Combined Structural Stress Calculator
Estimate axial, biaxial bending, shear, torsional and von Mises stress for an idealised member, bracket or shaft critical section.
“A bracket arm carries a known load at a known distance. What stress occurs, and what section size should I start with?”
Combined structural stress reference
σ_a = N / Aσ_b = M_v / Z_v + M_h / Z_hτ_t = T r / Jτ_v ≈ V / A or section screening modelσ_vm = √(σ² + 3τ²)For a solid rectangle or plate, vertical depth means the dimension resisting bending in the vertical plane. If the plate bends out of plane, this depth is usually the plate thickness.
Bracket-type critical section
Tell us how the structure is loaded
Use guided mode for one real-world force, or enter the actions already known at the critical section.
Describe the member cross-section
Width is horizontal. Depth is vertical. The calculator automatically uses the correct section modulus for each bending direction.
Optional preliminary sizing target
Use a chosen fraction of yield strength to find an idealised starting size. This is not an AS 3990 or AS 4100 design capacity.
Combined stress at the idealised critical section
Plane-stress maximum shear from the combined normal and shear screen.
Axial plus the worst section corner from biaxial bending.
thin-wall closed-section screening
average screening
Arithmetic comparison only—not a design utilisation.
The calculated von Mises stress is 26.9% of the entered yield strength. This does not check code capacity, stability, fatigue or local effects.
Minimum idealised wall thickness: 2.53 mm to reach approximately 150 MPa under the same idealised load model.
This varies only one dimension: vertical depth for a solid rectangle, wall thickness for RHS/CHS, or diameter for a solid round.
Axial stress N/A, biaxial elastic bending M/Z, transverse shear screening, supported torsional shear, principal stresses and a plane-stress von Mises equivalent.
The result is a screening envelope, not a point-by-point stress field. Bending, direct shear and torsional maxima may occur at different places on the real section. Hollow-section transverse shear is shown as an average screening value, so local web or wall shear still needs a section-specific check.
Stress concentrations, holes, weld toes, local plate bending, bearing, contact, buckling, lateral-torsional buckling, connection flexibility, second-order effects, plasticity, fatigue, vibration, impact, dynamic amplification, load combinations, code factors or the actual support stiffness.
Save the calculation, not just the number.
Copy a permalink that reloads these inputs, or download a PDF record with inputs, visible results, assumptions, a sensitivity note, date and disclaimer.
A calculator can show the arithmetic. It cannot establish every requirement that applies.
Confirm the actual equipment, loading, materials, condition, jurisdiction, contractual requirements, standard edition and current project documentation before using the result for design, repair, testing or lifting decisions.
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