Problem 10.4 - Shear Stress

Problem Statement

A simply supported beam is constructed from two wooden boards as shown. The beam supports a distributed load w = 3.5 kN/m. If lengths L1 = 1.5 m and L2 = 3 m, what is the maximum shear stress in the glue that holds the boards together?

A beam from A to B is subjected to a distributed load w. The distance from A to the start of the distributed load is L1, the distributed load occurs over a distance of L2, and the distance from the end of the distributed load to B is L1. The beam has a T cross section with a top width of 200 mm, a height of 220 mm and a uniform thickness of 20 mm.

Figure 1: A simply supported beam constructed of two wood boards is subjected to a force as shown.

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