11/04/2024
Marco Beghini
Mechanical design for the paper industry
Lesson 3
Beams and internal reactions
Ref. :Ugural Chapt. 1
Internal force resultants
Many structural bodies are slender/thin (length at least 5 times the dimension of the section):
beams (travi)
d = 50mm
C p0=30N/mm
B D
L / 2 240mm L/2
p0=30N/mm
B D 2.4 kN 4.8 kN
2.4 kN
4.8 kN B D
A fundamental question: how the structure can transfer the load from the points where
it is effectively applied to the frame?
This ability is called structural function of the beam and it can be performed by taking
advantage of the property of the solid matter to bear (limited) cohesive forces which are
internal forces for the beam
2
1
11/04/2024
Internal force resultants (1/2)
For instance, let us consider the (global) structural function of the mid-section C of the beam:
C
p0=30N/mm
B D
2.4 kN L / 2 240mm L/2
4.8 kN
The experimental evidence could demonstrate that the equilibrium of both the single half
parts of the beams imposes that the matter in section C is structurally active: assume to cut
the beams in too!
For quantifying the structural contribution of the section C to the equilibrium, it is necessary
to consider that in C the two parts BC and CD of the beam are reciprocally connected with a
fixed constraint (an internal fixed , built-in, constraint for the whole beam)
Like any fixed constraint, the constraint in C can be statically transformed into its constraint
reactions: a force plus a moment. Those are the internal constraints reactions to be
evaluated.
Be careful! As any internal constraint reactions, their effects have to be considered on both
the parts of the beams
3
Internal force resultants (2/2)
For instance, let us consider the structural function of the mid-section C of the beam:
C
B D
2.4 kN L / 2 240mm L/2
4.8 kN
The internal constraint reactions are defined by a convection on the sings that depends on the
local Cartesian system of the beam section defined as it follows:
• The origin in the (geometrical) centroid of the section
• The axis normal to the section, usually called z, is in the direction of the beam axis
• Axes on the section: x and y in the symmetries of the sections (if present)
z
z x
x
y y
4
2
11/04/2024
Internal force resultants: definitions for the plane problems
For the face in which the local z axis is outward the material, called the positive face of the
section, the internal constraint reactions of the beam are defined with the signs of the local axes
For the face in which the local z axis is inward the material, called the negative face of the
section, the internal constraint reactions are defined with the opposite sign of the local axes.
Ty , V y C
B N x z N D
2.4 kN L / 2 240mm y L/2
Mx Mx 4.8 kN
Ty , V y
N Normal (or axial) force
Ty , V y Shear (or tangential) force in the y direction
Mx Bending moment (about the x axis)
Evaluating the internal force resultants
In order to evaluate the internal force resultants (with their correct signs) the equilibrium of
one of the parts of the structure (indifferently) can be imposed
Ty , V y C
N Mx N D
B
2.4 kN L/2 Mx L/2
4.8 kN
Ty , V y
Verify that, in the examined case, the solution for the section C is the following:
N 0 Ty 0.6kN M x 0.432kNm
0.6 kN
C
B D
2.4 kN 0.6 kN
0.432 kNm 0.432 kNm 4.8 kN
3
11/04/2024
Methods for Evaluating the internal force resultants
It can be demonstrated that the internal force resultants can be directly evaluated for any
section by calculating:
1) the resultant of the all the external forces applied on the down-stream part of the structure
2) the resultant moment of all the external forces applied on the down-stream part of the
structure choosing as pole the centroid of the section
and considering the components of those two resultant vectors, with the proper signs, on the
local axes
The same result can be obtained, if convenient, by considering the up-stream part of the
structure and reversing the resultant and the resultant moment before considering their
components.
Internal force resultants: examples
B 2 kNm
C H E
45
L / 3 200mm
D
L/3 L/3
6 kN
6 N/mm E
C L/3
B
D
L / 2 300mm L/2
4
11/04/2024
Extension to 3-D problems
For a section of a 3-D beam, in general, there are 6 internal reaction components
N Mz
Tx , Vx z
Mx z
x Ty , V y x My
y y
N Normal or axial force
Tx , Vx & Ty , V y Shear (or tangential) forces in the x and in the y direction resp.
Mx & My Bending moments about the x axis and the y axis resp.
Mz Twisting moment or torsional moment or torque
Effects on a section of the beam
x
N Ty Tx
z
Mx My Mz
Representation of the single internal actions when positive
10
5
11/04/2024
Normal or axial force
N>0 N<0
z z
y y
A positive normal/axial force (N > 0) produces: pull , tension, extension in the
axial direction
A negative normal/axial force (N < 0) produces: push, compression, contraction
in the axial direction
Note: these effects (and the sign of the normal force) are unaffected by the
direction of the z axis.
11
Shear force
Ty> 0 z
Shear force (mainly) produces a sliding of the sections of the beam-sector
similarly (but not exactly equal) to the sliding of a deck of cards
The changes of sign and the direction of the shear force produces no significant
differences
12
6
11/04/2024
Bending moment Mx (1/2)
Mx > 0
x
x z
z
y y
Bending Mx produces a relative rotation of the extreme sections of the beam sector about the x
axes
The effect on a complete (deformable) beam with all the sections undergoing the same bending
moment is a curvature of the axis: the deformed axis becomes an arc of a circumference
13
Bending moment Mx (2/2)
Bending moment Mx produces on the material of the sector different effects depending on the
position
Mx > 0 This region is axially compressed
x
z
This region is axially extended
y
7
11/04/2024
Bending moment My
Bending moment My produces on the material similar effects than Mx
My > 0 x
This region is axially compressed
x
y z
z
This region is axially extended
y
An algebraic warning:
Mx > 0 produces axial extension in the region with y > 0
My > 0 Produces axial extension in the region with x < 0
Torque or Twisting/Torsional moment: Mz
Mz > 0 Torque generates a progressive
relative rotations (twist) of the beam
z sections about the z axis
x Torque transforms the prismatic
y sector of the beam into an helicoid
Like N, the sign of the torque is unaffected by the direction of the z axis
Mz > 0 generates a right helicoid Mz > 0
Mz < 0 generates a left helicoid Mz < 0
8
11/04/2024
17
