- #1
UMath1
- 361
- 9
My mechanics of materials book states that in order for an element to be in equilibrium it must have equal horizontal and vertical shear stresses. However, it also states "The shear stresses in the web of a wide-flange beam act only in the vertical direction and are larger than the stresses in the flanges" . How can the stress only act in the vertical direction if in order to maintain equilibrium they must act in the horizontal direction as well?