ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION BEAM STRESS Beams are structural members which are subject to tangential loads. Tangential loads act perpendicular to the axis of a member and cause bending (flexure), vertical shear, and horizontal shear stresses to develop in a beam. As discussed in Chapter 2, bending stress is actually a combination of tensile and compressive stresses. However, instead of analyzing the tensile and compressive stresses separately, bending stress is treated as a whole with its own allowable stress design value. Actual bending stress is dependent on the force and/or moment applied and the shape of the member. In this chapter, we will discuss how to calculate the magnitude of the bending and shear stresses generated by tangential loads on beams.
