Calculating and Interpreting the Second Moment of Area | EngineeringS... https://www.engineeringskills.

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Updated 29 July 2023 Reading time: 26 mins

A comprehensive guide to understanding and calculating

the second moment of area or moment of inertia with
worked example.

by Callum Wilson

Welcome to this tutorial which is focussed on the second moment of area. By the
end of the tutorial, you will be comfortable explaining what the second moment
of area is, why it’s important to engineers, how to calculate it and how to
interpret the values in the context of civil and structural engineering.

Learn, revise or refresh your knowledge and master

engineering analysis and design

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1 .0 W h y i s t h e s e co n d m o m e n t o f a re a
important?
Structural engineers ultimately have two decisions to make when designing
individual structural members:

Decision 1 – What is the geometric profile of the structural member – its cross-
section shape should be used?

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Decision 2 – What are the structural member’s material properties?

For all structural members, both the geometric profile AND the material
properties play an important role in determining if the member is suitable to deal
with the design effects i.e. bending moments, shear forces, axial forces or
torsion. So, if we want to increase the structural capacity of a structural member,
shall we improve the geometric profile, improve the material properties or both?

Stiffness is a structural member property which we can easily describe. We will

consider two descriptions of member stiffness:

Axial Stiffness is the resistance of a member to axial deformation under the

EA
action of axial loading. We say that axial stiffness = L

Bending Stiffness is the resistance of a member to bending deformation under

EI
the action of bending moments. We say that bending stiffness = L

For our discussion, let us assume that the material we intend to use is steel. Steel
has an Elastic Modulus, E = 210000MP a.

So if we want to increase the axial and bending stiffness of our structural

member, what shall we do? Firstly, let’s assume that the length of the member
needs to remain unchanged in order to fulfil its function – so we can’t reduce L.
Secondly, let’s assume that all grades of structural steel (S275, S355 and higher)
all have E = 210000 MP a – so we can’t increase E .

What options does this leave us with? The only other way to increase axial and
bending stiffness is to increase the area (A) and the second moment of area (I).

Increasing the area (A) and hence the axial stiffness is intuitive as we are
familiar with calculating the cross-sectional area of different shapes. It doesn’t
matter where within the cross-section we add the ‘extra area‘, the axial stiffness
is increased in proportion to the increase in area – Simple

Increasing the second moment of area (I) and hence the bending stiffness is
less intuitive and often less well understood. The rest of this tutorial will improve

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our intuition for and understanding of the second moment of area. This will give
us the tools to make sensible recommendations to improve the bending stiffness
of structural members.

The second moment of area is also referred to as the moment of inertia (just a
fancy name!). We designate the second moment of area with the symbol I . I
always has the dimensions of Length4 . We must be careful to ensure that we are
always consistent with our input measurements when calculating the second
moment of area. In this tutorial, we will exclusively use millimetres (mm).

2 .0 W h a t i s t h e s e co n d m o m e n t o f a re a ?
So far, we have recognised that the second moment of area is the property
which governs the bending stiffness of structural members (assuming a given
length and elastic modulus).

The term second moment of area contains two terms which we are familiar with.
We know that area describes the quantity of structural material in a given region
and that a moment refers to the product of a physical quantity and a distance.

Putting these two terms together, we say that the second moment of area is a
description of the distribution of area about a specified axis.

There are two further fundamental statements about the second moment of area
which we should keep in mind throughout this tutorial:

�. The second moment of area is a geometric property. If we change the

material type or grade, the second moment of area DOES NOT change.

�. As we’ve already mentioned, the second moment of area has dimensions of

length to the fourth power, L4 .

3 . 0 G e o m e t r i c A xe s a n d S i g n
C o nve n t i o n s

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It is important that axes are clearly and consistently labelled when calculating
the second moment of area of a section. The following standard axis definitions
are adopted here, which are derived from the right-hand axis system and right-
hand screw rule conventions.

Fig 1. Axes convention

When we refer to bending actions we must always define the axis about which
the bending occurs.

Fig 2. Bending moment convention.

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4 .0 L o c a t i n g t h e Ce n t ro i d
The precursor to calculating the second moment of area of any shape is to define
the position of its centroid. The position of the centroid gives us the point
through which the centroidal axes pass. The centroidal axis is the axis about
which we determine the global second moments of area.

Let’s consider a simple shape – a rectangle. If we wanted to balance a 2D

rectangle on a single spike, where should we place the spike?

