1. A timber beam is used for the structure.

Knowing []=10MPa for timber,

design the size for the beam for
(1) a rectangular cross-section with breadth b and height h
in the ratio of h=2b;
(2) a square cross-section with side length a;
(3) a circular cross-section with diameter d.

420N 300N

C D
A B
0.5m 0.5m 0.5m
Solution:

1 3 2 4 M h 190  10 3 95  3  10 3
(1) I z  bh  b ，     b    
12 3 Iz 2 2 4 b3
b
3
 b  30.5mm
1 M a 190  10 3 a 190  6  10 3
（2） I z  a 4 ，         
12 Iz 2 1 4 2 a3
a
12
 b  48.5mm
1 M d 190  10 3 d 190  32  10 3
（3） I z  d 4 ，         
64 Iz 2 1
d 4 2 d 3
64
 b  57.8mm
2. A W15018-shape beam is to be used for the structure shown in the
following figure. For the rolled-steel we have []=170MPa and
[]=100MPa. From the handbook we can find d=153mm, tw=5.8mm,
Jz=9.210-6m4, Sz=1.210-4m3. Determine the allowable intensity of load in
the middle of the beam.
f
bf
tf
C D z
A tw d
2m 3.5m 2m B
Solution:
M diagram：

V diagram：

M d 5.03125 f  10 3 153
        170  f  4.06 kN m
Jz 2 9.2  10 6 2
V  Sz 1.75 f  1.2  10 4
      100  10 6 N m 2  f  25.4 kN m
J z  t w 9.2  10  6  5.8  10 3
 f  4.06 kN m

3. A steel beam (305x165x40) is to be used for the structure shown in the

following Figure. From the handbook we can find: d  305mm ,
b f  165 mm , t w  t f  40 mm , J z  8.551  10 5 m 4 , S z  5.63  10 4 m 3 . Calculate
the maximum flexure stress and shear stress of this beam.
 12kN
36kN/m
bf
tf

C A D E
B
tw z d

0.8m 1.8m
1.2m 1.6m

Solution:
M diagram：

V diagram：

M d 54.48 0.305
   5
  97.2 kN mm 2
J z 2 8.551  10 2
V  Sz 37.3  5.63 10 4
  5
 6140 kN m 2  6.14 kN mm 2
J z  t w 8.55110  0.04

4. A 10 kN.m couple is applied to a wooden beam, of rectangular cross

section 15 by 30 cm, in a plane forming an angle of 45°with the vertical, as
shown in Fig. 4. Determine
(a) the maximum stress in the beam,
(b) the angle that the neutral surface forms with the horizontal plane.
Solution:

(a) Dividing the couple into the following two components

1
M z  10  cos 45  7.07 kN.m I z  bh 3  33750 cm 4
12
M y  10  sin 45  7.07 kN.m 1
I y  hb 3  8437.5 cm 4
12

The largest tensile stress due to Mz occurs along AB and is

M y 7.07  10 6  150
1  z   3.1422 MPa
Iz 33750  10 4
The largest tensile stress due to My occurs along AD and is
M y z 7.07  10 6  75
2    6.2844 MPa
Iy 8437.5  10 4
The largest tensile stress due to the combined load action at A
 max   1   2  9.4266 MPa

(b) Angle of Neutral surface with horizontal plane

I 33750
tan   z tan   tan 45  4
Iy 8437.5
  75.96
5. A cantilever beam with a uniform load as shown in the following figure
has a height h equal to 1/10 of the length L. the beam is a steel wide-flange
section with E=208GPa and an allowable bending stress of 130 MPa in both
tension and compression. Calculate the ratio δ/L of the deflection at the free
end to the length, assuming that the beam carries the maximum allowable
load.
B
A L

Solution
1 2
The maximum moment at the fixed end is M max  qL
2
M max y
The allowable bending stress in tension or compression is  max 
I
Since y  h / 2  L / 20 ,
1 2 L
qL  3
 max  2 20  qL  130 MPa
I 40 I
qL3
Thus  5200
I
Since the deflection at the free end when the beam carries the maximum allowable load is
qL4

8EI
 qL3 5200 1
Therefore   
L 8 EI 8  208 10 3
320
6. For the beam and loading shown in the following figure, determine
(a) the deflection at the midspan of portion BC of the beam,
(b) the slope at the supporting point B.

