CIV1501 ENGINEERING STATICS Lecture 11

Semester 2, 2002

Lecture Content - Beam bending Bending stresses, flexure formula Beam design (Modules 15,17 in Study Book, Ch 4 in B & J, Workbook exercises 45)

Beam Bending A beam is a structural member designed primarily to resist bending. In practice, beams are probably the most common structural form, although in many ways they are the most inefficient. We realise this intuitively when someone gives us a stick and asks us to break it. Few of us would try to break it in tension or compression as we sense it is easier to break by bending it across our knee. By bending the beam (stick) across our knee we are causing a bending tension at the outer edge of the beam. Tension failure begins here and spreads rapidly across the section to cause total breaking. Tension cracks

Bending Stress It is possible to develop a formula that expresses the relationship at any given section of a beam between i. distributed tension and compression stresses across the section ii. bending moment acting at the section, and iii. the moment of inertia (reluctance to rotate) of the beam section Consider a straight rectangular beam made up of millions of threadlike fibres all parallel to the x axis If lines in the y direction are ruled across this beam and the beam is subjected to a bending moment we are able to make the following observations and conclusions:i. the top fibres lengthened by and the bottom fibres shortened by . Hence we can determine the strain in the top and bottom fibres, i.e. = /L Hence = E ii. lines across the beam remained straight, i.e. plane sections remained plane. Hence strains must vary linearly across the

iii.

section and thus also stress. Thus there must be maximum tension at the top of the beam shown, and a maximum compression at the bottom. There must be a Neutral Axis where no strain and hence no stress occurs. This axis passes through the centroid of the section.

Consider a block ABCD of length L taken from the length of the beam.. The applied moment M has caused the length to bend into a slight arc of Radius R to the neutral axis NA, and the plane BD has rotated to position bd relative to the next plane AC. Consider a fibre EF a distance y from the NA.

When the moment M is applied, the length of beam L bends into a slight arc of radius R, and fibre EF is extended by a length Ff (= e) From similar triangles Ona and aFf, we have i.e. But
e y

Ff na = aF nO

L R

OR =

y e = R L

e = strain L

Hence

E R

This equation is the basis for beam bending relationships. It says that for a given moment, the bending stress divided by the distance from the neutral axis is constant and is equal to the modulus of elasticity of the material divided by the radius of curvature of the beam. We can now consider the equilibrium of the cross-section of the beam dA = 0 i.e. Fx = 0 Since =
E y R

E R

y dA = 0

E cannot be zero, therefore y dA = 0. This can only occur if the R

neutral axis (n.a.) passes through the section centroid. M = 0 Applied moment = resisting moment i.e. But M =

y dA =

y 2dA = the section property I

E y 2dA R E M E M = I or = R I R

Hence the beam equations are summarised as

E R

=
My I

M I

The first and third terms are usually called the Flexure Formula and are the most common equations used in beam design i.e. =

Example 1 - A flat steel strap 20 mm x 3 mm is wrapped over a drum of 4.0 metres diameter. Es = 200,000 MPa (a) What is the maximum bending stress generated in the strap? (b) How tight a diameter could the strap be wrapped around before it reached its yield stress of 350 MPa? Solution (a)

E R

y = 3/2

= = 4000/2 (b)

Ey R 200,000 x1.5 2000

= 150 MPa

R =

=
Ey

E R

Hence min diameter of drum = 1.714 m

R =

200,000 x1.5 350

= 857 mm

Example 2. A 175 x 75 rectangular timber beam is subjected to a bending moment of 8 kN-m about its strong axis. What is the maximum bending stress? 75 M=8kN-m 175

I for the section =

75 x175 x175 x175 bh 3 = = 33.5 x 106 mm4 12 12 My 8 x10 6 x87.5 = = 20.9 MPa I 33.5 x10 6

Thus the maximum bending stress would occur in the outside fibres of the beam, i.e. at 87.5 mm above or below the x axis. For further examples, see Workbook Exercise Sets 45 and 46.

Questions from this section of the course can be of the following types a. Given a beam size and load, calculate the bending stress Example - A square hollow section 120 mm x 120 mm outside dimensions by 5 mm wall thickness is used as a cantilever 5 m long to support an endpoint load of 8 kN. What is the maximum bending stress? b. Given a beam size and a safe bending stress, calculate the maximum allowable load Example - A painters plank is 300 mm wide by 4 mm thick and made from a material with an allowable bending stress of 40 MPa. What is the maximum safe span for this plank if it is to be designed to support a mid-span load of 3 kN? c. Given a design load and a maximum allowable stress, determine a suitable beam size. Example - Given a maximum timber bending stress of 28 MPa, design a minimum log diameter for a bridge beam if the beam is to span 5 m and support a maximum point load of 16 kN at mid span.

Simple Beam Design For standard structural forms that are symmetrical about the x axis (e.g. rectangular timber beams, I beams, channels, etc) it can be seen that I/y is a constant for each section. This section property, designated Z, is called the Section Modulus for the section about that axis. It is a useful property for the design and selection of standard beams. Example 3 - From Chart 1 (Section Properties of BHP Universal Beams) select the smallest I beam that can support the design load shown if the allowable bending stress is not to exceed 185 MPa 14 kN 8kN/m 5m 32 kN 2m 38 kN

Solution - Calculate reactions RL = 32 kN, and RR = 38 kN Draw SF and BM diagrams to get maximum M 32

S.F.D.

4m -8 -22 -38 64 kn-M

B.M.D.

Hence Minimum Z =

My M = I Z DesignM 64 x10 6 = Allowable 185

= 345.9 x 103 mm3 From Chart 1, the smallest beam size with a Zx value above 346 x 103 is a 250Ub31 (Zx = 354). Hence we would specify this size.

Example 4, Using Chart 2 (Sectional Properties of Green Hardwood) select a suitable beam section to support the floor loads shown without exceeding an allowable bending stress of 25 MPa. Solution

10 kN 4 kN/m 4m Reactions 11.6 kN 1m 14.4 kN

11.6 SFD 2.9 m 4.4 14.4 16.8 kN-m BMD 1.1 m

Min Z =

M 16.8 x10 6 = allow 25

= 672 x 103 mm3 From Chart 2 we see there are three beams that just exceed this value 225 x 100 H.W. (Z = 797) 250 x 75 H.W. (Z = 732) 300 x 50 H.W. (Z = 691) Although the 300 x 50 is lightest (and hence cheapest) it would probably not be chosen as it is so deep and narrow. Which of the other two sections you choose would depend on personal choice. The 250 x 75 would use less timber and be cheaper, but the 225 x 100, being thicker, would have a longer fire rating and hence would be preferred in some structures such as a school or other public building.

CHART 2