Combined loadings – post and beam

Next, consider the area between this line and the furthest extreme of the cross section (i.e., extending away from the neutral axis).

Q is the moment of the shaded area about the neutral axis:

Q=(80 mm)(90 mm)(55 mm)=396,000 mm3

The transverse shear force V acts in the -x direction. To calculate the transverse shear stress, use the elastic shear stress formula:


τ=VQIt


To find τ, first slice through the cross section at B, parallel to the neutral axis. The width of the cross section at this location is the dimension t.