Chapter Objectives

 Design a beam to resist both bending and shear loads

 Design a shaft to resist both bending and torsional
moments

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, All Rights Reserved
 PRISMATIC BEAM DESIGN
• Basis of beam design
• Strength concern (i.e. provide safety margin to
normal/shear stress limit)
• Serviceability concern (i.e. deflection limit – See
Chapter 12)

• Section strength requirement, where Sreq’d is the

section modulus
M max 𝐼𝐼
S req 'd = =
σ allow 𝑐𝑐

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, All Rights Reserved
 PRISMATIC BEAM DESIGN (cont)
• Choices of section:
• Steel sections e.g. AISC standard
W 460 X 68
(height = 459 ≈ 460mm
weight = 0.68 kN/m)

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, All Rights Reserved
 PRISMATIC BEAM DESIGN (cont)
• Wood sections
Nominal dimensions (in multiple of 25mm) e.g. 50 (mm)
x 100 (mm) actual or “dressed” dimensions are smaller,
e.g. 50 x 100 is 38 x 89.

• Built-up sections

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, All Rights Reserved
 PRISMATIC BEAM DESIGN (cont)
Procedures:
• Shear and Moment Diagram
• Determine the maximum shear and moment in
the beam. Often this is done by constructing the
beam’s shear and moment diagrams.
• For built-up beams, shear and moment diagrams
are useful for identifying regions where the shear
and moment are excessively large and may
require additional structural reinforcement or
fasteners.

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, All Rights Reserved
 PRISMATIC BEAM DESIGN (cont)
• Normal Stress
– If the beam is relatively long, it is designed by
finding its section modulus using the flexure formula,
Sreq’d = Mmax/σallow
– Once Sreq’d is determined, the cross-sectional
dimensions for simple shapes can then be
computed, using Sreq’d = I/c.
– If rolled-steel sections are to be used, several
possible values of S may be selected from the
tables in Appendix B. Of these, choose the one
having the smallest cross-sectional area, since this
beam has the least weight and is therefore the most
economical.

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, All Rights Reserved
 PRISMATIC BEAM DESIGN (cont)
• Normal Stress (cont)
– Make sure that the selected section modulus, S, is
slightly greater than Sreq’d, so that the additional
moment created by the beam’s weight is
considered.
• Shear Stress
– Normally beams that are short and carry large
loads, especially those made of wood, are first
designed to resist shear and then later checked
against the allowable-bending-stress requirements.
– Using the shear formula, check to see that the
allowable shear stress is not exceeded; that is, use
τallow ≥ Vmax Q/It.

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, All Rights Reserved
 PRISMATIC BEAM DESIGN (cont)
• Shear Stress (cont)
– If the beam has a solid rectangular cross section,
the shear formula becomes τallow ≥ 1.5(Vmax/A),
Eq.7-5, and if the cross section is a wide flange, it is
generally appropriate to assume that the shear
stress is constant over the cross-sectional area of
the beam’s web so that τallow ≥ Vmax/Aweb, where Aweb
is determined from the product of the beam’s depth
and the web’s thickness.

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, All Rights Reserved
 PRISMATIC BEAM DESIGN (cont)
• Adequacy of Fasteners
– The adequacy of fasteners used on built-up beams
depends upon the shear stress the fasteners can
resist. Specifically, the required spacing of nails or
bolts of a particular size is determined from the
allowable shear flow, qallow = VQ/I, calculated at
points on the cross section where the fasteners are
located.

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, All Rights Reserved
 EXAMPLE 1
A beam is to be made of steel that has an allowable bending
stress of σallow = 170 MPa and an allowable shear stress of
τallow = 100 MPa. Select an appropriate W shape that will carry
the loading shown in Fig. 11–7a.

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright

Copyright ©2014
©2014 Pearson
Pearson Education,
Education, All
All Rights
Rights Reserved
Reserved
 EXAMPLE 1 (cont)
Solutions
• The required section modulus for the beam is determined from the
flexure formula,

W 460 × 60 ( )
S = 1120 103 mm3
W 410 × 67 S = 1200(10 ) mm 3 3

W 360 × 64 S = 1030(10 ) mm 3 3

W 310 × 74 S = 1060(10 ) mm 3 3

W 250 × 80 S = 984(10 ) mm 3 3

W 200 ×100 S = 987(10 ) mm 3 3

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright

Copyright ©2014
©2014 Pearson
Pearson Education,
Education, All
All Rights
Rights Reserved
Reserved
 EXAMPLE 1 (cont)
Solutions
• The beam having the least weight per foot is chosen, W460 x 60

• The beam’s weight is

W = (60.35)(9.81)(6) = 3552.2 = 3.55 kN
• From Appendix B, for a W460 x 60, d = 455 mm and tw = 8 mm.

