Chapter 7

Transverse Shear
Shear stress in a prismatic beam due to shear force
Shear flow in a built-up beam
Shear flow in thin-walled beam
Shear center of a cross-section

SHEAR IN A STRAIGHT BEAM

Transverse shear stress always has its associated longitudinal

shear stress acting along longitudinal planes of the beam.

Recall 3d stress element The transverse shear stress and

the longitudinal shear stress must be equal!

 Further proof that the transverse shear stress and the

longitudinal shear stress must coexist?

SHEAR FORMULA

F 0
' dA' dA tdx 0
x

M dM y dA

I
1 dM

It dx

ydA

My
I dA tdx 0

VQ

It
where Q ydA y ' A'
A'

Q is called the first area moment of the section above y.

is the average shear stress over the area tdx, and it is also
the average shear stress on the cross-section y above the neutral axis.

What if you take a vertical cut?

What is dF?

SHEAR IN BEAMS
Consider two rectangular cross sections

The actual shear stress is not uniform.

SHEAR IN BEAMS
Rectangular cross section

VQ
V

Q
1
It
bh 3 b
12

Q b(

h
y) y'
2
h

h
2

y
2
2

b h

2 2

max

V
1.5
A

EXAMPLE 7.3
A steel wide-flange beam has the dimensions shown
in Fig. 711a. If it is subjected to a shear of V = 80kN,
plot the shear-stress distribution acting over the
beams cross-sectional area.

EXAMPLE 1 (cont)
Solutions
The moment of inertia of the cross-sectional area about the neutral axis is

1
0.015 0.23
I
12
1
0.3 0.023
2
12

0.3 0.02 0.11

2

155.6 10 6 m 4

For point B, tB = 0.3m, and A is the dark

shaded area shown in Fig. 711c
QB ' y ' A' 0.11 0.3 0.02 0.6610 3 m 3

B'

VQB ' 8010 3 0.6610 3

1.13 MPa
6

It B '
155.610 0.3

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

EXAMPLE 1 (cont)
Solutions
For point B, tB = 0.015m, and QB = QB,

VQB
8010 3 0.6610 3

22.6 MPa
It B
155.610 6 0.015

For point C, tC = 0.015m, and A is

the dark shaded area in Fig. 711d.
Considering this area to be composed of two rectangles,
QC y ' A' 0.11 0.3 0.02 0.05 0.015 0.1 0.73510 3 m 3

C max
Thus,

VQc
80103 0.735 10 3

25.2 MPa
It C
155.610 6 0.015

7.3 SHEAR FLOW IN BUILT-UP BEAM

Shear flow shear force per unit length along longitudinal axis
dFof a beam.
' dA' dA'

dM
dM
dF
ydA'
Q

I
I
dF VQ
q

dx
I

q = shear flow (shear force per unit thickness)

V = internal resultant shear
I = moment of inertia of the entire cross-sectional area

SHEAR FLOW IN BUILT-UP BEAM (cont)

The horizontal (direction parallel to the neutral axis) cuts can be long.
The vertical cuts must be short.

EXAMPLE 7.6
Nails having a total shear strength of 40 N are used in a beam that can be constructed either as
in Case I or as in Case II, Fig. 718. If the nails are spaced at 90 mm, determine the largest
vertical shear that can be supported in each case so that the fasteners will not fail.

EXAMPLE 2 (cont)
Solutions
Since the cross section is the same in both cases, the moment of inertia about the neutral axis is
I

1
30 503 2 1 10 403 205833 mm 4
12
12

Case I
For this design a single row of nails holds the top or bottom flange onto the web.
For one of these flanges,
Q y 'A' 22.5 30 5 3375 mm3
VQ
I
40 N
V 3375 mm3

90 mm 205833 mm4
V 27.1 N
q

Copyright 2011 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

EXAMPLE 2 (cont)
Solutions
Case II
Here a single row of nails holds one of the side boards onto the web.
Thus,
Q y 'A' 22.510 5 1125 mm3
VQ
I
40 N
V 1125 mm3

90 mm 205833 mm4
V 81.3 N (Ans)
q

SHEAR FLOW IN THIN-WALLED BEAM

Approximation: only the shear-flow component that acts parallel to the walls of the
member will be counted.

EXAMPLE 3
The thin-walled box beam in Fig. 722a is subjected to a shear of 10 kN. Determine the
variation of the shear flow throughout the cross section.
Solutions
The moment of inertia is I

1
6 8 3 1 4 6 3 184 mm 4
12
12

For point B, the area A' 0 thus qB = 0.

Also,

QC y A' 3.5 51 17.5 cm 3

QD y A' 2 2 1 4 30 cm 3

For point C,

qC

VQC 1017.5 / 2

0.951 kN/cm 91.5 N/mm

I
184

VQ
I

is D
The shear flow qatD D

10 30 / 2
1.63 kN/cm 163 N/mm
184