29. BENDING STRESS IN UNSYMMETRICAL SECTIONS
• In case of symmetrical sections, the neutral axis passes through the geometrical
centre of the section. But in case of unsymmetrical sections such as L, T sections,
the neutral axis does not pass through the geometrical centre of the section.
• Hence the value of y for the topmost layer or bottom layer of the section from
neutral axis will not be same. For finding the bending stress in the beam, the
bigger value of y is used. As the neutral axis passes through the centre of gravity
of the section, hence in unsymmetrical sections, first the centre of gravity is
calculated the manner as explained in chapter 5.
29 BIBIN CHIDAMBARANATHAN, ASP/MECH, RMKCET 5/22
69. COMPOSITE BEAMS (FLITCHED BEAMS)
• A beam made up of two or more different materials assumed to be rigidly
connected together and behaving like a single piece is known as a composite
beam or a wooden flitched beam.
• Fig. 7 .27 (a) shows a wooden beam (or timber beam) reinforced by steel plates.
This arrangement is known as composite beam or a flitched beam.
• The strain at the common surfaces will be same for both materials.
• Also the total moment of resistance will be equal to the sum of the moments of
individual sections.
69 BIBIN CHIDAMBARANATHAN, ASP/MECH, RMKCET 5/22
70. COMPOSITE BEAMS (FLITCHED BEAMS)
• When such a beam is subjected to bending, the bending stresses and hence
strains due to bending stresses at a point are proportional to the distance of the
point from the common neutral axis.
• Consider the composite beam as shown in Fig. 7.27 (a) and let at a distance y
from the N.A., the stresses in steel and wood are 𝑓1 and 𝑓2 respectively.
70 BIBIN CHIDAMBARANATHAN, ASP/MECH, RMKCET 5/22