Solution

Using ABC as a free body

 MC  0 ;
wL 3L L
( )  RB L  ( wL)( )  0
5 2 2
4
RB  wL
5
For portion BC only, (0<x<L)
MJ  0;
wL L 4 x
(  x)  wLx  ( wx)( )  M  0
5 2 5 2
3 1 1
M  wLx  wx 2  wL2
5 2 10
 d2y 3 1 1
EI  wLx  wx 2  wL2
dx 2 5 2 10
dy 3 1 1
EI  wLx 2  wx 3  wL2 x  C1
dx 10 6 10
1 1 1
EIy  wLx3  wx 4  wL2 x 2  C1 x  C2
10 24 20
 x  0, y  0  ; 0=0-0-0+0+C2 C2=0
1 1 1 1 3
 x  L, y  0  ; 0  (   ) wL4  C1 L  0 C1= wL
10 24 20 120
Elastic curve
w 1 3 1 4 1 2 2 1 3
y ( Lx  x  L x  L x)
EI 10 24 20 120
dy w 3 2 1 3 1 2 1 3
 ( Lx  x  L x  L)
dx EI 10 6 10 120
(a) y at x=L/2
w  1 L 3 1 L 4 1 2 L 2 1 3 L  wL4  1 1 1 1 
yM   L( )  ( )  L ( )  L ( )      
EI 10 2 24 2 20 2 120 2  EI  80 384 80 240 
13wL4

1920 EI

dy
(b) at x=0;
dx
dy w 1 3  wL3
 (0  0  0  L)
dx B EI 120 120 EI

7. The wooden T-beam shown in the below Figure is made from two
200mm×30mm boards. If the allowable bending stress is σallow=12 MPa and
the allowable shear stress is τallow=0.8 MPa, determine if the beam can safely
support the loading shown.
1.5kN

0.5kN/m

B C D

2m
2m

Solution:

Vmax=1.5kN and Mmax=2kNm

Bending stress
The neutral axis will be located from the bottom of the beam.

y
 yA  0.1575m
A
Thus
I  60.125(106 ) m 4
Since c=0.1575m, we require
M c
 allow  max
I
Thus
2  0.1575
12(103 )kPa  6
 5.24(103 )kPa (ok)
60.125(10 )

Shear stress
Maximum shear stress occur at the neutral axis and for simplicity, we will use the
rectangular area below the neutral axis to calculate Q, we have
0.1575
Q [(0.1575)(0.03)]  0.372(10 3 ) m3
2
So that
V Q
 allow  max
It
1.5  0.372(103 )
800kPa   309kPa (ok)
60.125(106 )(0.03)

8. A W250×45 wide-flange beam DB has the cross-sectional dimensions and

loading shown in the below Figure, E=210 GPa, d=266 mm,, tw=7.62 mm,
Jz=71.1×106 mm4, Sz=535×103 mm 3, the load q is 36 kN/m.
Determine the deflection at point C

Solution:
Supporting forces:
q  9  9 / 2 27
FA   q
6 4
9
FB  q  9  FA  q
4
The bending moment diagram and shear force diagram are shown in the above figure.
We can find that the maximal moment and shear force are 9 / 2 q and 15 / 4 q ,
respectively.
The bending moment of beam BA
9 q
m x  qx  x 2
4 2
The deflection of beam BA
q 9 q q 9 3 1 4
y
EJ z  ( qx  x 2 )dx  C1 x  C 2 
4 2
( x 
EJ z 24 24
x )  C1 x  C 2

y (0)  0 , C 2  0
9 q
y (6)  0 , C1  
2 EJ z
So, the deflection of point C is
q 9 1 9
y C  y (3)  (  33   3 4   3)  0.001989m
EJ z 24 24 2

9. For the beam and loading shown in the figure below, determine (a) the slope at end A,
(b) the maximum deflection. (10 marks)

Solution:

Differental Equation of the Elastic Curve

Integrating the equation above twice:


Boundary Conditions
From both ends of the beam, we know and , thus:

Integrating the equation above twice:

And the boundary conditions show that and

Equation of Elastic Curve

(a) the slope at end A

For , we have

Thus we have

(b) the maximum deflection

For , we have

Thus we have