Flexure Formula Stresses in Beams

Stresses in Beams
Forces and couples acting on the beam cause bending (flexural stresses) and shearing
stresses on any cross section of the beam and deflection perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of the beam. If couples are applied to the ends of the beam and no
forces act on it, the bending is said to be pure bending. If forces produce the bending,
the bending is called ordinary bending.
ASSUMPTIONS
In using the following formulas for flexural and shearing stresses, it is assumed that a
plane section of the beam normal to its longitudinal axis prior to loading remains plane
after the forces and couples have been applied, and that the beam is initially straight
and of uniform cross section and that the moduli of elasticity in tension and
compression are equal.
Flexure Formula
Stresses caused by the bending moment are known as flexural or bending stresses.
Consider a beam to be loaded as shown.
Consider a fiber at a distance y from the neutral axis, because of the beam’s curvature,
as the effect of bending moment, the fiber is stretched by an amount of cd. Since the
curvature of the beam is very small, bcd and Oba are considered as similar triangles.
The strain on this fiber is
By Hooke’s law, ε = σ / E, then
which means that the stress is proportional to the distance y from the neutral axis.
Considering a differential area dA at a distance y from N.A., the force acting over the
area is
The resultant of all the elemental moment about N.A. must be equal to the bending
moment on the section.
but then
substituting ρ = Ey / fb
then
and
The bending stress due to beams curvature is

The beam curvature is:
where ρ is the radius of curvature of the beam in mm (in), M is the bending moment in
N·mm (lb·in), fb is the flexural stress in MPa (psi), I is the centroidal moment of inertia
in mm4 (in4), and c is the distance from the neutral axis to the outermost fiber in mm
(in).
SECTION MODULUS
In the formula
the ratio I/c is called the section modulus and is usually denoted by S with units of mm3
(in3). The maximum bending stress may then be written as
This form is convenient because the values of S are available in handbooks for a wide
range of standard structural shapes.
Solved Problems in Flexure Formula
Problem 503
A cantilever beam, 50 mm wide by 150 mm high and 6 m long, carries a load that
varies uniformly from zero at the free end to 1000 N/m at the wall. (a) Compute the
magnitude and location of the maximum flexural stress. (b) Determine the type and
magnitude of the stress in a fiber 20 mm from the top of the beam at a section 2 m
from the free end.
Solution 503
Problem 504
A simply supported beam, 2 in wide by 4 in high and 12 ft long is subjected to a
concentrated load of 2000 lb at a point 3 ft from one of the supports. Determine the
maximum fiber stress and the stress in a fiber located 0.5 in from the top of the beam
at midspan.
Solution 504
Problem 505
A high strength steel band saw, 20 mm wide by 0.80 mm thick, runs over pulleys 600
mm in diameter. What maximum flexural stress is developed? What minimum diameter

pulleys can be used without exceeding a flexural stress of 400 MPa? Assume E = 200
GPa.
Solution 505
Problem 506
A flat steel bar, 1 inch wide by ¼ inch thick and 40 inches long, is bent by couples
applied at the ends so that the midpoint deflection is 1.0 inch. Compute the stress in
the bar and the magnitude of the couples. Use E = 29 × 106 psi.
Solution 506
Problem 507
In a laboratory test of a beam loaded by end couples, the fibers at layer AB in Fig. P507
are found to increase 60 × 10–3 mm whereas those at CD decrease 100 × 10–3 mm in
the 200-mm-gage length. Using E = 70 GPa, determine the flexural stress in the top
and bottom fibers.
Solution 507
Problem 508
Determine the minimum height h of the beam shown in Fig. P-508 if the flexural stress
is not to exceed 20 MPa.

Problem 509
A section used in aircraft is constructed of tubes connected by thin webs as shown in
Fig. P-509. Each tube has a cross-sectional area of 0.20 in2. If the average stress in
the tubes is no to exceed 10 ksi, determine the total uniformly distributed load that can
be supported in a simple span 12 ft long. Neglect the effect of the webs.

Problem 510
A 50-mm diameter bar is used as a simply supported beam 3 m long. Determine the
largest uniformly distributed load that can be applied over the right two-thirds of the
beam if the flexural stress is limited to 50 MPa.

Problem 511
A simply supported rectangular beam, 2 in wide by 4 in deep, carries a uniformly
distributed load of 80 lb/ft over its entire length. What is the maximum length of the
beam if the flexural stress is limited to 3000 psi?
Solution 511
Problem 513
A rectangular steel beam, 2 in wide by 3 in deep, is loaded as shown in Fig. P-513.
Determine the magnitude and the location of the maximum flexural stress.
Solution 513
Problem 514
The right-angled frame shown in Fig. P-514 carries a uniformly distributed loading equivalent to
200 N for each horizontal projected meter of the frame; that is, the total load is 1000 N.
Compute the maximum flexural stress at section a-a if the cross-section is 50 mm square.
Solution 514
Problem 515
Repeat Prob. 524 to find the maximum flexural stress at section b-b.
Solution 515
Problem 516
A timber beam AB, 6 in wide by 10 in deep and 10 ft long, is supported by a guy wire AC in the
position shown in Fig. P-516. The beam carries a load, including its own weight, of 500 lb for
each foot of its length. Compute the maximum flexural stress at the middle of the beam.
Solution 516
Problem 517
A rectangular steel bar, 15 mm wide by 30 mm high and 6 m long, is simply supported at its
ends. If the density of steel is 7850 kg/m3, determine the maximum bending stress caused by
the weight of the bar.
Solution 517
Problem 518
A cantilever beam 4 m long is composed of two C200 × 28 channels riveted back to back. What
uniformly distributed load can be carried, in addition to the weight of the beam, without
exceeding a flexural stress of 120 MPa if (a) the webs are vertical and (b) the webs are
horizontal? Refer to Appendix B of text book for channel properties.
Solution 518

Flexure Formula Stresses in Beams

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Stresses in Beams

the bending is called ordinary bending.

compression are equal.

Consider a beam to be loaded as shown.

The strain on this fiber is

By Hooke’s law, ε = σ / E, then

moment on the section.

The bending stress due to beams curvature is

(in3). The maximum bending stress may then be written as

range of standard structural shapes.

Solved Problems in Flexure Formula

from the free end.

A simply supported beam, 2 in wide by 4 in high and 12 ft long is subjected to a

mm in diameter. What maximum flexural stress is developed? What minimum diameter

are found to increase 60 × 10–3 mm whereas those at CD decrease 100 × 10–3 mm in

and bottom fibers.

is not to exceed 20 MPa.

A section used in aircraft is constructed of tubes connected by thin webs as shown in

be supported in a simple span 12 ft long. Neglect the effect of the webs.

beam if the flexural stress is limited to 50 MPa.

A simply supported rectangular beam, 2 in wide by 4 in deep, carries a uniformly

beam if the flexural stress is limited to 3000 psi?

A rectangular steel beam, 2 in wide by 3 in deep, is loaded as shown in Fig. P-513.

the weight of the bar.

horizontal? Refer to Appendix B of text book for channel properties.

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