University of Mosul
College of Engineering
Architectural Department
Lecturer: Tuqa Waleed Ahmed
* Moments of Inertia for Areas
* Definition of Moments of Inertia for Areas
* Centroid for an area is determined by the first moment of an area about an axis.
* The moment of inertia is geometric property of an area that is used to determine the strength of
a structural member. It is some times referred to as the second moment of the area about an axis.
* Consider an area A lying in the x-y plane. 𝐲
* By definition, moments of inertia of the differential plane
area dA about the x and y axes are: 𝐀
dIx = y 2 dA, dIy = x 2 dA 𝐱
𝒅𝐀
* For entire area, moments of inertia are given by: 𝐫 𝐲
Ix = න y2 dA , Iy = න x2 dA 𝐱
𝟎
A A
* Formulate the second moment of dA about the pole O or z axis: this is known as the polar axis.
dJo = r 2 dA.
Where r is the perpendicular from the pole (z axis) to the element dA.
* Polar moment of inertia for entire area is : Jo = A r 2 dA = A(x 2 + y 2 ) dA = Ix +Iy .
* Parallel Axis Theorem for an Area
* For moment of inertia of an area known about an axis passing through its
centroid, determine the moment of inertia of area about a corresponding parallel
axis using the parallel axis theorem.
* Consider moment of inertia of the shaded area,
a differential element dA is located at an arbitrary distance yc
from the centroidal xc axis.
* The fixed distance between the parallel x and xc axes
is defined as dy . 𝐲𝐜
𝐲
𝐝𝐱 𝐱𝐜
* For moment of inertia of dA about x axis
2 𝒅𝐀
dIx = yc + dy dA. 𝐲𝐜
𝐱𝐜
𝐂
𝐝𝐲
𝟎 𝐱
University of Mosul
College of Engineering
Architectural Department
Lecturer: Tuqa Waleed Ahmed
* Parallel Axis Theorem for an Area 𝐲𝐜
𝐲
∗ For entire area: 𝐝𝐱 𝐱𝐜
2
Ix = න yc + dy dA 𝒅𝐀
𝐲𝐜
A
𝐱𝐜
𝐂
= න yc 2 dA + 2dy න yc dA + d2y න dA 𝐝
𝐝𝐲
A 𝟎 𝐱
A A
∗ First integral represent the moment of inertia of the area about the centroidal axis.
∗ Second integral=0 since xc passes through the area′s centroid C ∶
න yc dA = yത න dA = 0 ; yത = 0
∗ Third integral represents the total area A , then : 𝐈𝐱 = 𝐈𝐱𝐜 + 𝐀𝐝𝟐𝐲
∗ Similarly : 𝐈𝐲 = 𝐈𝐲𝐜 + 𝐀𝐝𝟐𝐱
∗ For polar moment of inertia about an axis perpendicular to the x-y plane and passing through
pole O (z axis): Jo = Jc + Ad2
* Radius of Gyration of an Area
∗ Radius of gyration of a planar area has units of length and is a quantity used in
the design of columns in structural mechanics.
∗ For radii of gyration
Ix Iy Io
kx = , ky = , kz = .
A A A
∗ Similar for finding moment of inertia of a differential area about an axis :
Ix = k 2x A
University of Mosul
College of Engineering
Architectural Department
Lecturer: Tuqa Waleed Ahmed
* Example 𝐲𝐜
Determine the moment of inertia for the rectangular area
with respect to : 𝐡/𝟐 𝐝𝐲
(a) The centroidal xc axis, 𝐲
(b) The axis xb passing through the base of the rectangular. 𝐂
𝐱𝐜
(c) The pole or zc axis perpendicular to the xc -yc plane and 𝐡/𝟐
passing through the centroid C.
𝐱𝐛
* Solution : 𝐛/𝟐 𝐛/𝟐
h h
2 2 bh3
a Ixc = න y2 dA = න y2 bd𝑦 = b න y 2 d𝑦 = .
A −
h
−
h 12
2 2
2
bh3 h bh3
b Ixb = Ixc + Ady 2 = + bh = .
12 2 3
c Jc = Ixc + Iyc
hb3 bh
Iyc = , ∴ Jc = h2 + b2 .
12 12
* Moments of Inertia for Composite Areas
∗ A composite area consists of a series of simpler parts or shapes such as
rectangle, triangle and circles. Provided the moment of inertia of each of these
parts is known or can be determined about a common axis, then the moment of
inertia for the composite area about this axis equals the algebraic sum of the
moments of inertia for all its parts.
