Problem 10.20 - Shear Flow

Problem Statement

A T-beam is constructed from two wooden boards nailed together as shown. The nails can withstand a shear load of 10 kN and the beam is subjected to a maximum shear force V = 30 kN. If dimensions b1 =20 mm, b2 = 200 mm, h1 = 160 mm, and h2 = 20 mm, determine the minimum permissible spacing between the nails.

A T beam is made of two pieces nailed together. The base of the T is height h1 and width b1. The top of the T is height h2 and base b2.

Figure 1: A T-beam is constructed of two plywood sheets nailed together.

[Problem adapted from © Kurt Gramoll CC BY NC-SA 4.0]