Bending in beams
When a beam carries loads, complex stresses build up in the material of the beam. The bending that results from the loading causes some beam fibres to:
- carry tension - these are called tensile forces
- carry compression - these are called compressive forces
- take shear forces.
These all occur simultaneously.
Bending theory is complex and relies on mathematical modelling for solutions. The theory includes the concepts of bending moments and shear forces.
When a structural engineer designs a beam the key concerns are:
- bending
- shear
- deflection.