WARPING IN OPEN SECTIONS

The solution for the torsion of a thin-walled open section beam is found by applying the
results obtained for the torsion of a thin rectangular strip. Here the rectangular strip is bent to
form a open section. The open section is shown in figure 1(a).

The figure 1.(a) also shows the shear line in a thin wall-open section. Figure 1.(b) shows the
approximation of elemental shear lines to those in a thin rectangular strip. Even with reduced
accuracy, the equation of rectangular strip is applied in open section. We observe that,

Maximum shear stress,

From the above equations we can deduce the equation for warping across the thickness for a
rectangular strip, when subjected to torsion. This warping is called secondary warping.

In addition to warping across the thickness, the cross-section of the beam will warp in a
similar manner to that of a closed section beam.

vt is the the tangential displacement to the centre of twist R of the cross-section. Therefore
equation becomes,

PR is the the perpendicular distance from the centre of twist to the tangent at any point.

The sign of ws is dependent on the direction of positive

torque (anticlockwise) for closed section beams.

For open section beams, pr is positive if the movement of

the foot of pr along the tangent of the direction of the
assumed positive s provides a anticlockwise area sweeping.

Figure 2
On the mid-line of the section wall .

Integrating this expression with respect to s and taking the lower limit of integration to
coincide with the point of zero warping, we obtain

The above equation gives the warping of mid-line of the beam. This is known as primary
warping. Secondary warping is very much less than primary warping and is usually ignored
in the thin-walled sections common to aircraft structures. The warping equation is rewritten
as

AR is the area swept out by a generator, rotating about the centre of twist, from the point of
zero warping, as shown in Figure 2.

PROBLEM 1

Determine the maximum shear stress and the warping distribution in the
channel section shown in Figure 3, when it is subjected to an anticlockwise
torque of 10 N m. G = 25 000 N/mm.

First we have to find the torsion constant,

The maximum shear stress occurs in the web of the section where the thickness is greatest.
 Figure 3

3b 2
s 8.04 mm 4
b
h 1
h
Center of twist

In wall 02:
 1
AR 8.04 s1
2
Positive
pR

1 10 103
w02 2 8.04 s1 0.01s1 mm
2 25000 316.7

i.e. the warping distribution is linear in 02 and

w2 0.01 25 0.25 mm

In the wall 21:

 The are Swept by the generator in wall 2-1 provides negative contribution to AR

1 1 10 103
w21 2 8.04 25 25s2
2 2 25000 316.7 0.03 8.04 s2 mm

Again the warping distribution is linear and varies from -0.25 mm at 2 to +0.54 mm at 1