Fig 3. A simple 2D shape balanced on a spike.

As a hint, consider three different options – ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’…..

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Fig 4. Option A

Fig 5. Option B.

Fig 6. Option C.

Intuitively we would place the spike at Option B, right? In fact, what we have
done is located the centroid of this simple shape….without any formula! But what
if the shape is not a simple rectangle?

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Fig 7. A compound shape.

Not so simple, right? To formalise this idea, we can introduce the following
formula, which will allow us to define the centroid of any shape, simple or
otherwise. The centroid is a single point in 2D space. Therefore we need a
Y-coordinate and a Z-coordinate to define its position.

∑ Ay
Yc =
∑A

∑ Az
Zc =
∑A

We will consider the compound section example above to understand how these
equations are used.

First, we need to define our ‘reference origin’. We will measure the ‘y ’ and the ‘z ’
from this point. The position of the reference origin is arbitrary and can be
selected based on user preference. To simplify notation, our reference origin will
be placed at the bottom left corner of the overall geometry; this means that y
and z are always positive.

Second, we need to split our complicated geometry into square/rectangular

regions, being careful not to overlap regions (as this would mean that the same
areas would be counted twice). For this example, we have three rectangular
regions.

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Fig 8. Splitting the compound shape into rectangular regions.

Ok, so we are now ready to start using our formulae.

We will begin by calculating Yc , which is the Y-coordinate of the centroid of the

∑ Ay
overall geometry. To do this, we invoke the first formula Yc = ∑A . This formula
tells us that we need to find the sum of the products of the area of each region
(1/2/3) and its perpendicular distance from the region’s local centroid (C 1 /C 2 /
C 3 ) back to the origin (parallel to the Y-axis).

N o t e : t h e l o c a l c e n t r o i d o f e a c h r e g i o n i s f o u n d f o l l ow i n g t h e s a m e l o g i c
used when placing our spike at ‘Option B’

(A1 × yˉ1 ) + (A2 × yˉ2 ) + (A3 × yˉ3 )

Yc =
A1 + A 2 + A 3

where An is the area of the nth segment and yˉn is the perpendicular distance
from the nth segment’s centroid to the origin. Therefore, we have:

(60 × 10 × 5) + (60 × 10 × 30) + (20 × 10 × 65)

Yc = = 24.29mm
(60 × 10) + (60 × 10) + (20 × 10)

Next, we will calculate Zc , which is the Z-coordinate of the centroid of the overall

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∑ Az
geometry. In a similar fashion, we invoke the second formula Zc = ∑A . Here we
are taking the area of each region (1/2/3) and multiplying it by the perpendicular
distance from the region’s centroid back (C 1 /C 2 /C 3 ) to the origin (parallel to
the Z-axis).

(A1 × zˉ1 ) + (A2 × zˉ2 ) + (A3 × zˉ3 )

Zc =
A1 + A2 + A3

(60 × 10 × 30) + (60 × 10 × 65) + (20 × 10 × 70)

Zc = = 50.71mm
(60 × 10) + (60 × 10) + (20 × 10)

Ok, so we have calculated the coordinates for the centroid of the overall
geometry. If we wanted to balance this 2D geometry on a spike we would place
the spike at [Yc , Zc ].

Let’s draw the centroid onto our diagram.

N o t e : yo u m i g h t h av e n o t i c e d t h a t t h e c e n t r o i d o f t h e s h a p e d o e s n o t l i e
within the shape itself… interesting right!

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Fig 9. Centroid of the compound shape.

5 . 0 S e c o n d M o m e n t o f A r e a o f Re c t a n g l e s
For any two-dimensional geometry that lies within the Y-Z plane there are three
different components which are required to describe the second moment of
area:

(1) The second moment of area about the Y axis:

Iyy = ∫ z 2 dA
A

(2) The second moment of area about the Z axis:

Izz = ∫ y 2 dA
A

(3) The product second moment of area:

Iyz = ∫ yzdA
A

Initially, these integral expressions may appear daunting, but once again, we will
consider a simple example. This will reveal that in fact, these integrals are just a
mathematical way to say ‘the distribution of area about a given axis’.

As civil and structural engineers, we will work primarily with sections that can be
split up into square/rectangular regions (in the same way that we divided the
geometry in §4.0). Therefore, we consider square/rectangular shapes in the
following derivations.

