moment
c
• For M = PL < MY , the normal stress does
not exceed the yield stress anywhere along
the beam.
• For PL > MY , yield is initiated at B and B’.
For an elastoplastic material, the half-thickness
of the elastic core is found from
3  1 yY2 
Px  M Y 1  2 
2  3c 
 
• The section becomes fully plastic (yY = 0) at
the wall when
3
PL  M Y  M p
2
• Maximum load which the beam can support is
Mp
Pmax 
L
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Plastic Deformations
• Preceding discussion was based on
normal stresses only

• Consider horizontal shear force on an

element within the plastic zone,
H   C   D dA   Y   Y dA  0
Therefore, the shear stress is zero in the
plastic zone.

• Shear load is carried by the elastic

core, 3 P  y 2 
 xy  1   where A  2byY

2 A  yY 
2

3P
 max 
2 A

• As A’ decreases, max increases and

may exceed Y
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Sample Problem 6.3

SOLUTION:
• For the shaded area,
Q  4.31in 0.770 in 4.815 in 
 15.98 in 3

• The shear stress at a,

Knowing that the vertical shear is 50  


VQ 50 kips  15.98 in 3 
kips in a W10x68 rolled-steel beam,
It  
394 in 4 0.770 in 
determine the horizontal shearing   2.63 ksi
stress in the top flange at the point a.

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Unsymmetric Loading of Thin-Walled Members

• Beam loaded in a vertical plane

of symmetry deforms in the
symmetry plane without
twisting.
My VQ
x    ave 
I It

• Beam without a vertical plane

of symmetry bends and twists
under loading.
My VQ
x    ave 
I It

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Unsymmetric Loading of Thin-Walled Members

• If the shear load is applied such that the beam
does not twist, then the shear stress distribution
satisfies
VQ D B E
 ave  V   q ds F   q ds    q ds   F 
It B A D

• F and F’ indicate a couple Fh and the need for

the application of a torque as well as the shear
load.
F h  Ve

• When the force P is applied at a distance e to the

left of the web centerline, the member bends in
a vertical plane without twisting.

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Example 6.05
• Determine the location for the shear center of the
channel section with b = 4 in., h = 6 in., and t = 0.15 in.
Fh
e
I
• where
b b VQ
Vb h
F   q ds   ds   st ds
0 0 I I0 2
Vthb 2

4I
1 3 2
1 3 h 
I  I web  2 I flange  th  2 bt  bt   
12 12  2  
1 th 2 6b  h 
 12

• Combining,
b 4 in.
e  e  1.6 in.
h 6 in.
2 2
3b 34 in.
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Example 6.06
• Determine the shear stress distribution for
V = 2.5 kips.
q VQ
 
t It
• Shearing stresses in the flanges,
VQ V h Vh
  st   s
It It 2 2I
Vhb 6Vb
B  
12 
2 1 th 2 6b  h  th6b  h 
62.5 kips 4 in 
  2.22 ksi
0.15 in 6 in 6  4 in  6 in 
• Shearing stress in the web,

 max  
 
VQ V 8 ht 4b  h  3V 4b  h 
1

It 1
12
th 6b  h t 2th6b  h 
2

32.5 kips4  4 in  6 in 
  3.06 ksi
20.15 in 6 in 6  6 in  6 in 
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