• Thus
τ avg =
Vmax 900 103
=
( )
= 24.7 MPa < 100 MPa (OK)
Aw (455)(8)

• Use a W460 x 60.

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright

Copyright ©2014
©2014 Pearson
Pearson Education,
Education, All
All Rights
Rights Reserved
Reserved
 EXAMPLE 2
The laminated wooden beam shown in Fig. 11–8a supports a
uniform distributed loading of 12kN/m. If the beam is to have a
height-to-width ratio of 1.5, determine its smallest width. The
allowable bending stress is 9 MPa and the allowable shear
stress is 0.6 MPa. Neglect the weight of the beam.

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright

Copyright ©2014
©2014 Pearson
Pearson Education,
Education, All
All Rights
Rights Reserved
Reserved
 EXAMPLE 2 (cont)
Solutions
• Applying the flexure formula,

S req =
M max
=
10.67 103( )
= 0 . 00119 m 3

σ allow 9 106 ( )
• Assuming that the width is a,
the height is 1.5a.

S req
I
= 0 = 0.00119 =
1
12 (a )(1.5a )3
c (0.75a )
a 3 = 0.003160 m 3
a = 0.147 m

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright

Copyright ©2014
©2014 Pearson
Pearson Education,
Education, All
All Rights
Rights Reserved
Reserved
 EXAMPLE 2 (cont)
Solutions
• Applying the shear formula for rectangular sections,

τ max = 1.5
Vmax
= (1.5)
20 103 ( )
= 0.929 > 0.6 MPa
A (0.147 )(1.5)(0.147 )

• Since the design fails the shear criterion, the beam must be redesigned
on the basis of shear.
Vmax
τ allow = 1.5
A

600 = 1.5
20 103( )
a(1.5a )
a = 0.183 m = 183 mm (Ans)

• This larger section will also adequately resist the normal stress.

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright

Copyright ©2014
©2014 Pearson
Pearson Education,
Education, All
All Rights
Rights Reserved
Reserved
 SHAFT DESIGN

• Consider the effects of moments and torsion

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, All Rights Reserved
 SHAFT DESIGN (cont)

• Resultant moment: (algebraic sum of Mx and My)

M= (M 2
x + M y2 )
• Normal stress and shear stress

Mc Tc
σ= and τ =
I J

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, All Rights Reserved
 SHAFT DESIGN (cont)

2
σ 
τ allow =   +τ 2
2

• For solid shaft, I = πc4/4 and J = πc4/2.

2
τ allow = 3
πc
(M 2
+T 2 )
or
1/ 3
 2 
c =  ( M + T 
2 2
)
 πτ allow 

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, All Rights Reserved
 EXAMPLE 5
The shaft in Fig. 11–14a is supported by smooth journal
bearings at A and B. Due to the transmission of power to and
from the shaft, the belts on the pulleys are subjected to the
tensions shown. Determine the smallest diameter of the shaft
using the maximum-shear-stress theory, with τallow = 50 MPa

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright

Copyright ©2014
©2014 Pearson
Pearson Education,
Education, All
All Rights
Rights Reserved
Reserved
 EXAMPLE 5 (cont)
Solutions
• The resultant moment is

MC = (118.75)2 + (37.5)2 = 124.5 N ⋅ m

• At B it is smaller, M B = 75 N ⋅ m

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright

Copyright ©2014
©2014 Pearson
Pearson Education,
Education, All
All Rights
Rights Reserved
Reserved
 EXAMPLE 5 (cont)
Solutions
• Since the design is based on the maximum-shear-stress theory, Eq. 11–
2 applies.
1/ 3
 2 
c =  M 2 + T 2 
 πτ allow 
1/ 3
 2 
=  (124.5) + (7.5) 
2 2
= 0.0117 m
 π (50 ) ( )
10 6


• Thus, the smallest allowable diameter is

d = 2(0.01177 ) = 23.3 mm (Ans)

R.C. Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, Copyright

Copyright ©2014
©2014 Pearson
Pearson Education,
Education, All
All Rights
Rights Reserved
Reserved