Principal stresses in a rectangular tube

Several steps are required to solve this problem:

1. Consider equilibrium to determine the beam reactions at the pin and at the roller.

2. Draw the shear-force and bending-moment diagrams to determine the shear force and bending moment at H.

3. Compute the moment of inertia for the rectangular tube and compute the first moment of area Q for point H.

4. Use the flexure formula to compute the normal stress at H.

5. Use the transverse shear stress formula to compute the shear stress at H.

6. Show these stresses on a stress element and use stress transformations to determine the principal and maximum in-plane shear stresses.

Principal stresses in a rectangular tube