Calculating Shear Stress and Shear Force in a Wide-Flange Beam

How do we determine the shear stress on the web at point A in a wide-flange beam?

What are the shear-stress components on a volume element located at this point?

How can we calculate the maximum shear stress in the beam?

What is the shear force resisted by the web of the beam?

Shear Stress on Web at Point A

The shear stress on the web at point A can be determined by calculating the shear force acting on the web and dividing it by the cross-sectional area of the web.

Shear Stress Components on Volume Element

To indicate the shear stress components on a volume element at point A, we need to consider the three-dimensional stress state of the beam.

Maximum Shear Stress

The maximum shear stress in the beam can be calculated by identifying the critical cross-sectional area where the shear stress is highest.

Shear Force Resisted by the Web

The shear force resisted by the web of the beam can be calculated using the shear force applied to the beam.

To determine the shear stress on the web at point A, we need to calculate the shear force acting on the web and divide it by the cross-sectional area of the web. The shear force resisted by the web can be calculated as the vertical component of the shear force V, which is V/2 = 10 kN. The cross-sectional area of the web can be calculated using the dimensions of the beam, which are not given in the question. Let's assume that the beam is a W10x49 wide-flange beam, which has a web thickness of 0.38 inches and a depth of 10.08 inches. The cross-sectional area of the web can be calculated as:

A = web thickness x depth = 0.38 in x 10.08 in = 3.84 in^2

The shear stress on the web at point A can be calculated as:

Shear stress = shear force / area = 10 kN / 3.84 in^2 = 0.25 MPa

To indicate the shear-stress components on a volume element located at point A, we need to consider the three-dimensional stress state of the beam. At point A, the shear stress on the web is in the vertical direction and is equal to 0.25 MPa. The shear stress on the flanges is also present, but it is much lower than the shear stress on the web due to their larger cross-sectional area. The shear stress on the flanges can be calculated as:

Shear stress on flanges = V / (2 x area of flanges) = 10 kN / (2 x 4.61 in^2) = 0.108 MPa

Therefore, the shear-stress components on a volume element located at point A are:

  • Shear stress in the vertical direction on the web = 0.25 MPa
  • Shear stress in the horizontal direction on the flanges = 0.108 MPa

To determine the maximum shear stress in the beam, we need to consider the critical cross-sectional area where the shear stress is highest. This is typically located at the neutral axis of the beam, where the shear stress transitions from compressive to tensile. The maximum shear stress can be calculated as:

maximum shear stress = V x distance from neutral axis to extreme fiber / (moment of inertia x cross-sectional area)

Assuming that the neutral axis is located at the centroid of the cross-section, the distance from the neutral axis to the extreme fiber can be calculated as half of the depth of the beam. The moment of inertia of the cross-section can be calculated using the dimensions of the beam, which are not given in the question. Let's assume that the moment of inertia of the W10x49 beam is 270 in^4.

maximum shear stress = 10 kN x 5.04 in / (270 in^4 x 4.61 in^2) = 0.19 MPa

Therefore, the maximum shear stress in the beam is 0.19 MPa.

Finally, to determine the shear force resisted by the web of the beam, we can use the same calculation as before:

shear force resisted by web = V/2 = 10 kN

Therefore, the shear force resisted by the web of the beam is 10 kN.

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