Mechanics of Materials III:

Beam Bending
Dr. Wayne Whiteman
Senior Academic Professional and Director of the Office of Student Services
Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
Module 18 Learning Outcome
Solve an inelastic beam bending problem
Inelastic Beam Bending
Worksheet:
An I-beam is made of cold-rolled red brass with a cross section shown
below, and may be treated as an elasto-plastic material.
a) Determine the maximum elastic moment that the beam can support.
b) A strain gage on the top of the beam measures the strain in the x-
direction to be = 3250 mm/mm. Determine the applied moment
for this situation.
c) Determine the maximum moment that the beam can support just
before it reaches a fully plastic condition.

Cold-Rolled Red Brass 200 mm

12.5 mm
12.5 mm

410 MPa
300 mm

12.5 mm
200 mm
0.002 mm/mm
 Worksheet: An I-beam is made of cold-rolled red brass with a cross section shown
below, and may be treated as an elasto-plastic material.
a) Determine the maximum elastic moment that the beam can support.
200 mm
Cold-Rolled Red Brass 12.5 mm
12.5 mm

410 MPa
300 mm

12.5 mm
200 mm
0.002 mm/mm
Find neutral axis and determine area moment of inertia, I 200 mm
12.5 mm
12.5 mm
150 mm
300 mm
Neutral
axis

12.5 mm
200 mm
 Worksheet: An I-beam is made of cold-rolled red brass with a cross section shown
below, and may be treated as an elasto-plastic material.
a) Determine the maximum elastic moment that the beam can support.

Cold-Rolled Red Brass 200 mm

12.5 mm
12.5 mm
410 MPa 150 mm
300 mm
Neutral
axis

12.5 mm
0.002 mm/mm 200 mm
I 150 x 10
6 4
Maximum Stress mm
c is the furthest distance
M c on the cross section from
MAX
the neutral axis
I