So let us consider a simple rectangular geometry of height, h, and breadth, b.

From §4.0, we know that the centroid of the geometry is at Yc = 2b , Zc = h
2 . We

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place the origin of our Y-Z axes at the centroid.

Fig 10. A rectangular shape placed onto a y-z axes.

We will begin with Iyy :

From the above diagram, we can say that dA = dzdy . dA is simply the area of a
very small region within the geometry. This allows us to re-write our formula for
Iyy :

Iyy = ∫∫ z 2 dzdy

Considering the geometry of the section and the centroid, we can say that:

b h

Iyy = ∫ ∫
2 2
z 2 dzdy
−b −h
2 2

We evaluate the inner integral to give,

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b
1 h3
Iyy = ∫
2
dy
−b
2
3 4

And then the outer integral to give,

1 h3 bh3
Iyy = b=
3 4 12

Moving onto Izz :

b h

Izz = ∫ ∫
2 2
y 2 dzdy
−b −h
2 2

We evaluate the inner integral to give,

Izz = ∫
2
hy 2 dy
−b
2

And then the outer integral to give,

1 b3 b3 h
Izz = h=
3 4 12

And finally Iyz :

b h

Iyz = ∫ ∫
2 2
yzdzdy = 0
−b −h
2 2

Note: for a rectangle, Iyz is zero. This is an important result which we will
discuss later.

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6 .0 S e co n d M o m e n t o f A re a o f S i m p l e
Shapes
Whilst structural engineers will most commonly encounter sections comprising
of multiple rectangular regions, occasionally, one might need to calculate the
second moment of area of other common shapes.

The following standard results should be considered for reference:

Re c t a n g l e

Fig 11. Second moment of area of a rectangle.

bh3
Iyy =
12

b3 h
Izz =
12

C i rc l e

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Fig 12. Second moment of area of a circle.

πr4
Iyy = Izz =
4

H o l l ow c i r c l e o r a n n u l u s

Fig 13. Second moment of area of a hollow circle or annulus.

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π(ro4 − ri4 )
Iyy = Izz =
4

Triangle

Fig 14. Second moment of area of a triangle.

bh3
Iyy =
36

b3 h
Izz =
36

7.0 Parallel Axis Theorem

We now have a standard result for the second moment of area of a rectangle
(and other simple geometries if we need them!) However, a solid rectangle is

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rarely used as a structural geometry so now we begin to think about the second
moment of area of more complex geometries, and in particular those which are
used in structural engineering applications.

So the question is, how can we use our understanding of the rectangle to define
the second moment of area of more complex shapes?

The link is the parallel axis theorem. This theorem allows us to determine the
second moment of area of a shape about an axis which is not a centroidal axis.

The parallel axis theorem states:

G
Iyy L
= Iyy + Az 2

L
where Iyy is the local second moment of area about the region’s centroid, A is
the area of the sub-geometry in question and z is the perpendicular distance
between the global and local centroidal axes. Similarly,

G
Izz L
= Izz + Ay 2

L
where Izz is the local second moment of area about the region’s centroid and the
other symbols have the same meaning. And finally,

G L
Iyz = Iyz − Ayz

L
where Iyz is the local product second moment of area about the region’s
centroid, A is the area of the sub-geometry in question, y is the perpendicular
distance between the global centroid and the local centroid and z is the
perpendicular distance between the global centroid and the local centroid.

So, if we can split our complex overall geometry into a finite number of
G G
rectangular regions, we can use the parallel axis theorem to define Iyy , Izz and
G
Iyz i.e. the gross second moment of area about the entire geometries centroidal

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axis.

So, in general, we can say

G
Iyy = ∑ Iyy
L
+ ∑ Az 2

G
Izz = ∑ Izz
L
+ ∑ Ay 2

G
Iyz = ∑ Iyz
L
− ∑ Ayz

The above formulae are simply saying that the gross second moment of area is
the sum of the local second moments of area for each region in addition to a
contribution coming from the position of the region relative to the overall
geometries’ centroidal axes.

We now have all the necessary tools to complete three examples, so let’s make a
start!

8 .0 E xa m p l e 1 – I S e c t i o n
The first example is a 610 × 305 × 149 UKB section. So-called I-sections are
typically used in applications which require resistance against large bending
moments.

