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 14 Learning Outcome
• Solve an elastic beam bending problem.
Elastic Beam Bending

Richard Kay [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

By Cliff (Flickr: WSOR Peterbilt Dump Truck) [CC BY 2.0

(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via
Wikimedia Commons

35 ft 50 ft 35 ft
Elastic Beam Bending
600 lb/ft
250 lb/ft 250 lb/ft
A . B
35 ft 50 ft 35 ft
10 in
2 in
2 in

25 in 25 in

2 in
10 in 8 in
Worksheet: You decide as an engineer to change the rectangular cross
section to an I-beam shape to reduce the weight of the beam, and
thereby reduce the amount of material/cost. (more efficient design)
If the beam is made of steel with an elastic yield strength of 36 ksi, what is the
maximum moment the beam can support and remain in the elastic range?
Location of Neutral Axis dA
y
σx M y
Say see modules 19 and 22
x from “Introduction of
Neutral axis
Engineering Mechanics” for
more details regarding the
First Moment of Area centroid.
wrt z-axis y dA  0
 A

Centroids of areas and volumes (geometric center)

 Does not necessarily have to lie on the body

C
. . C

 Will lie on an axis of symmetry

Therefore the neutral axis coincides with
the centroidal axis of the cross section
(for flexural loading and elastic action)
Locate the neutral axis
y
10 in
2 in 1
2 in
y1
2 Neutral axis
25 in
y2
yNEUTRAL AXIS
= 13.1 in
y3
2 in 3
x
8 in

y NEUTRAL 
 y i Ai
AXIS
( CENTROID ) A TOTAL
Find Area Moment of Inertia, I
For composite shapes (parallel axis theorem):
 I STANDARD  Ad
2
I NEUTRAL SHAPE ' S
AXIS NEUTRAL AXIS

10 in
2 in
2 in
d1
Neutral axis
25 in d2

d3 yNEUTRAL AXIS
= 13.1 in
2 in
8 in

1 1
2  21    2  21 13 . 1  12 . 5  8  2    2 8 13 . 1  1 
3 2 3 2
 
12 12
 Elastic Beam Bending
Elastic Flexural Formula
M y
 x

I 10 in
2 in
2 in

25 in 25 in

2 in
10 in 8 in
A  250 in A  78 in
2 2

31.2 % of the original area

I N . A .  13020 I N . A .  6290 in
4 4
in

48.3 % of the original area moment of inertia

Elastic Beam Bending
600 lb/ft
250 lb/ft 250 lb/ft
A . B
35 ft 50 ft 35 ft
10 in Maximum Stress c is the furthest distance
2 in on the cross section from
2 in M c
25-13.1 the neutral axis
=11.9 in
 MAX

Neutral axis I
25 in

yNEUTRAL AXIS
I N . A .  6290 in
4
c
= 13.1 in

2 in
8 in
Worksheet: You decide as an engineer to change the rectangular cross
section to an I-beam shape to reduce the weight of the beam, and
thereby reduce the amount of material/cost. (more efficient design)
If the beam is made of steel with an elastic yield strength of 36 ksi, what is the
maximum moment the beam can support and remain in the elastic range?