Shear Flow Calculation Process

Remove@"Global`"D H remove previous symbols L

Initial load & geometry specification and centroid calculation
We will consider only one nonzero shear resultant at a time but the equations will be set up for both V
2
and V
3
. The case shown
below is for only V
3
acting (and V
2
= 0). To compute the shear flow due to V
2
it is only necessary to set V
3
= 0 instead of V
2
= 0
in the line below.
V
2
= 0 ;
h = 2 b; H this simplifies the resulting stiffnesses L
t
w
= t;
t
f
= t;
Centroid and area:
A = 2 b t
f
+ h t
w
4 b t
c = 2 b t
f
b
2
A
b
4
Bending stiffnesses:
H
22
= EE
1
12
h
3
t
w
+ 2 b t
f
h
2
2
8
3
b
3
EE t
H
33
= EE h t
w
c
2
+ 2
1
12
b
3
t
f
+ b t
f

b
2
+ c
2
5
12
b
3
EE t
H
23
= 0
0

H
= H
22
H
33
HH
23
L
2
10
9
b
6
EE
2
t
2
Shear flow due to V
3
(1) Shear flow along top flange Hs
1
L:
In this example we will use Mathematica functions to define shear flow as a function of s. Even though the integral should be an
indefininte integral, we must use a definite integral within a function if the function argument is also the integration variable. We
also cannot use subscripts in function names. Key: first number is axis and second is s
i
index.
Q21@s_D := EE
h
2
t
f
s
Q31@s_D := EE

0
s
Hc + b ssL t
w
ss
f1@s_D :=
HQ31@sD H
23
Q21@sD H
33
L

H
V
3

HQ31@sD H
22
Q21@sD H
23
L

H
V
2
The following statement makes f1s a simple symbolic result to be used in the plotting function. This avoids having to repeatedly
recompute the symbolic integral in the above function definitions when plotting the result. The result is a somewhat quicker
execution.
f1s = f1@s
1
D Simplify

3 s
1
V
3
8 b
2
f1n = f1s . s
1
b H need to use a dimensionless variable for plotting L

3 V
3
8 b
2 Shear_Flow_example.nb
Plot@f1n b V
3
, 8, 0, 1<, Frame True,
FrameLabel 8"s
1
", "f bV
3
", "Shear Flow on Top Flange", ""<, PlotRange AllD
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
-0.35
-0.30
-0.25
-0.20
-0.15
-0.10
-0.05
0.00
s
1
f
b

V
3
Shear FlowonTopFlange
(2) Shear flow along web Hs
2
):
Q22@s_D := EE t
f
0
s
h
2
ss ss
Q32@s_D := EE HcL t
w
s
f2@s2_D :=
HQ32@s2D H
23
Q22@s2D H
33
L

H
V
3

HQ32@s2D H
22
Q22@s2D H
23
L

H
V
2
+ f1s . s
1
b
f2s = Simplify@f2@s
2
DD
3 I2 b
2
2 b s
2
+ s
2
2
M V
3
16 b
3
f2n = f2s . s
2
h Simplify
3 I1 2 + 2
2
M V
3
8 b
Plot@f2n b V
3
, 8, 0, 1<, Frame True,
FrameLabel 8"s
2
", "f bV
3
", "Shear Flow on Web", ""<, PlotRange AllD
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
-0.55
-0.50
-0.45
-0.40
s
2
f
b

V
3
Shear FlowonWeb
Shear_Flow_example.nb 3
(3) Shear flow along lower flange Hs
3
):
This shear flow f Hs
3
L is the mirror image of f Hs
1
) and need not be recomputed. However, we will illustrate the power of
Mathematica to continue with s
4
defined from the lower left vertex instead (i.e., s
4
= b - s
3
).
Q24@s_D := EE t
f

h
2
s
Q34@s_D := EE t

0
s
Hc + ssL ss
f4@s4_D :=
HQ34@s4D H
23
Q24@s4D H
33
L

H
V
3

HQ34@s4D H
22
Q24@s4D H
23
L

H
V
2
+ f2s . s
2
h
f4s = f4@s
4
D Simplify
3 Hb + s
4
L V
3
8 b
2
f4n = f4s . s
4
b Simplify
3 H1 + L V
3
8 b
Plot@f4n b V
3
, 8, 0, 1<, Frame True,
FrameLabel 8"s
4
", "f bV
3
", "Shear flow on Lower Flange", ""<, PlotRange All D
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
-0.35
-0.30
-0.25
-0.20
-0.15
-0.10
-0.05
0.00
s
4
f
b