N o t e : w h e n c a l c u l a t i n g t h e s e c o n d m o m e n t o f a r e a b y h a n d , we t y p i c a l l y
i g n o r e t h e r a d i u s j u n c t i o n ( r o o t r a d i u s ) b e t we e n we b a n d fl a n g e s . T h i s
s i m p l i fi c a t i o n c a n b e a c c e p t e d a s t h e i m p a c t o n t h e ove r a l l s e c o n d m o m e n t
o f a re a i s m i n i m a l .

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Fig 15. General arrangement of example 1.

S te p 1 : C a l c u l a te t h e G l o b a l Ce n t ro i d
We start by calculating the centroid using the following formula,

∑ Ay
yc =
∑A

∑ Az
zc =
∑A

Remember, we take our reference origin to be at the bottom left corner of the
section.

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Fig 16. Reference origin for example 1.

(A1 × yˉ1 ) + (A2 × yˉ2 ) + (A3 × yˉ3 )

Yc =
A1 + A2 + A3

(304.8 × 19.7 × 304.8 304.8

2 ) + (304.8 × 19.7 × 2 ) + ((612.4 − 2(19.7)) × 11.8 ×
Yc =
(304.8 × 19.7) + (304.8 × 19.7) + ((612.4 − 2(19.7)) × 11.8)

Yc =152.4mm

Similarly,

(A1 × zˉ1 ) + (A2 × zˉ2 ) + (A3 × zˉ3 )

Zc =
A1 + A 2 + A 3

(304.8 × 19.7 × (612.4 − 19.7 19.7

2 ) + (304.8 × 19.7 × 2 ) + ((612.4 − 2(19.7)) ×
Zc =
(304.8 × 19.7) + (304.8 × 19.7) + ((612.4 − 2(19.7)) × 11.8)

Zc =306.2mm

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Fig 17. Centroid of example 1.

We should always reflect on whether our calculation results are realistic. So, is
our calculated centroid in agreement with what we would expect?

Hint: We have a doubly-symmetric section so we would expect the centroid to

be at the midpoint ( 2b , h2 )…which is exactly what we have shown using our
general formula for the centroid.

G G G
Now we can proceed to determine Iyy , Izz and Iyz

Step 2: Calculate Iyy

G

G
Iyy = ∑ Iyy
L
+ ∑ Az 2

G
Iyy = Iyy1 + Iyy2 + Iyy3 + ((Area 1 × Δz2 ) + (Area 2 × Δz2 ) + (Area 3 × Δz2 ))

304.8 × 19.73 304.8 × 19.73 11.8 × ((612.4 − 2(19.7))3

G
Iyy =( + + )+
12 12 12
+ (304.8 × 19.7 × (−306.2 + 602.55)2 ) +
+ (304.8 × 19.7 × (−306.2 + 0.5 × 19.7)2 ) +
+ (11.8 × (612.4 − 2(19.7)) × 02 )

G
Iyy = 1240066179 mm4

Step 3: Calculate Izz

G

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G
Izz = ∑ Izz
L
+ ∑ Ay 2

G
Izz = (Izz 1 + Izz 2 + Izz 3 + ((Area 1 × Δy2 ) + (Area 2 × Δy2 ) + (Area 3 × Δy2 ))

19.7 × 304.83 19.7 × 304.83 ((612.4 − 2(19.7)) × 11.83

G
Izz =( + + )+
12 12 12
+ (304.8 × 19.7 × 02 ) +
+ (304.8 × 19.7 × 02 ) +
+ (11.8 × (612.4 − 2(19.7)) × 02 )

G
Izz = 93052101.09 mm4

Step 4: Calculate Iyz

G

G
Iyz = ∑ Iyz
L
− ∑ Ayz

G
Iyz = (Iyz 1 + Iyz 2 + Iyz 3 − (((Area 1 × Δy × Δz) + (Area 2 × Δy × Δz) + (Area 3

G
Iyz = − (304.8 × 19.7 × (304.6 − 0.5 × 19.7) × 0)+
− (304.8 × 19.7 × (0.5 × 19.7 − 304.6) × 0)+
− (11.8 × (612.4 − 2 × 19.7) × 0 × 0)

G
Iyz =0

So, to summarise the first example:

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G
Iyy = 1240066179 mm4 ≈ 1.240 × 109 mm4
G
Izz = 93052101.09 mm4 ≈ 9.305 × 107 mm4
G
Iyz =0

Let’s think about what these results mean. We have shown that depending on
the orientation of the beam, there is a two-order-of-magnitude difference in the
G G
second moment of area (Iyy compared to Izz ). If there is a significant difference
in the second moment of area, then, by inspection, the bending stiffness of a
beam depends on the orientation in which it is used.

