Chapter 5

Analysis and Design of

Beams for Bending

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5.1 Introduction
• Objective  Analysis and design of beams.
• Beams  structural members supporting loads at
various points along the member.
• Transverse loadings of beams are classified as
concentrated loads or distributed loads.
• Applied loads result in internal forces consisting
of a shear force (from the shear stress distribution)
and a bending couple (from the normal stress
distribution).
• Normal stress is often the critical design criteria
My Mc M
x   m  
I I S
Requires determination of the location and magnitude
of largest bending moment.

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Classification of Beam Supports

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5.2 Shear and Bending Moment Diagrams
• Determination of maximum normal and
shearing stresses requires identification of
maximum internal shear force and bending
couple.

• Shear force and bending couple at a point are

determined by passing a section through the
beam and applying an equilibrium analysis on
the beam portions on either side of the section.

• Sign conventions for shear forces V and V´

and bending couples M and M´

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• Direction of forces and couples
The sign convention for shear forces and bending moments are not based on their
directions along the coordinates axes.

(positive bending (positive shear)

moment)
(b) Effect of external forces

Positive shear force: tends to rotate the material clockwise.

Positive bending moment: tends to compress the upper part of the beam and
elongate the lower part.
Note for positive axial force: tends to pull the material apart.

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 Example 1
For the timber beam and loading shown, draw the shear and
bend-moment diagrams and determine the maximum normal
stress due to bending.

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SOLUTION:
• Treating the entire beam as a rigid body, determine
the reaction forces
from  Fy  0   M B : RB  46 kN RD  14 kN
• Section the beam and apply equilibrium analyses
on resulting free bodies
 Fy  0  20 kN  V1  0 V1  20 kN
 M1  0 20 kN 0 m  M1  0 M1  0
 Fy  0  20 kN  V2  0 V2  20 kN
 M2  0 20 kN 2.5 m  M 2  0 M 2  50 kN  m

V3  26 kN M 3  50 kN  m
V4  26 kN M 4  28 kN  m
V5  14 kN M 5  28 kN  m
V6  14 kN M6  0

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• Identify the maximum shear and bending
moment from plots of their distributions.
Vm  26 kN M m  M B  50 kN  m

• Apply the elastic flexure formulas to

determine the corresponding
maximum normal stress.
S  16 b h 2  16 0.080 m 0.250 m 2

 833.33 10 6 m3

MB 50 103 N  m
m  
S 833.33 10 6 m3

 m  60.0 106 Pa

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 Example 2
The structure shown is constructed of a W250  167 rolled-steel
beam.
(a) Draw the shear and bending-moment diagrams for the beam
and the given loading.
(b) Deter-mine normal stress in sections just to the right and left
of point D.

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SOLUTION:
• Replace the 45-kN load with equivalent force-
couple system at D. Find reactions at B.

• Section the beam and apply equilibrium

analyses on resulting free bodies.

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• Apply the elastic flexure formulas to
determine the maximum normal stress to
the left and right of point D.

From Appendix C for a W250  167 rolled

steel shape, S = 2.08  106mm3 about the
XX axis.

Note: “Appendix C” can be found from the course website.

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5.3 Relations among Load, Shear, and Bending Moment

+↑

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• Relationship between shear and bending
moment:
 M C  0 : M  M   M  V x  wx x  0
2
M  V x  12 w x 2
dM
V
dx

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 Example 3
Draw the shear and bending-moment diagrams for the beam and
loading shown.

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SOLUTION:
• Taking the entire beam as a free body, determine the
reactions at A and D.

• Apply the relationship between shear and load to

develop the shear diagram.
dV
 w dV   w dx
dx
 zero slope between concentrated loads
 linear variation over uniform load segment

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• Apply the relationship between bending
moment and shear to develop the bending-
moment diagram.
dM
V dM  V dx
dx
 bending moment at A and E is zero

 bending moment variation between A, B, C,

and D is linear

 bending moment variation between D and E

is quadratic

 net change in bending moment is equal to

areas under shear distribution segments

 total of all bending-moment changes across

the beam should be zero

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 Example 4
Draw the shear and bending-moment diagrams for the beam and
loading shown.

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SOLUTION:
• Taking the entire beam as a free body,
determine the reactions at C.
 Fy  0   12 w0a  RC RC  12 w0a
 a  a
 M C  0  12 w0 a L    M C M C   12 w0a L  
 3  3
Results from integration of the load and shear
distributions should be equivalent.
• Apply the relationship between shear and load
to develop the shear diagram.
a
a
 x   x 2 
VB  V A    w0 1   dx    w0  x  
 2a 
0  a   0
VB   12 w0 a    area under load curve

 No change in shear between B and C.

 Compatible with free body analysis

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• Apply the relationship between bending moment
and shear to develop the bending-moment diagram.
a
a  x 2    x 2 x3 
M B  M A     w0  x    dx   w0   
  2a    2 6a 
0     0
M B   13 w0 a 2

L
M C  M B    12 w0 a  dx   12 w0 aL  a 
a

a w0  a
M C   16 w0 a3L  a    L 
2  3

Results at C are compatible with free-body analysis

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 5.4 Design of Prismatic Beams for
Bending

• The largest normal stress is found at the surface where the maximum bending
moment occurs.

M max c M max
m  
I S

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• A safe design requires that the maximum normal stress be less than the
allowable stress for the material used. This criteria leads to the determination
of the minimum acceptable section modulus.

M
 m   all S min  max

 all

• Among beam section choices which have an acceptable section modulus, the
one with the smallest weight per unit length or cross-sectional area will be
the least expensive and the best choice.

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Design Procedure

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Example 5

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 SOLUTION:

VBR = 20 kN
(-24)

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 Example 6
A simply supported steel beam is to carry the distributed and
concentrated loads shown. Knowing that the allowable normal
stress for the grade of steel to be used is 160 MPa, select the wide-
flange shape that should be used.

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SOLUTION: • Considering the entire beam as a free body,
determine the reactions at A and D.
 M A  0  D5 m   60 kN 1.5 m   50 kN 4 m 
D  58.0 kN
 Fy  0  Ay  58.0 kN  60 kN  50 kN
Ay  52.0 kN

• Develop the shear diagram and determine the

maximum bending moment.
V A  Ay  52.0 kN
VB  V A  area under load curve  60 kN
VB  8 kN
• Maximum bending moment occurs at V = 0 or x
= 2.6m.
M max
 area under shear curve, A to E 
 67.6 kN  m

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 • Determine the minimum acceptable beam section
modulus.
M max 67.6 kN  m
Smin  
 all 160 MPa
 422.5 106 m3  422.5 103 mm3

• Choose the best standard section which meets this

criteria.
Shape S , 103 mm 3
W 360 32.9
W410  38.8 637
W360  32.9 474
W310  38.7 549
W250  44.8 535
W200  46.1 448

W410x38.8, W: wide flange beam, 410: nominal depth, 38.8: weight/unit length (kg/m)

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Exercise

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