EngiRef / Civil Engineering Formula

Bending Stress

Bending Stress: Stress due to bending moment. A Beams formula in civil engineering. Variables σ, M, y and I, each with SI and imperial units.

Beams

Specification

Name
Bending Stress
Discipline
civil
Category
Beams
LaTeX
\sigma = \frac{My}{I}
Description
Stress due to bending moment
Conditions
Linear elastic, pure bending; plane sections remain plane
Can solve for
σ, M, y, I
Tags
bending, stress, moment, flexure

Variables

Variables for Bending Stress
SymbolNameUnitSi UnitImperial Unit
σBending StressPaPapsi
MBending MomentN·mN·mft·lbf
yDistance from NAmmin
IMoment of Inertiam⁴m⁴in⁴

Common questions

What is the Bending Stress formula?
Stress due to bending moment. It sits under Beams, Civil engineering in the EngiRef reference.
What do the symbols in the Bending Stress formula mean?
In Bending Stress, σ is bending stress in Pa; M is bending moment in N·m; y is distance from na in m; I is moment of inertia in m⁴.
When does the Bending Stress formula apply?
Bending Stress holds under this condition: Linear elastic, pure bending; plane sections remain plane.