CHAPTER 3

BENDING STRESSES IN BEAMS

 When some external loads acts on a beam the shear force and bending moments are
set up at all sections of a beam. The beam undergoes some deformation due to the
applied external loads and the material of the beam will offer resistance or stresses
against these deformation.
 The stresses introduced due to bending moment are known as bending stresses.
3.1 pure bending or simple bending
If a length of a beam is subjected to a constant
bending moment and no shear force , the stresses
will be set up in that length of the beam due to B.M
only and that length of the beam is said to be in pure bending.
Assumptions
The following are the important assumptions made in the theory of simple bending
1. The material of the beam is homogeneous and isotropic.
2. The value of young’s modulus of elasticity is the same in tension and compression.
3. The transverse sections which were plane before bending, remain plane after bending
4. The beam is initially straight and all longitudinal filaments bend in to circular arcs with a
common center of curvature.
5. The radius of curvature is large compared with the dimensions of the cross sections.
6. Each layer of the beam is free to expand or contract, independently.

Theory of simple bending

The top layer has been shortened in its length(AC-A’C’).
The bottom layer has been elongated(BD-B’D’).
At a level between the top and bottom of the beam,
there will be a layer which is neither shortened nor elongated.
This layer is known as neutral surface or neutral layer.
 The layers above N-N have been shortened and those below have been elongated.
Due to the decreases in lengths of the layers above N-N, these layers will be
subjected to compressive stresses, and due to the increasers on length of layers
will be subjected to tensile stresses.
 At the layer N-N, there is no change in length. This means the compressive stress
will be maximum at the top layer. Hence the amount by which a layer increases or
decreases in length, depends upon the position of the layer with respect to N-N.
this theory of bending is known as theory of simple bending.
 Consider a layer EF at a distance y below the neutral layer NN. After bending this layer
will be elongated to E’F’.
Original length of layer EF=dx

Length of neutral layer NN=dx=N’N’

 From the above figure,

The increase in the length of the layer EF=

As R is constant, hence the strain in a layer is proportional to its distance from the neutral axis.
 Stress variations

Since E and R are constant, therefore stress in any layer is directly proportional to the
distance of the layer from the neutral layer.
The above equation can also be written as

The neutral axis of any transverse section of a beam is defined as the line of
intersections of the neutral layer with the transverse section.
Let N.A be the neutral axis of the cross sections. And dA=area of the layer
Force on the layer become,

The total force on the layer can be obtained by integrating the above equation,
 But for bending, there is no force on the beam.

A represents the moment of area about neutral axis and represents the moment of the entire area of the section about
neutral axis. The moment of any area about an axis passing through its centroid is equal to zero. Hence neutral axis
coincides with the centroidal axis.
 Moment of this force about N.A is given as,

Total moment of the forces on the section of the beam also given as,

The expression represents the moment of inertia of the area of the section about the neutral axis and can be written
as, I

And from the stress equation, then,

 The equation is applicable to a member which is subjected to a constant bending moment
and the member is absolutely free from shear force. But in actual practice a member is
subjected to such loading that the B.M varies from section to section and also the shear
force is not zero. But shear force is zero at section where bending moment is maximum.
Hence the condition of pure bending may be assumed to satisfied at such section.

3.2 Bending stresses in symmetrical sections

The neutral axis of a symmetrical section such as circular, rectangular or square lies at a
distance of d/2 from the outermost layer of the section.
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3.3 bending stresses in unsymmetrical beams
Incase of unsymmetrical sections, such as L,T sections, the neutral axis does not passes
through the geometrical center of sections. Hence the value of y for the top most layer or
bottom layer of the section from neutral axis will not be same.
3.4 composite beams
A beam made up of two or more different materials assumed to be rigidly connected together
and behaving like a single piece is known as a composite beam.
The strain at the common surfaces will be same for both materials, also the total moment of
resistance will be equal to the sum of the moments of individual sections.
When such a beam is subjected to bending, the bending stresses and hence strains due to
bending stresses at a point are proportional to the distance of the point from the common
neutral axis.