Overview
The area moment of inertia (also called second moment of area) is a geometric property of a cross section that describes its resistance to bending. It appears in the flexure formula:
where:
- = bending stress (Pa)
- = bending moment (N·m)
- = distance from the neutral axis (m)
- = area moment of inertia (m⁴)
A larger moment of inertia means a stiffer beam — more resistant to deflection under load.
Parallel Axis Theorem
The moment of inertia about any axis parallel to the centroidal axis:
where:
- = cross-sectional area
- = distance between the two parallel axes
Section Modulus
The elastic section modulus relates moment of inertia to the maximum bending stress:
where is the distance from the neutral axis to the extreme fiber.
Common Cross Sections
Standard Steel Shapes — Example Values
Beam Deflection
The maximum deflection of a simply supported beam with uniform load:
where:
- = load per unit length (N/m)
- = span (m)
- = modulus of elasticity (Pa)
- = moment of inertia (m⁴)
Applications
- Structural beam and column design
- Machine component sizing
- Bridge and building analysis
- Crane and hoist engineering
- Aerospace structural analysis