This document is part of the notes written by Terje Haukaas and posted at www.inrisk.ubc.ca.

The notes are revised without notice and they are provided as is without warranty of any kind.
You are encouraged to submit comments, suggestions, and questions to terje@civil.ubc.ca.
It is unnecessary to print these notes because they will remain available online.
Basic Truss and Beam
Equations
The theoiy foi tiuss anu beam membeis is compiehensively establisheu in othei
uocuments. In paiticulai, the equations foi equilibiium, kinematics, anu mateiial
law aie ueiiveu anu combineu to give the uiffeiential equation, which is theieaftei
solveu foi vaiious cases. The objective in this uocument is uiffeient; only key iesults
foi tiuss anu beam membeis aie pioviueu to seive as a basis foi the analysis of
plane tiuss anu fiame stiuctuies.
!"#$$ &'()'"$
The ielationship between elongation, !, anu an axial foice, !, applieu at one enu
while the othei is kept fixeu is:
! =
PL
EA
" P =
EA
L
# ! (1)
Terje Haukaas University of British Columbia www.inrisk.ubc.ca
Fundamental Truss and Beam Equations Page 2
wheie " is the membei length, # is the Young's mouulus, anu $ is the cioss-sectional
aiea. The axial stiess at a location along the tiuss membei is
! =
N
A
(2)
wheie % is the axial foice at that location.
*'+( &'()'"$
The ielationship between sheai foice, &, anu benuing moment, ', is:

V =
dM
dx
(S)
With the sign conventions auopteu on this website, a positive slope of the benuing
moment uiagiam yielus a negative (countei-clockwise) sheai foice, anu vice veisa.
In basic beam theoiy, the cuivatuie, !, equals the seconu-ueiivative of the
ueflection, (, anu the ielationship between cuivatuie anu benuing moment is:

d
2
w
dx
2
=
M
EI
(4)
wheie ) is the cioss-sectional moment of ineitia, which is uefineu as
I = z
2
dz
A
!
(S)
wheie * measuies the uistance fiom the neutial axis. Foi a iectangulai cioss-section
with height, +, anu wiuth, ,, the moment of ineitia is:
I =
b! h
3
12
(6)
Foi moie complicateu cioss-sections the moment of ineitia can be computeu
accoiuing to Steinei's foimula

I = I
i
+ z
i
2
A
i
All parts of the
cross-section
!
(7)
wheie *- is the uistance fiom the neutial axis of the entiie cioss-section to the
centioiu of each pait of the cioss-section, each with aiea $- anu local moment of
ineitia )-. The stiess at a location of the cioss-section of a beam membei is
! =
M
I
" z (8)
The sheai stiess at a location of the cioss-section of a beam membei is

! =
V " S
I " b
(9)
Terje Haukaas University of British Columbia www.inrisk.ubc.ca
Fundamental Truss and Beam Equations Page 3
wheie , is the wiuth of the cioss-section at that location anu S is the static moment
about the neutial axis of the aiea outsiue the location:
S = z dA
A
s
!
(1u)
Foi a iectangulai cioss-section the maximum sheai stiess is

! =
3
2
"
V
A
(11)

,'-./01 20"-' 3/+4"+($ 50" + 2'6 ,/(78' 9+$'$
The benuing moment uiagiam anu sheai foice uiagiam foi a simply suppoiteu beam
with unifoimly uistiibution loau, ., aie:

Foi a simply suppoiteu beam with a point loau, !, at miu-span they aie:



q
+
!
qL
2
8
qL
2
qL
2
P
+
!
PL
4
P
2
P
2
Terje Haukaas University of British Columbia www.inrisk.ubc.ca
Fundamental Truss and Beam Equations Page 4
Foi a cantilevei beam with unifoimly uistiibution loau, ., they aie:

Foi a cantilevei beam with a point loau, !, at the enu they aie:




q
+
qL
2
2
qL
P
+
PL
P