EngiRef / Civil Engineering Formula

Shear Stress in Beams

Shear Stress in Beams: Shear stress distribution in beams. A Beams formula in civil engineering. Variables τ, V, Q, I and t, each with SI and imperial units.

Beams

Specification

Name
Shear Stress in Beams
Discipline
civil
Category
Beams
LaTeX
\tau = \frac{VQ}{It}
Description
Shear stress distribution in beams
Conditions
Transverse shear in a prismatic beam
Can solve for
τ, V, Q, I, t
Tags
shear, stress, beam, vq/it

Variables

Variables for Shear Stress in Beams
SymbolNameUnitSi UnitImperial Unit
τShear StressPaPapsi
VShear ForceNNlbf
QFirst Moment of Areain³
IMoment of Inertiam⁴m⁴in⁴
tWidth at Pointmmin

Common questions

What is the Shear Stress in Beams formula?
Shear stress distribution in beams. It sits under Beams, Civil engineering in the EngiRef reference.
What do the symbols in the Shear Stress in Beams formula mean?
In Shear Stress in Beams, τ is shear stress in Pa; V is shear force in N; Q is first moment of area in m³; I is moment of inertia in m⁴; t is width at point in m.
When does the Shear Stress in Beams formula apply?
Shear Stress in Beams holds under this condition: Transverse shear in a prismatic beam.