REVIEW PROBLEMS 253

*5–148. The motor A develops a torque at gear B of 5–150. The rotating flywheel and shaft is brought to a
500 lb # ft, which is applied along the axis of the 2-in.- sudden stop at D when the bearing freezes. This causes the
diameter A-36 steel shaft CD. This torque is to be flywheel to oscillate clockwise–counterclockwise, so that a
transmitted to the pinion gears at E and F. If these gears are point A on the outer edge of the flywheel is displaced
temporarily fixed, determine the maximum shear stress in through a 10-mm arc in either direction. Determine the
segments CB and BD of the shaft. Also, what is the angle of maximum shear stress developed in the tubular 304
twist of each of these segments? The bearings at C and D stainless steel shaft due to this oscillation. The shaft has an
only exert force reactions on the shaft. inner diameter of 25 mm and an outer diameter of 35 mm.
The journal bearings at B and C allow the shaft to rotate
freely.

500 lb·ft
B
D
E F
C
2m
2 ft 1.5 ft
C D
B
A
A 5
Prob. 5–148 80 mm

Prob. 5–150

5–151. If the solid shaft AB to which the valve handle is

5–149. The coupling consists of two disks fixed to separate
attached is made of C83400 red brass and has a diameter of
shafts, each 25 mm in diameter. The shafts are supported on
10 mm, determine the maximum couple forces F that can be
journal bearings that allow free rotation. In order to limit
applied to the handle just before the material starts to fail.
the torque T that can be transmitted, a “shear pin” P is used
Take tallow = 40 MPa. What is the angle of twist of the
to connect the disks together. If this pin can sustain an
handle? The shaft is fixed at A.
average shear force of 550 N before it fails, determine the
maximum constant torque T that can be transmitted from
one shaft to the other. Also, what is the maximum shear
stress in each shaft when the “shear pin” is about to fail?

P 25 mm A
T

150 mm

130 mm 150 mm
F
25 mm
150 mm

T F

Prob. 5–149 Prob. 5–151

Beams are important structural members used in building construction. Their design is
often based upon their ability to resist bending stress, which forms the subject matter
of this chapter.
Bending 6
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
Beams and shafts are important structural and mechanical elements
in engineering. In this chapter we will determine the stress in these
members caused by bending. The chapter begins with a discussion of
how to establish the shear and moment diagrams for a beam or shaft.
Like the normal-force and torque diagrams, the shear and moment
diagrams provide a useful means for determining the largest shear and
moment in a member, and they specify where these maximums occur.
Once the internal moment at a section is determined, the bending
stress can then be calculated. First we will consider members that are
straight, have a symmetric cross section, and are made of homogeneous
linear elastic material. Afterward we will discuss special cases involving
unsymmetric bending and members made of composite materials.
Consideration will also be given to curved members, stress
concentrations, inelastic bending, and residual stresses.

6.1 Shear and Moment Diagrams

Simply supported beam
Members that are slender and support loadings that are applied
perpendicular to their longitudinal axis are called beams. In general,
beams are long, straight bars having a constant cross-sectional area.
Often they are classified as to how they are supported. For example, a
simply supported beam is pinned at one end and roller supported at the
Cantilevered beam
other, Fig. 6–1, a cantilevered beam is fixed at one end and free at the
other, and an overhanging beam has one or both of its ends freely
extended over the supports. Beams are considered among the most
important of all structural elements. They are used to support the floor
of a building, the deck of a bridge, or the wing of an aircraft. Also, the
Overhanging beam
axle of an automobile, the boom of a crane, even many of the bones of
the body act as beams. Fig. 6–1

255
 256 CHAPTER 6 BENDING

Because of the applied loadings, beams develop an internal shear

force and bending moment that, in general, vary from point to point
along the axis of the beam. In order to properly design a beam it
therefore becomes necessary to determine the maximum shear and
moment in the beam. One way to do this is to express V and M as
functions of their arbitrary position x along the beam’s axis. These
shear and moment functions can then be plotted and represented by
graphs called shear and moment diagrams. The maximum values of V
and M can then be obtained from these graphs. Also, since the shear
and moment diagrams provide detailed information about the variation
of the shear and moment along the beam’s axis, they are often used by
engineers to decide where to place reinforcement materials within the
beam or how to proportion the size of the beam at various points
along its length.
In order to formulate V and M in terms of x we must choose the origin
and the positive direction for x. Although the choice is arbitrary, most
w0 P often the origin is located at the left end of the beam and the positive
direction is to the right.
In general, the internal shear and moment functions of x will be
A
discontinuous, or their slope will be discontinuous, at points where a
B D
C distributed load changes or where concentrated forces or couple
x1
x2
moments are applied. Because of this, the shear and moment functions
6 x3 must be determined for each region of the beam between any two
discontinuities of loading. For example, coordinates x1, x2, and x3 will
Fig. 6–2 have to be used to describe the variation of V and M throughout the
length of the beam in Fig. 6–2. These coordinates will be valid only
within the regions from A to B for x1, from B to C for x2, and from
C to D for x3 .
w(x)

Beam Sign Convention. Before presenting a method for

Positive external distributed load determining the shear and moment as functions of x and later plotting
V V these functions (shear and moment diagrams), it is first necessary to
establish a sign convention so as to define “positive” and “negative”
values for V and M. Although the choice of a sign convention is
Positive internal shear arbitrary, here we will use the one often used in engineering practice
M M
and shown in Fig. 6–3. The positive directions are as follows: the
distributed load acts upward on the beam; the internal shear force
Positive internal moment causes a clockwise rotation of the beam segment on which it acts; and
Beam sign convention the internal moment causes compression in the top fibers of the segment
such that it bends the segment so that it holds water. Loadings that are
Fig. 6–3 opposite to these are considered negative.
 6.1 SHEAR AND MOMENT DIAGRAMS 257

Important Points

• Beams are long straight members that are subjected to loads perpendicular to their longitudinal axis. They
are classified according to the way they are supported, e.g., simply supported, cantilevered, or overhanging.
• In order to properly design a beam, it is important to know the variation of the internal shear and moment
along its axis in order to find the points where these values are a maximum.
• Using an established sign convention for positive shear and moment, the shear and moment in the beam
can be determined as a function of its position x on the beam, and then these functions can be plotted to
form the shear and moment diagrams.

Procedure for Analysis

The shear and moment diagrams for a beam can be constructed using the following procedure.

Support Reactions.
• Determine all the reactive forces and couple moments acting on the beam, and resolve all the forces into
6
components acting perpendicular and parallel to the beam’s axis.

Shear and Moment Functions.

• Specify separate coordinates x having an origin at the beam’s left end and extending to regions of the beam
between concentrated forces and/or couple moments, or where there is no discontinuity of distributed
loading.
• Section the beam at each distance x, and draw the free-body diagram of one of the segments. Be sure V
and M are shown acting in their positive sense, in accordance with the sign convention given in Fig. 6–3.
• The shear is obtained by summing forces perpendicular to the beam’s axis.
• To eliminate V, the moment is obtained directly by summing moments about the sectioned end of the
segment.

Shear and Moment Diagrams.

• Plot the shear diagram (V versus x) and the moment diagram (M versus x). If numerical values of the
functions describing V and M are positive, the values are plotted above the x axis, whereas negative values
are plotted below the axis.
• Generally it is convenient to show the shear and moment diagrams below the free-body diagram of the beam.