CIV 102 Engineering Mechanics

(Unit II- Moment of Inertia)

School of Civil Engineering

SASTRA Deemed University

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 Moment of Inertia of Area
• Consider the area shown in Figure. ‘dA’ is an elemental
area with coordinates as x and y. If r is the distance of
elemental area ‘dA’ from the axis AB,

• The term r (dA) may be called as moment of area,

similar to moment of a force.

• The term r 2 dA may be called as second moment of

area or Moment of inertia.
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 Moment of Inertia of Area
• The term ‘second moment of area’ appears to correctly
signify the meaning of the expression Σ(r²) (dA).

• Though moment of inertia of plane area is a purely

mathematical term, it is one of the important properties of
areas.

• The strength of members subject to bending depends on

the moment of inertia of its cross-sectional area.

• Students will find this property of area very useful when

they study subjects like strength of materials, structural
design and machine design.

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 Moment of Inertia of Area
Unit of measurement

• The moment of inertia is a fourth dimensional term since

it is a term obtained by multiplying area by the square of
the distance.

• In SI units, if metre (m) is the unit for linear

measurements used, then m⁴ is the unit of moment of
inertia.

• If millimetre (mm) is the unit used for linear

measurements, then mm⁴ is the unit of moment of inertia.

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 Moment of Inertia

The product of the elemental area and square of the

perpendicular distance between the centroid of the area and
the reference axis is “ Moment of Inertia” about the reference
axis.

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 Moment of Inertia about x-y axis

Consider the area ‘A’ lying in x-y plane

The moment of inertia of the elemental area ‘dA’ about the x

and y axis

• dIxx = (y²) (dA)

• dIyy = (x²) (dA)

For entire area ‘A’ moment of inertia is given as

• Ixx = A
(y²) (dA)
• Iyy = A
(x²) (dA)

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 Polar moment of Inertia
The moment of inertia of an area, about an axis perpendicular
to the plane of the area is called Polar Moment of Inertia.

• Denoted as Izz or J or Ip.

Izz = A r 2 (dA) = A
(x² + y²) dA = A
(x 2 ) (dA) + A
y 2 (dA)
Izz = Ixx + Iyy

Perpendicular axis Theorem

‘Polar Moment of Inertia for an area with respect to an axis
perpendicular to its plane of area, is equal to the sum of the
Moment of Inertia about any two mutually perpendicular axes in
its plane, passing through the point of intersection of the polar
axis and the area’
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 Parallel axis Theorem
Transfer of axis
The moment of inertia of an area about a noncentroidal
axis may be expressed in terms of moment of inertia about
a parallel centroidal axis.IAA’ - noncentroidal axis ; IBB’ -
centroidal axis

IAA’ = (y 2 ) (dA) = (y ′ + d)²(dA)

= (y ′2 ) (dA) + 2 y ′ d (dA) + (d2 )(dA)
= IBB’ + (A) (d²)

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 Parallel axis Theorem
Two points to be noted are
• The axes between which the transfer is made must be
parallel
• One of the axis should pass through the centroid of the area

The theorem states that

‘The moment of inertia of a lamina about any axis in the plane
of the lamina equals the sum of moment of inertia about a
parallel centroidal axis in the plane of the lamina and the
product of the area of the lamina and square of the distance
between the two axis’.

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 Radius of Gyration

It is the perpendicular distance at which the whole area may

be assumed to be concentrated, yielding the same second
moment of the area above the axis under consideration.

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 Radius of Gyration
The area A which has a moment of inertia Ix with respect
to the x axis (a). If we concentrate this area into a thin
strip parallel to the x axis (b), to have the same moment
of inertia with respect to the x axis, the strip should be
placed at a distance kx from the x axis.

Ixx = Kx²A

Kx = (Ixx/A) Radius of gyration about x-axis

Ky = (Iyy/A) Radius of gyration about y-axis

Kz = (Izz/A) Radius of gyration about z-axis

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 MI by direct integration

(1) Rectangular Lamina

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 MI by direct integration

Moment of Inertia about centroidal axis

Area of the element = da = (b) (dy)

Moment of Inertia of element about the X-X- axis
= da y 2 = b y 2 (dy)
Moment of inertia of the whole lamina about X-X axis
d/2
IXX = 2 0 b y 2 (dy)

bd³
=
12
Moment of inertia of the whole lamina about Y-Y axis

db³
IYY =
12

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 MI by direct integration

Moment of Inertia about base LL

Using parallel axis theorem
ILL = Ixx + (A)(h2 )

bd³ d
= + (bd)( )²
12 2

bd³
=
3

Moment of Inertia about base MM

db³
IMM =
3

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 MI by direct integration

(2) Hollow Rectangular Lamina

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 MI by direct integration
Moment of Inertia about centroidal axis
Due to symmetry

BD³ bd³
IXX = −
12 12

(3) Triangular lamina

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 MI by direct integration
Moment of Inertia about vertex

b
Width of the element = b′ = y
h

′ b
Area of the element = b dy = ( )(y)(dy)
h

Moment of Inertia of element about the axis passing

b
through vertex = y dy (y)²
h
b
= y ³(dy)
h
Moment of inertia of the whole lamina about the axis
passing through vertex
b h bh³
ILL = ( ) 0
y 3 (dy) =
h 4

