CHAPTER

MECHANICS OF
SOLIDS
Shearing Stresses in
Beams and ThinWalled Members

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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
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
Sample Problem 6.2
Longitudinal Shear on a Beam Element of Arbitrary Shape
Example 6.04
Shearing Stresses in Thin-Walled Members

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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
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
Fy t xy dA V
Fz t xz dA 0

M x yt xz z t xy dA 0
M y z x 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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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
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
y dA
I
A

Note,
Q y dA
A

M D MC

dM
x V x
dx

Substituting,
VQ
x
I
H VQ
q

shear flow
x
I
H

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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
Shear on the Horizontal Face of a Beam Element
Shear flow,
q

H VQ

shear flow
x
I

where
Q y dA
A

first moment of area above y1

I

2
y dA

A A'

second moment of full cross section

Same result found for lower area

H VQ

q
x
I
Q Q 0
q

first moment with respect

to neutral axis
H H
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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
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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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
Example 6.01
SOLUTION:

Determine the horizontal force per

unit length or shear flow q on the
lower surface of the upper plank.

Q Ay
0.020 m 0.100 m 0.060 m
120 106 m3
I

1 0.020 m 0.100 m 3
12
1 0.100 m 0.020 m 3
2[12

0.020 m 0.100 m 0.060 m 2 ]

16.20 10

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VQ (500 N)(120 106 m3 )

q

I
16.20 10-6 m 4
3704 N
m

Calculate the corresponding shear

force in each nail for a nail spacing of
25 mm.
F (0.025 m)q (0.025 m)(3704 N m

F 92.6 N

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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
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.
t ave

H q x VQ x

A A
I t x
VQ
It

On the upper and lower surfaces of the beam,

tyx= 0. It follows that txy= 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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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS

Shearing Stresses txy in Common Types of Beams

For a narrow rectangular beam,
VQ 3 V
t xy

Ib 2 A

t max

y 2
c 2

3V
2A

For American Standard (S-beam)

and wide-flange (W-beam) beams
VQ
It
V
t max
Aweb

t ave

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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
For a narrow rectangular beam,
VQ 3 V
t xy

Ib 2 A

t max

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y 2
c 2

3V
2A

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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
Sample Problem 6.2
SOLUTION:
Develop shear and bending moment
diagrams. Identify the maximums.
Determine the beam depth based on
allowable normal stress.
A timber beam is to support the three
concentrated loads shown. Knowing
that for the grade of timber used,
all 1800 psi

t all 120 psi

Determine the beam depth based on

allowable shear stress.
Required beam depth is equal to the
larger of the two depths found.

determine the minimum required depth

d of the beam.

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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
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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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
Sample Problem 6.2
Determine the beam depth based on allowable
normal stress.
all

M max
S

1800 psi

90 103 lb in.

0.5833 in. d 2

d 9.26 in.
1 bd3
I 12
I
S 16 b d 2
c

16 3.5 in. d 2
0.5833 in. d 2

Determine the beam depth based on allowable

shear stress.
3 Vmax
2 A
3 3000 lb
120 psi
2 3.5in. d

t all

d 10.71in.

Required beam depth is equal to the larger of the two.

d 10.71in.
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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS

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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS

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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
Longitudinal Shear on a Beam Element
of Arbitrary Shape
We have examined the distribution of
the vertical components txy on a
transverse section of a beam. We now
wish to consider the horizontal
components txz of the stresses.
Consider prismatic beam with an
element defined by the curved surface
CDDC.
Fx 0 H D C dA
a

Except for the differences in

integration areas, this is the same
result obtained before which led to
H

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VQ
x
I

H VQ

x
I
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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
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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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
Example 6.04
SOLUTION:
Determine the shear force per unit
length along each edge of the upper
plank.

VQ 600 lb 4.22 in 3
lb
q

92
.
3
I
in
27.42 in 4
q
lb
46.15
2
in
edge force per unit length

For the upper plank,

Q Ay 0.75in. 3 in .1.875 in .
4.22 in 3

For the overall beam cross-section,

1 4.5 in 1 3 in
I 12
12
3

27.42 in 4
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Based on the spacing between nails,

determine the shear force in each
nail.
lb

F f 46.15 1.75 in
in

F 80.8 lb
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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
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
H

VQ
x
I

The corresponding shear stress is

t zx t xz

H VQ

t x It

Previously found a similar expression

for the shearing stress in the web
t xy

VQ
It

NOTE: t xy 0
t xz 0
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in the flanges
in the web
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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
Shearing Stresses in Thin-Walled Members
The variation of shear flow across the
section depends only on the variation of
the first moment.
q tt

VQ
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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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
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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MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
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
kips in a W10x68 rolled-steel beam,
determine the horizontal shearing
stress in the top flange at the point a.

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VQ 50 kips 15.98 in 3
t

It
394 in 4 0.770 in

t 2.63 ksi

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