Clearly, therefore, if we want to maximise the bending stiffness, we should utilise

G
the largest second moment of area of the section, Iyy , and therefore apply load
to the beam parallel to the Z-axis.

9.0 Example 2 – Channel Section

The second example is a 150 × 90 × 10 unequal angle section. Unequal angles are
often used as structural members under axial force but can also be used to resist
small bending moments.

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Fig 18. General arrangement of example 2.

S te p 1 : C a l c u l a te t h e G l o b a l Ce n t ro i d
Remember, we take our reference origin to be at the bottom left corner of the
section.

Fig 19. Reference origin for example 2.

(A1 × yˉ1 ) + (A2 × yˉ2 ) + (A3 × yˉ3 )

Yc =
A1 + A2 + A3

150 × 10 × 10
2 ) + (80 × 10 × 50))
Yc =
(150 × 10) + (80 × 10)

Yc =20.65mm

Similarly,

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(A1 × zˉ1 ) + (A2 × zˉ2 ) + (A3 × zˉ3 )

Zc =
A1 + A2 + A3

(150 × 10 × 150
2 ) + (80 × 10 ×
10
2 )
Zc =
(150 × 10) + (80 × 10)

Zc =50.65mm

Fig 20. Centroid for example 2.

Is this what we would expect?

This example is less intuitive. We have a section which is asymmetric across both
the Y and Z axes. It would have been difficult to determine the centroid without
using our formulae.

G G G
Now we can proceed to determine Iyy , Izz and Iyz .

Step 2: Calculate Iyy

G

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G
Iyy = ∑ Iyy
L
+ ∑ Az 2

G
Iyy = (Iyy1 + Iyy2 + ((Area 1 × Δz2 ) + (Area 2 × Δz2 ))

G 10 × 1503 80 × 103
Iyy = + +
12 12
+ (150 × 10 × (−50.65 + 75)2 )+
+ (80 × 10 × (−50.65 + 5)2 )

G
Iyy = 5375688 mm4

Step 3: Calculate Izz

G

G
Izz = ∑ Izz
L
+ ∑ Ay ′2

G
Izz = (Izz 1 + Izz 2 + ((Area 1 × Δy2 ) + (Area 2 × Δy2 ))

G 150 × 103 10 × 803

Izz = + +
12 12
+ (150 × 10 × (−20.65 + 5)2 )+
+ (80 × 10 × (−20.65 + 50)2 )

G
Izz = 1495688 mm4

Step 4: Calculate Iyz

G

G
Iyz = ∑ Iyz
L
− ∑ Ayz

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G
Iyz = Iyz 1 + Iyz 2 − ((Area 1 × Δy × Δz) + (Area 2 × Δy × Δz))

G
Iyz = −(150 × 10 × (−20.65 + 5)(−50.65 + 75)) − (80 × 10 × (−20.65 + 50)(−50.65

G
Iyz = 1643478 mm4

To summarise:

G
Iyy = 5375688 mm4 ≈ 5.376 × 106 mm4
G
Izz = 1495688 mm4 ≈ 1.496 × 106 mm4
G
Iyz = 1643478 mm4 ≈ 1.643 × 106 mm4

We have shown that depending on the orientation of the beam, there is a small
difference in the second moment of area (IyyG compared to Izz G ). The difference
is much smaller than what we observed for the I-section. This makes sense as we
have already mentioned that channel sections aren’t typically used within
applications which require large bending capacity.

Interestingly, unlike the I-section, the product second moment of area (Iyz G ) does
not equal 0. We will discuss the importance of this in the final sections of this
article.

1 0.0 E xa m p l e 3 – Z S e c t i o n
The third example is a Z-section. Z-sections are commonly used on pitched roof
structures to span between rafters and support roofing materials.

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Fig 21. General arrangement of example 3.

S te p 1 : C a l c u l a te t h e G l o b a l Ce n t ro i d
Remember, we take our origin to be at the bottom left corner of the section.

Fig 22. Reference origin for example 3.