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 MI by direct integration
Moment of Inertia about centroidal axis
Using parallel axis theorem
2
ILL = Ixx + A( h)²
3

bh³ bh 4
= Ixx + ( )( )(h)²
4 2 9

bh³ 2
IXX = − (b)(h)³
4 9

bh³
IXX =
36

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 MI by direct integration
Moment of Inertia about base

Using parallel axis theorem

h
IBC = Ixx + A( )²
3

bh³ bh³
= +
36 18

bh³
=
12

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 MI by direct integration

(4) Circular Lamina

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 MI by direct integration

Moment of Inertia about centroidal axis

Moment of inertia of the elemental ring about polar axis
= 2πr dr (r)² = (2πr)³(dr)
Moment of inertia of the lamina about polar axis
R
Ip = 0 (2π r)³(dr)

πR⁴ πD⁴
= =
2 32

Moment of inertia of the whole lamina about polar axis

πD⁴
IXX + IYY = Ip =
32
Moment of inertia of the whole lamina about centroidal axis
πD⁴
IXX = IYY =
64
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 MI by direct integration

(5) Hollow Circular Lamina

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 MI by direct integration

Moment of Inertia about centroidal axis

Due to symmetry
πD⁴ πd⁴
Ip = −
32 32

Ip πD⁴ πd⁴
IXX = IYY = = −
2 64 64

(6) Semi circular lamina

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 MI by direct integration

Moment of Inertia about centroidal axis

Moment of inertia of the circular lamina about centroidal axis

πD⁴
IXX = IYY =
64

Moment of inertia of the semi-circular lamina about axis LM

πR⁴ πD⁴
ILM = −
8 128

Moment of inertia about centroidal x-x axis parallel to LM at

distance h
4R 2D
h= =
3π 3π

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 MI by direct integration

Using parallel axis theorem

ILM = IXX + (A)(h)²

πR⁴ πR2 4R
= IXX + ( )²
8 2 3π

πR⁴ 8R⁴
IXX = −
8 9π

IXX = 0.11R⁴

Moment of inertia about centroidal Y-Y axis

πR⁴ πD⁴
IYY = =
8 128

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 MI by direct integration

(7) Quadrant of circular lamina

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 MI by direct integration

Moment of Inertia about centroidal axis

Moment of inertia of the area l on about the axis ‘LM’

1 πR4 πR⁴
ILM = =
4 4 16

For the semi circle ‘LMN’, the distance of centroid from ‘LM’

4R
=
3π

The distance of the centroid of the quadrant ‘LON’ from ‘LN’

4R
=
3π

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 MI by direct integration

Moment of Inertia about centroidal axis

The axis x-x axis is the centroidal axis of the quadrant ‘LON’
and semi circle ‘LNM’.

1
MI of quadrant about X-X axis = MI of semi circle about X-
2
X axis

1
IXX = (0.11R4 )
2

= 0.055 𝑅⁴

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 MI by direct integration

(8) Thin ring lamina

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 MI by direct integration

Moment of inertia of elemental ring about polar axis

Ip = r 2 (area of the whole ring)

= r 2 (2πrt)

Moment of inertia about the axis XX = Moment of

inertia about the axis YY

Ip
IXX = IYY =
2

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 MI by direct integration

(9) Composite lamina

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 MI by direct integration

Moment of Inertia about any axis

Moment of inertia of these sections about an axis can be

found by the following steps:

(1) Divide the given figure into a number of simple figures

(2) Locate the centroid of each simple figure by inspection or

using standard expressions

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 MI by direct integration

(3) Find the moment of inertia of each simple figure about its
centroidal axis.

(4) Add the term (A)(y)² where A is the area of the simple
figure and y is the distance of the centroid of the simple
figure from the reference axis.

(5) Sum up moments of inertia of all simple figures to get the

moment of inertia of the composite section.

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 MI by direct integration

The procedure given above is illustrated below. Referring to

the Fig. it is required to find out the moment of inertia of the
section about axis A-B.

(1) The section in the Figure is divided into a rectangle, a

triangle and a semicircle.

(2)The areas of the simple figures A1, A2 and A3 are

calculated.

(3) The centroids of the rectangle (g1), triangle (g2) and

semicircle (g3) are located. The distances y1, y2 and y3 are
found from the axis AB.

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 MI by direct integration

(4) The moment of inertia of the rectangle about it’s centroid

(Ig1) is calculated using standard expression. To this, the
term (A1) (y1)² is added to get the moment of inertia about
the axis AB as I1 = I𝑔1 + (A1) (y1)²
The moment of inertia of the triangle
I2 = I𝑔2 + (A2) (y2)²

The moment of inertia of the semicircle

I3 = I𝑔3 + (A3) (y3)²

(5) Moment of inertia of the composite section about AB is

given by IAB = I1 + I2 + I3

IAB = I𝑔1 + A1 y1 2 + I𝑔2 + A2 y2 2 + I𝑔3 + A3 (y3)²

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 MI by direct integration

Moment of Inertia about centroidal axis

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 MI by direct integration

(1) Locate the centroidal axis and then find the moment of
inertia about this axis.

(2) Then the distances of centroid of individual figures yc1,

yc2 and yc3 from the axis X-X are determined.

(3) The moment of inertia of the composite section about the

centroidal axis X-X is calculated using the expression:
Ixx = I𝑔1 + (A1) yc1 ² + I𝑔2 + (A2)(yC2)²
+I𝑔3 + A3 (yC3)²

Using parallel axis theorem

IAB = IXX + A (yC)²

Ixx = IAB − A (yC)²

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