Introduction

ENCE 710 Following subjects are covered:

Design of Steel Structures  Pure torsion
 Shear center
 Torsional differential equation
VII. Chapter 8 - Torsion  Torsional stresses

C. C. Fu, Ph.D., P.E.  Analogy between torsion and plane bending

Civil and Environmental Engineering Department  Open vs closed thin-wall sections

University of Maryland Reading:

 Chapters 8 of Salmon & Johnson
 AISC Design Guide 9 – Torsional Analysis of
Structural Steel Members 2

Torsion of a Prismatic Shaft Torsion of Homogeneous Sections

d d For Circular Section w/diameter t
T  r2 GdA  GJ  GJ ' 
A
dz dz  J = polar moment of inertia = πt4/32
 τt = 16 T/πt3 (S & J 8.2.8)
(S & J 8.2.5)
 For rectangular section w/thickness t
d Tr τt = T t/J (S & J 8.2.11)
 t  G  Gr  

dz J  where torsional constant

 J = K2bt3 (S & J 8.2.13)
(S & J 8.2.6)  K2 (S & J Table 8.2.1)

 For I-shaped, Channel, and Tee Section

 J = ∑ 1/3 bt3 (S & J 8.2.14)

3 4
 Stresses on Thin-wall Open
Torsion of a Rectangular Section
Sections in Bending

Shear Center – forces

acting through the
vmax=k1T/bh2 shear center will cause
J = K2bt3
no torsional stresses

 (t )rds  0
o
(S & J 8.4.1)
n
V y x0  Vx y 0   (t )rds  0 (S & J 8.4.2)
5 o 6

Shear Center Channel of Example 8.4.1

 a. Y-axis let Vy = 0
n
1 (S & J 8.4.3)
Vx o
 y0   (t )rds

Vx  s s

t   xy 
I ytds  I x  xtds 
I x I y  I xy
2
 o o 

 b. X-axis let Vx = 0
n
1 (S & J 8.4.4)
V y o
 xo  (t ) rds

 Vy  s s

t   I y  ytds  I xy  xtds 
I x I y  I xy 2  o 
o See handout for both (a) Force method and (b) Numerical method
7 8
 Torsion and Warping of
Common Torsional Loadings
an I-shaped Section

9 10

Solution to the Torsional

Differential Equation Torsional Stresses
Pure Torsion (Resisting moment of an unrestrained cross section)
Torsional Stresses

 Warping Torsion (Resisting moment of a restrained cross section) 
 Total Torsional Resisting Moment  Pure Torsional Shear Stresses τt = GtΦ´
 M = G J Φ´ – E Cw Φ"
 Solution to the differential Equation  Warping Shear Stresses τws = - ESwsΦ"' /t
a. homogeneous solution – Φn = A emz
b. Particular solution  Warping Normal Stresses σws = EWnsΦ"
Φn = A sinh λz + B cosh λz + C
Torsional Properties


 Φp = C1 + C2z + C3z2 + . . . . . . 
 Loading Condition  J = Torsional Constant (in4)
 Constant
 Uniformly distributed  Cw = Warping Constant (in6)
 Linearly varying
 Boundary Conditions  Wns = normalized warping function at pt. S (in2)
Φ =0 No rotation Pinned or fixed end

 Sws = Warping statical moment (in4)
 Φ´= 0 Section cannot warp Fixed end
 Φ" = 0 Section can warp freely Pinned or free end  Q = Statical moment (in3)
11 12
 Direction and Distribution of
Torsional Case of Example 8.5.1
Shear Stress in I-shaped Sections
Case of Example 8.5.1.
Concentrated torsional
moment at midspan;
torsionally simply supported

vs = Gt dφ/dt (S&J 8.5.16)

vw = (VfQf )/(Iftf ) (S&J 8.5.17)
Qf = btf/2(b/4)
13 14

Normal and Shear Stresses

of an Open Section
Warping of Cross-section

 Total normal stress: a combination of axial stress, major axis bending

stress, lateral bending stress, and warping normal stress (left).
 Total shear stress is the sum of vertical shear stress, horizontal shear
stress, St. Venant torsional shear stress (generally relatively small), and
warping shear stress (right). 16
 Data for Example 8.5.2 Analogy between Flexure and Torsion

Flexure
Analogy
(S&J 8.6)

17 18

Comparison of lateral shear on flange due to warping

torsion with that from simple lateral flexure analogy

Example 8.6.1
By Flexural Analogy

fb+fbw=31.9 ksi

v+vs=4.17 ksi

v+vs+vw=5.32 ksi

19 20
 Shear Flow
Forces on a Cut Thin-wall Section
in a Closed Thin Wall Section

T = GJθ (S&J 8.2.5)

t (shear flow) is
constant with walls J= 4A2/∫ s ds/t (S&J 8.10.12)
assumed thin.

21 22

Normal and Shear stresses

of a Close Section Sections for Example 8.10.1

 Figure 8.9 illustrates the general box girder normal stresses which can
occur in a curved or skewed box-shaped girder.
 Closed box sections are extremely efficient at carrying torsion by means
of St. Venant torsional shear flow (Figure 8.10). When combined with
vertical shear in the webs, this shear flow is always subtractive in one J=393 in4 J=288 in4 J=4.1 in4
web and additive in the other. 24