AERSP 301

Shear of beams
(Open Cross-section)

Jose Palacios

Shear of Open and Closed Section Beams

Megson Ch. 17
Open Section Beams

Consider only shear loads applied through shear center (no twisting)
Torsion loads must be considered separately

Assumptions

Axial constraints are negligible

Shear stresses normal to beam surface are negligible

Direct and shear stresses on planes normal to the beam surface are const through the
thickness

Beam is of uniform section

Thickness may vary around c/s but not along the beam

Thin-Walled

Near surface shear stress = 0

Walls are thin

Neglect higher order terms of t (t 2, t3, )

Closed Section Beams

Consider both shear and torsion loading

Force equilibrium: General stress, Strain, and Displacement

Relationships

S the distance measured

around the c/s from some
convenient origin

Shear stresses due to

z Direct stress (due to

bending moments or bending
action of shear loads)

shear loads or torsion loads (for

closed section)
s Hoop stress, usually zero
(non-zero due to internal
pressure in closed section
beams)

zs = sz =
shear flow; shear
force per unit length

q=t
(positive in the direction of s)

Force equilibrium (contd)

From force equilibrium considerations in z-direction:

Force equilibrium in s-direction gives

Stress Strain Relationships

Direct stress: z and s strains z and s

Shear stress: strains (= zs = zs)
Express strains in terms of displacements of a
point on the c/s wall

vt and vn: tangential and normal

displacements in xy plane

Not used
(1/r: curvature of wall in x-y plane)

Stress Strain Relationships

To obtain the shear strain, consider the element below:

Shear strain:

Center of Twist

For the point N

Origin O of axes
chosen arbitrarily,
and axes undergo
disp. u, v,
Equivalent to pure rotation about some pt. R
(center of twist [for loading such as pure torsion])

Center of Twist (contd)

Equivalent to pure rotation about some pt. R
(center of twist [for loading such as pure torsion])

But

Center of twist cont

Also from

Comparing Coefficients with:

Position of Center of Twist

Shear of Open Section Beams

The open section beam supports shear

loads Sx and Sy such that there is no
twisting of the c/s (i.e. no torsion loads)

For this, shear loads must pass

through a point in the c/s called the
SHEAR CENTER
Not necessarily on a c/s member

Use the equilibrium eqn.

(no hoop stresses, s = 0)

And obtaining z from basic bending theory

Shear of Open Section Beams cont

From:

Shear of Open Section Beams cont

Integrating with respect to s starting from an origin at an

open edge (q = 0 at s = 0) gives:

For a c/s having an axis of symmetry, Ixy = 0. Then eq.

for qs simplifies to:

Shear sample problem

y

Determine the shear flow distribution

in the thin-walled z-section shown
due to shear load Sy applied through
its shear center (no torsion).

Where is the shear center?

And the centroid?

4
3

x
t

h/2

Shear Flow Distribution (Sx = 0):

S y I xy

qs
I I I2
xx yy xy

I I I
xx yy

t xds

S y I yy

2
xy

t yds

Shear sample problem

th 3
I xx
3

th 3
I yy
12

th 3
I xy
8

Show this: EXAM TYPE PROBLEM

s
s
S
I xy t xds I yy t yds y
3

I I I 2

0
0

h
xx yy xy

qs

Sy

(10.32 x 6.48 y )ds

Bottom Flange: 1-2, y = -h/2, x =-h/2 + S1

0 S1 h/2

Sy s
qs 3 (10.32 x 6.48 y )ds

h 0
S y s1
q12 3 (10.32( h / 2 S1 ) 6.48( h / 2))ds

h 0

Shear sample problem

S y s1
q12 3 (10.32( h / 2 S1 ) 6.48( h / 2))ds

h 0
Sy
2
y
3 (5.16 S1 1.74hS1 )
h
3
@ 1 ( S1 0) q1 0
h
x
@ 2 (S1 h / 2 ) q2

0.42 S y
h

h/2

Shear sample problem

In web 2-3:
y =-h/2 + S2
x=0

q2

Shear Flow S2 = 0

for 0 S2 h

S y s2
q23 3 (3.42(h) 6.48( s2 )ds2 q2

h 0
Sy
3 0.42h 2 3.42hs2 3.42 s22
h

0.42 S y

Symmetric distribution about Cx with max value at S2 = h/2 (y = 0)

and positive shear flow along the web

Shear sample problem

In web 3-4:
y =h/2
x = S3

Sy
q34 3
h

s3

for 0 S3 h
Shear Flow Distribution in z-section

(10.32( s3 ) 3.24(h)ds3 q3

Calculation of Shear Center

If a shear load passes

through the shear center,
it will produce NO TWIST
M=0
If c/s has an axis of
symmetry, the shear
center lies on this axis
For cruciform or angle
sections, the shear center
is located at the
intersection of the sides

Sample Problem
Calculate the shear
center of the thin-walled
channel shown here:

Sample problem shear center

The shear center (point S) lies on the horizontal (Cx) axis
at some distance s from the web. If a shear load Sy passes through
the shear center it will produce no twist.
Lets look at the shear flow distribution due to Sy:
Since Ixy = 0 and Sx = 0

qs
Further:

Then:

Sy

I xx

ty ds

th 3
6b
I xx
(1 )
12
h

qs

12S y
b

h3 1 6
h

y ds

Sample problem shear center

Along the bottom flange 1-2, y = -h/2

q12

12S y
b
h 1 6
h

At point 2: S1 = b

q2

6S y
b
h 1 6
h

S1

h / 2 ds1

6S y
b
h 1 6
h

s1

Sample problem shear center

Along the web 2-3 , y = -h/2 + S2

q23

12 S y

q2

b
h 1 6
h

12S y
6S y
h
s22

s2
b
b
b
2
2

h3 1 6
h2 1 6
h
h

h / 2 s ds
S2

At point 3: S1 = h

q3

6S y
b
h 1 6
h

b q2

Sample problem shear center

Along the top flange 3 - 4 , y = h/2

q34

12 S y

q3

b
h 1 6
h

12 S y
6S y
h

s3
b
b 2
b
3
2
h 1 6
h 1 6
h
h

h / 2 ds
S3

At point 4: S3 = b

q4 0

Good Check!

Sample problem shear center

Sy
Shear Flow Distribution due to Sy

The moments due to this shear flow

distribution should be equal to zero about the shear center

h
h
2 q12 ds1 q23 s ds2
0
0
2
b

Solve for s to find the shear center location:

12S y
h b
s1ds1

0
b 2
b

1 6
h3 1 6
h
h

6S y

6S y
h
h
s22
b ds2 s
s2 ds2 s
b 0
2
2
2
h 1 6
h

3b

b
h 1
h