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(A1 × zˉ1 ) + (A2 × zˉ2 ) + (A3 × zˉ3 )

Zc =
A1 + A2 + A3

(100x10x(200 − 5)) + (100x10x5) + (180x10x100)

Zc =
(100x10) + (100x10) + (180x10)

Zc =100mm

(A1 × yˉ1 ) + (A2 × yˉ2 ) + (A3 × yˉ3 )

Yc =
A1 + A 2 + A 3

(100 × 10 × 50) + (100 × 10 × 140) + (180 × 10 × 95)

Yc =
(100 × 10) + (100 × 10) + (180 × 10)

Yc =95mm

Fig 23. Centroid for example 3.

Is this what we would expect? We have a symmetric section (symmetric about an

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inclined plane) and so we would expect the centroid to be at the origin of a

rotated axis, which is exactly what we have shown using the formula.

G G G
Now we can proceed to determine Iyy , Izz and Iyz .

Step 2: Calculate Iyy

G

G
Iyy = ∑ Iyy
L
+ ∑ Az 2

G
Iyy = (Iyy1 + Iyy2 + Iyy3 + ((Area 1 × Δz2 ) + (Area 2 × Δz2 ) + (Area 3 × Δz2 ))

100 × 103 100 × 103 10 × 1803

G
Iyy =( + + )+
12 12 12
+ (100 × 10 × (−100 + 195)2 )+
+ (100 × 10 × (−100 + 5)2 )+
+ (180 × 10 × (−100 + 100)2 )

G
Iyy = 22926666 mm4

Step 3: Calculate Izz

G

G
Izz = ∑ Izz
L
+ ∑ Ay 2

G
Izz = (Izz 1 + Izz 2 + Izz 3 + ((Area 1 × Δy2 ) + (Area 2 × Δy2 ) + (Area 3 × Δy2 ))

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10 × 1003 10 × 1003 180 × 103

G
Izz =( + + )+
12 12 12
+ (100 × 10 × (−95 + 140)2 )+
+ (100 × 10 × (−95 + 50)2 )+
+ (180 × 10 × (−95 + 95)2 )

G
Izz = 5731666 mm4

Step 4: Calculate Iyz

G

G
Iyz = ∑ Iyz
L
− ∑ Ayz

G
Iyz = (Iyz 1 + Iyz 2 + Iyz 3 − (((Area 1 × Δy × Δz) + (Area 2 × Δy × Δz) + (Area 3

G
Iyz = −(100 × 10 × (−95 + 140)(−100 + 195))+
− (100 × 10 × (−95 + 50)(−100 + 5))+
− (180 × 10 × (−95 + 95)(−100 + 100))

G
Iyz = −8550000 mm4

To summarise:

G
Iyy = 22926666 mm4 ≈ 2.293 × 107 mm4
G
Izz = 5731666 mm4 ≈ 5.732 × 106 mm4
G
Iyz = −8550000 mm4 ≈ 8.55 × 106 mm4

We have shown that depending on the orientation of the beam, there is a an

G
order of magnitude difference in the second moment of area (Iyy compared to
G
Izz ).

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G
Interestingly, unlike the I-section the product second moment of area (Iyz ) does
not equal 0. We will develop our intuitive understanding of these results in the
final section of this article.

1 1 .0 U n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e p ro d u c t s e co n d
moment of area (IyzG )
At the start of this tutorial, we established an axes convention. In the three
examples we have covered, the second moment of area has always been
calculated with respect to the two axes (y and z). Let’s think about our results
from examples 1, 2 and 3.

G
In example 1 (I-Section), we obtained Iyz = 0, in example 2 (Channel section), we
G
obtained Iyz > 0 and in example 3 (Z section), we obtained Iyz
G
< 0.

G G
Thinking about the three examples we have covered, are the values of Iyy and Izz
the maximum possible values which we could obtain for that specific section?

It is not immediately obvious, but if we were to invoke a new axis system (u-v)
which is slightly rotated compared to the y-z axes, could we obtain a higher
G G G G
value of Iuu and Ivv compared to our existing axes of Iyy and Izz ?

These new axes are called the principal bending axes because they represent the
orientation of the section, which gives the maximum and minimum values for the
second moment of area.

G
The magnitude of the product second moment of area (Iyz ) indicates to us how
‘far away’ the assumed y-z axes are away from the principal bending axes (u-v).
Let us revisit our three examples to understand how this works in practice.

G
In example 1 (I-Section), we obtained Iyz = 0; therefore, the y-z axes are
G
coincident with the principal bending axes (u-v) and Iyy = Iuu
G G
and Izz = Ivv
G
.

