In this article (and video above), we guide you through the Combined Stress Formula for a cantilevered beam, a valuable skill that will enhance your FE Exam prep and strengthen your understanding of essential engineering concepts.
Question:
In this scenario, we have a 300 mm cantilevered beam with a 20 mm x 20 mm square cross-section. One end of the beam is securely fixed, while the other end carries two applied loads: an axial force Fx = 200 N and a perpendicular force Fy = 150 N. Our goal is to determine the maximum combined stress produced by these forces at the base of the beam, focusing specifically on point A.
Problem Context: Combined Stresses
Before we jump into the question, let’s set the stage by exploring the concept of combined stress. This combined stress state occurs when an object experiences different kinds of loads at the same time. For instance, a beam subject to both axial and bending forces will develop a combination of these induced stresses throughout its structure. In general, there are five key stress types you should be familiar with to be able to solve these kinds of problems, and they are listed here as:
- Axial stress
- Bending stress
- Shear stress
- Torsional stress
- Thermal stress
We’ll start off with a quick explanation of each stress case, starting off with axial stress.
Axial Stress
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