Chapter 5. Bending of Beams

5.1 Introduction

In this chapter we are concerned with the bending of straight as well as curved beams—that is, structural elements possessing one dimension significantly greater than the other two, usually loaded in a direction normal to the longitudinal axis. We first examine the elasticity or “exact” solutions of beams that are straight and made of homogeneous, linearly elastic materials. Then, we consider solutions for straight beams using mechanics of materials or elementary theory, special cases involving members made of composite materials, and the shear center. The deflections and stresses in beams caused by pure bending as well as those due to lateral loading are discussed. We analyze stresses in curved ...

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