G
In example 2 (Channel section), we obtained Iyz > 0 and therefore the y-z axes is
G
not the principal bending axes and the u-v axes will yield Iuu > Iyy
G G
and Ivv < Izz
G
.

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G
The positive sign of Iyz indicates the direction which we need to rotate the y-z
axes to obtain the principal bending axis (clockwise).

G
In example 3 (Z section), we obtained Iyz < 0, and therefore the y-z axes is not
G
the principal bending axes and the u-v axes will yield Iuu > Iyy
G G
and Ivv < Izz
G
. The
G
negative sign of Iyz indicates the direction which we need to rotate the y-z axes
to obtain the principal bending axis (anti-clockwise).

1 2 .0 O b t a i n i n g t h e o r i e n t a t i o n o f t h e
p r i n c i p a l b e n d i n g a xe s
G
As we have discussed, for sections where Iyz 
= 0, the principal bending axes (u-
v) are not coincident with our assumed y-z axes.

It is important, therefore, that we can determine the orientation of the principal

bending axes (u-v) so that we can identify the orientation of the structural
member which will yield the largest bending stiffness (i.e. utilising the largest
possible second moment of area).

We can do this using three simple formulae:

2
G
Iyy + Izz
G G − IG
Iyy
( ) + Iyz
G2
G zz
Imax = Iuu = +
2 2

2
G
Iyy + Izz
G G − IG
Iyy
( ) + Iyz
G2
G zz
Imin = Ivv = −
2 2

G
Iyz
α = tan−1 ( )
Imax − Izz
G

You may recognise these formula from a previous EngineeringSkills tutorial on

Mohr’s circle. In fact, the same theory developed in that tutorial on stress

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analysis, maps directly across to this discussion of second moments of area. In

particular the concept of principal stresses and principal axes is a direct
analogue to the principal bending axis introduced here.

Let’s revisit example 2 to understand these formula, recall:

G
Iyy = 5375688 mm4 ≈ 5.376 × 106 mm4
G
Izz = 1495688 mm4 ≈ 1.496 × 106 mm4
G
Iyz = 1643478 mm4 ≈ 1.643 × 106 mm4

Evaluating Imax :

2
5375688 + 1495688 5375688 − 1495688
Imax = + ( ) + 16434782
2 2
= 5978249 mm4

Similarly, Imin is,

2
5375688 + 1495688 5375688 − 1495688
Imin = − ( ) + 16434782
2 2
= 893126 mm4

And finally, α is:

1643478
α = tan−1 ( )
5978249 − 1495688
= 20.13∘

We can re-draw example 2, showing the original axes system (y-z) and our new
principal bending axes (u-v)

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Fig 24. Superimposition of the principal (u-v) axes over the original y-z axes.

So, if we wanted to orientate the channel section in order to utilise the section’s
maximum second moment of area, then we should apply transverse load parallel
to the V axes (i.e. creating bending about the U axis).

13.0 Wrapping up
Within this tutorial, we have developed methods to calculate the centroid of a
structural section and the three descriptions of the second moment of area for a
section.

We have also developed a method for calculating the principal bending axes for
a section which helped us recognise that certain sections are more suitable in
certain applications than others. All structural sections have a specific orientation
which will yield the maximum and minimum bending stiffness.

You might be asking yourself if all this calculation work is a necessary skill for a
structural engineer? Well, for the majority of cases, the centroid and second
moments of area of common structural sections are available from industry data
tables (and these are always helpful for checking hand calculations!).

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However, complex or bespoke sections will not be covered in data tables, and
therefore it is essential that a structural engineer can calculate these
fundamental properties. For example, steel plate girders are typically required
when an off-the-shelf I-section isn’t suitable. A structural engineer would need to
calculate the second moment of area for such a bespoke section.

Thats it for this tutorial. I hope you have found the content useful and informative
– if you did, tell someone else who might also find it helpful!

Callum Wilson
BSc (Hons), BEng (Hons), MSc

Hi, I'm Callum, a regular contributor on EngineeringSkills.com. I hope you have

found this content interesting and useful. I am excited to be producing content
for EngineeringSkills.com as I enjoy the challenge of communicating technical
content in a simple and accessible format. Feel free to get in touch or follow
EngineeringSkills on any of the social accounts.

Check out our guest writer programme – we pay for every article we publish.

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