∗ Procedure for Analysis:
1. Using a sketch, divided the area into its composite parts and indicates the
perpendicular distance from the centroid of each part to the reference axis.
2. If the centroidal axis for each part does not coincide with the reference axis,
the parallel axis theorem should be used to determine the moment of inertia
about the reference axis.
3. The moment of inertia of entire area about the reference axis is determined
by summing the results of its composite parts about this axis.
4. If a composite part has an empty region (hole), its moment of inertia is
found by subtracting the moment of inertia of this region from the moment
of inertia of the entire part including the region.
University of Mosul
College of Engineering
Architectural Department
Lecturer: Tuqa Waleed Ahmed
* Moment of inertia of common geometrical shapes
𝐲 𝐲𝐜
𝐲𝐜
𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐚 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐚
𝐡 𝐱𝐜
𝐂 𝐂
𝐱𝐜
𝐛𝐡𝟑 𝐛𝐡𝟑 𝐱 𝛑𝐫 𝟒
𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐱𝐜 = 𝐈𝐱 = 𝐫 𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐱 = 𝐈𝐲𝐜 =
𝐛
𝐱 𝟏𝟐 𝟑 𝟖
𝐲
𝐲𝐜 𝐈𝐱𝐜 = 𝟎. 𝟏𝟏 𝐫 𝟒
𝐛𝐡𝟑 𝐛𝐡𝟑 𝛑𝐫 𝟒
𝐡 𝐈𝐱𝐜 = 𝐈𝐱 = 𝐱𝐜 𝐈𝐱 = 𝐈𝐲 =
𝐀𝐧𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝟑𝟔 𝟏𝟐 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞
𝐱 𝟏𝟔
𝐱𝐜 𝐫𝐫
𝐂
𝐱 𝐈𝐱𝐜 = 𝐈𝐲𝐜 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟓𝟓𝐫 𝟒
𝐛
𝐲
𝐲
𝐫
𝛑𝐫 𝟒
𝐈𝐱𝐜 = 𝐈𝐲𝐜 =
𝟒
𝐗𝐜
𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞
𝛑𝐫 𝟒
𝐉𝐜 =
𝟐
* Example
Compute the moment of inertia for the composite area shown in the figure with
respect to the indicated x-axis:
y
* Solution:
3 cm
2 cm
x
9 cm
10
Shape 𝐈𝐱𝐜 𝐀 𝐝 𝐈𝐱 = 𝐈𝐱𝐜 + 𝐀𝐝𝟐 cm
bh3 6 9 3
Rectangle = = 364.5 6(9) = 54 4.5 − 2 = 2.5 702
12 12
1 2
Triangle 4 9 3
= 81
1
4 9 = 18 9 −2 = 4 369
36 2 3
π 4 3
Semicircle 0.11r 4 = 8.91 2
3 2 = 14.13 2+ = 3.27 160
3π
Sum 1231 cm4
University of Mosul
College of Engineering
Architectural Department
Lecturer: Tuqa Waleed Ahmed
* Example
Compute the moment of inertia for the shaded area shown in the figure with
respect to the x-axis also find k x :
* Solution:
3 cm
3cm
9 cm
3cm
Shape 𝐈𝐱𝐜 𝐀 𝐝 𝐈𝐱 = 𝐈𝐱𝐜 + 𝐀𝐝𝟐
x
Rectangle
bh3 8 6 3
12
=
12
= 144 6(8) = 48
11115
1
3
3 =1 576
4 cm 4 cm
1 −1 1
Triangle 4 3 3
=3 4 3 = −6 3 =1 −9
36 2 3
π 4 3
Q.circle 0.055 3 4
= 4.5 − 3 2
= −7 6− = 4.7 −159
4 3π
Sum 35 408 cm4
Ix 408
kx = = = 3.4 cm
A 35
* Example
Determine the moment of inertia of the shaded area shown in the figure with
respect to the y-axis: y
* Solution: 150 mm 150 mm
100 mm
75 mm
100 mm
x
300
mm
Shape 𝐈𝐲𝐜 𝐀 𝐝 𝐈𝐲 = 𝐈𝐲𝐜 + 𝐀𝐝𝟐
bh3 200 300 3
Rectangle = = 45 10 7
300 200 = 6 10 4 300 + 150 = 450 12.6 10 9
12 12
1 1 2
Triangle 200 300 3 = 15 10 7
300 200 = 3 10 4 300 = 200 1.35 10 9
36 2 3
Circle πr 4 π 75 4
7 −π 75 2 = −1.76 10 4 300 + 150 = 450 −3.6 10 9
= = 2.48 10
4 4
9 mm4
Sum 10.4 10