V
3
Shear flowonLower Flange
Shear flow resultants in flanges and web:
R
1
=

0
1
f1n b

3 V
3
16
R
2
=

0
1
f2n h
V
3
4 Shear_Flow_example.nb
R
4
=

0
1
f4n b

3 V
3
16
NOTE: it is clear that the horizontal and vertical resultants are consistent with and equal to the applied shears V
2
and V
3
.
Shear center calculation
Moment equivalence is enforced at a point on the line of action of the shear resultant. Only the x
2
location will be computed
because the shear center must lie on the symmetry axis Hi
2
L.
Method A: M
1
at point A on line of action of V
3
8e< = 8e< . Solve@0 R
1
h R
2
e, eD@@1DD
:
3 b
8
>
x
3 k
= 0; x
2 k
= e c

5 b
8
Method B: M
1
at point B on cross section
Moment equivalence is enforced at a convenient point on the cross section (A). Again, only the x
2
location will be computed
because the shear center must lie on the symmetry axis Hi
2
L.
e =.
8e< = 8e< . Solve@V
3
e R
1
h, eD@@1DD
:
3 b
8
>
x
3 k
= 0; x
2 k
= e c

5 b
8
Both methods yield exactly the same result for the shear center location. Choose the easiest way for a given section.
Shear_Flow_example.nb 5
Shear flow due to V
2
Because of symmetry of both the section and load with respect to axis i
2
, the shear flow must be zero at points on the section that
lie on the symmetry axis (i.e., shear is an antisymmetric quantity).For this reason, perimetric coordinates could be started at this
point on the bottom of the section, and due to symmetry only one-half of the section needs to be analyzed (the other is a mirror
image).
Instead, we will continue with the same perimetric coordinates used previously. In the present formulation which includes both
V
2
and V
3
, it is only necessary to set V
2
= 0 and V
3
0.
V
3
= 0; V
2
=. H redefine shears L
(1) Shear flow along side flange Hs
1
L:
Using the same previously defined functions:
f1s = Simplify@f1@s
1
DD

3 H3 b 2 s
1
L s
1
V
2
5 b
3
f1n = f1s . s
1
b H need to use a dimensionless variable for plotting L

3 H3 b 2 b L V
2
5 b
2
Plot@f1n b V
2
, 8, 0, 1<, Frame True,
FrameLabel 8"s
1
", "f bV
2
", "Shear Flow on Side Flange", ""<, PlotRange AllD
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
-0.6
-0.5
-0.4
-0.3
-0.2
-0.1
0.0
s
1
f
b

V
2
Shear FlowonSideFlange
6 Shear_Flow_example.nb
(2) Shear flow along horizontal web Hs
2
):
Again, using the same previously defined functions:
f2s = Simplify@f2@s
2
DD
3 Hb + s
2
L V
2
5 b
2
f2n = f2s . s
2
h Simplify
3 H1 + 2 L V
2
5 b
Plot@f2n b V
2
, 8, 0, 1<, Frame True,
FrameLabel 8"s
2
", "f bV
2
", "Shear Flow on Web", ""<, PlotRange AllD
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
-0.6
-0.4
-0.2
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
s
2
f
b

V
2
Shear FlowonWeb
This confirms that f Hs
2
= h 2L = 0 at the point where the section crosses the symmetry axis. The shear flow on the right flange is
the mirror image of f Hs
1
L so that f Hs
3
L = f Hs
1
L and is not recomputed. Note that once again, the shear flow is linear on axes
perpendicular to the shear and parabolic elsewhere.
Due to the symmetry, the shear center must lie on the symmetry axis, as noted previously.
For a general combination of V
2
and V
3
, it is necessary to superpose the two shear flow components to find the total shear flow.
Shear_Flow_example.nb 7