AEROSTRUCURES PROJECT

Final Review

SHEAR LAG
OBJECTIVE
To study the phenomenon of shear lag and its
relation with Saint Venants Principle.
Solution to problems involving shear lag in
structures
ST. VENANTS PRINCIPLE
The principle states that while statically
equivalent systems of forces acting on a body
produce substantially different local effects the
stresses at sections distant from the surface of
loading are essentially the same.
 ST. VENANTS PRINCIPLE
ILLUSTRATION
Consider a three-stringer panel symmetrically
loaded by a system of self balanced forces.
Let the middle stringer have a c.s.a of A2 while
the other two have area A1
Assumption Webs take only shear stresses and
incapable of taking normal stresses
 ST. VENANTS PRINCIPLE
ILLUSTRATION
From free body diagram:

P2 = -P1

where negative sign means that P2 is in opposite direction of P1

Consider the F.B.D of a small segment x of the upper stringer
at position x. Balancing forces in axial direction:

(P1 + P1) - P1 - t x = 0

Limiting x 0;

= 1/t(dP1/dx)
 ST. VENANTS PRINCIPLE
ILLUSTRATION
Consider a strip in the upper web of length at position x before
deformation. After load application, shear strain occurs in the
web and axial strains in the middle and upper stringers.
Increment of shear strain is :

= 1/h(1(x) 2(x))

From which

d /dx = 1/h(1 2)

Treating stringers as axial members and webs as shear panel

1 = P1/A1E 2 = P2/A2E = /G
 ST. VENANTS PRINCIPLE
ILLUSTRATION
Substituting these relations and solving:

P1 = Ce-x + Dex

Let L be large enough that P1 0 as x L which implies

that D = 0 and P1 = PO at x= 0 which leads to C = P0
For consistency;

0 = 1/t(dP1/dx) = - P0/ t

where the negative symbol indicates that the actual

direction is opposite to that shown.
 ST. VENANTS PRINCIPLE
ILLUSTRATION
For the case of equal areas:

P1/P0 = e-x

Where = 1/h((3Ght/EA))
The distance from the free end x0 at which P1/P0 =
0.01 can be obtained by solving for x.
 SHEAR LAG
The non-uniform stress distribution that occurs in a
tension member adjacent to a connection, in which all
elements of the cross section are not directly connected,
is commonly referred to as the shear lag effect.
This effect reduces the design strength of the member
because the entire cross section is not fully effective at
the critical section location.
The extent to which shear lag occurs in a structure is a
function of the geometry of the structure and of the
loading.
Research reported prior to 1963 indicated that shear lag
was a function of the connection length and the
eccentricity of the connected parts.
SHEAR LAG
At a distance from the loading end all the loads in
the stringers become zero.
This load redistribution is accompanied by load
transfer in the shear panel by say a distance x.
The exponential decay of the load in the two
outside stringers are given by the warping in the
closed thin-walled sections
The decay index is given by the effect of end
constraints which depends on the axial rigidity of
the stringer and the shear rigidity of the sheet
 SHEAR LAG

a very rigid sheet makes the shear lag region

small, while rigid stringers require a long distance
to accomplish load distribution
in aircraft structures shear lags occur mainly in

(a) cutouts where the stringers are

discontinuous
(b) the sites of load application
 Submitted By

S.K. Hariharan CB.EN.U4AEE10021

Dilip N CB.EN.U4AEE10017
Nitish.C.Barathwaj CB.EN.U4AEE10038
Shiv Menon CB.EN.U4AEE10050
Ankith S CB.EN.U4AEE10009
Sreeja Rajan CB.EN.U4AEE10054
Ashwani Pillai CB.EN.U4AEE10012