DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

ENGINEERING MECHANICS LAB (ME-223)

1. OBJECTIVE:
Designing and fabricating wooden beams with specific cross-sectional
shapes and dimensions is a fundamental engineering task. This problem simulates a
laboratory experiment to understand how different beam shapes respond to applied
loads.

2. APPARATUS:
Universal Testing Machine, Physical Weights, Three wooden
beams(Triangular, Rectangular, Isosceles Trapezoid).

3. THEORY:
• RADIUS OF GYRATION:
The concept of the radius of gyration was first introduced by the
French mathematician Adhémar Jean Claude Barré de Saint-Venant in the 19th
century.

• DEFINITION:
The radius of gyration is a physical property of an object that describes
its distribution of mass around an axis. It is often denoted by the symbol "k" and is a
measure of how spread out the mass is from the axis of rotation. The concept of the
radius of gyration has various applications in physics and engineering.

• FORMULA:
The formula for the radius of gyration depends on the type of object and
the axis of rotation. For a continuous object, such as a beam or rod, the formula is:

k= √(I/m)
where,
k = the radius of gyration.
I= the moment of inertia of the object about the given axis.
m = the total mass of the object.

• Applications in the Real World:

➢ Structural Engineering:
In designing structures like bridges and buildings,
understanding the radius of gyration is crucial for determining their stability and
resistance to deformation under various loads.

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 DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
ENGINEERING MECHANICS LAB (ME-223)

➢ Mechanical Engineering:
The concept is used in the analysis of rotating machinery, such as
flywheels, where the distribution of mass affects their performance and stability.

➢ Aerospace Engineering:
For spacecraft and satellites, the radius of gyration is important
in determining their attitude control and stability during flight.

• MOMENT OF INERTIA :
Moment of inertia is defined as the quantity expressed by the body
resisting angular acceleration which is the sum of the product of the mass of every
particle with its square of a distance from the axis of rotation.

4. PROCEDURE:
1. Take 3 wooden beams of rectangular, triangle, and trapezium of length of 60 cm
respectively. Each beam was set at a stationary point by hook and different weights
were applied gradually until the beam broke.

2. After selecting the beams, the cross-sectional area should be set around 450 mm2.

3. We applied the load on the 3 respective beams at the center and checked whether
it bore the load or failed, even after applying a huge amount of load.

4. After noting the reading at which the beam broke or the maximum load they can
bear, find the radii of gyration of all beams about the x and y-axis.

5. Take out the calculation answer to the following questions mentioned.

5. OBSERVATION:
S.NO. SHAPE OF MAXIMUM MASS THAT CAN MASS AT WHICH BEAM IS
BEAM BEAR BY BEAM (Kg) BROKEN (Kg)
01 Rectangle 40 50
02 Triangle 35 45
03 Isosceles 50 55
Trapezium

6. CALCULATIONS:
• IN THE CASE OF THE TRIANGLE:
Side length = a = 3.2 cm
Height = h = ((√3)/2) × a
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 DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
ENGINEERING MECHANICS LAB (ME-223)

h = 2.77 cm

Cross-Sectional Area = A = (𝑎 ×ℎ)/2

A = 4.432 cm^2

Area Moment of Inertia = Ix = Iy = I = (𝑎 ×ℎ^3)/36 3.2 cm 3.2 cm

I = 1.88 cm^4

Radius of Gyration = Kx = Ky = K = √(𝐼/𝐴)

K = 0.65 cm 3.2 cm

• IN THE CASE OF RECTANGLE:

Base = b = 3.2 cm
Height = h = 1.7 cm h=1.7 cm

Cross Sectional Area = A = 𝑏 × ℎ

A = 5.1 cm^2

Area Moment of Inertia Along x-axis = Ix = (𝑏 ×ℎ^3)/12 b=3.2 cm

Ix = 1.310 cm^4

Area Moment of Inertia Along y-axis = Iy = (ℎ ×𝑏^3)/12

Iy = 4.642 cm^4

The radius of Gyration Along the x-axis = Kx = √(Ix/𝐴)

Kx = 0.50 cm

The radius of Gyration Along the y-axis = Ky = √(Iy/𝐴)

Ky = 0.95 cm

• IN CASE OF ISOSCELES TRAPEZIUM:

Length=b=4.27 cm a= 2.8 cm
Height=h=1.28 cm
The radius of Gyration Along the x-axis = Kx =(h/6)
√2+((4*a*b)/(a+b)^2)
h = 1.28 cm
Kx =0.3668 cm
The radius of Gyration Along the y-axis = Ky=(1/12)
√6*(a^2+b^2)
Ky = 1.0423 cm b= 4.27 cm

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 DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
ENGINEERING MECHANICS LAB (ME-223)

7. PICTURE OF THE EXPERIMENT:

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 DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
ENGINEERING MECHANICS LAB (ME-223)

8. QUESTIONS/ANSWERS:
Q1: Which beam experiences failure first?
Ans: Triangular beam.
Q2: Despite having identical cross-sectional areas, why do the beams not fail at
the same applied load? Identify the parameter responsible for this disparity and
explain it with numerical values.
Ans: The beams do not fail at the same value of applied load because of moment of
inertia which resists the angular motion of the body is different for each shape.
Q3: Is there any correlation between the radius of gyration and beam failure?
Elaborate with numerical values.
Ans: The radius of gyration plays an important role regarding the failure of beams
because the radius of gyration is used to compare how various structural shapes will
behave under compression along an axis. It is used to predict buckling in a
compression member or beam. The higher the radius of gyration, the easier it is for
the beam to bend and fail.

Kx (Isosceles Trapezium)< Kx (Rectangle)< Kx (Triangle)

0.3668 cm < 0.5 cm < 0.657 cm
Ky (Triangle) < Ky (Rectangle) < Ky (Isosceles Trapezium)
0.65 cm < 0.95 cm < 1.0423 cm

Q4: What type of support reactions occur at the ends of the beams, and what
are their numerical values?

Ans: IN CASE OF TRIANGLE:

W=1.2 N ,mp=45 Kg ,P=441.45 N
∑Fy=0
F1+F2-W-P=0
2F-1.2-441.45=0
F=221.32 N

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 DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
ENGINEERING MECHANICS LAB (ME-223)

IN CASE OF RECTANGLE:
W=1.2 N ,mp=50 Kg ,P=490.5 N
∑Fy=0
F1+F2-W-P=0
2F-1.2-490.5=0
F=245.85 N

IN CASE OF ISOSCELES TRAPIZIUM:

W=1.2 N ,mp=55 Kg ,P=539.55 N
∑Fy=0
F1+F2-W-P=0
2F-1.2-539.55=0
F=270.375 N
Q5 = Compare the maximum loading values in the form of a graph for each beam via
any computational software.

Ans= GRAPH:

MAXIMUM LOADING
60

50

40

30

20

10

0
TRIANGLE RECTANGLE ISOSCELES TRAPIZIUM

TRIANGLE RECTANGLE ISOSCELES TRAPIZIUM

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