Gere & Goodno — Stresses in Beams (Basic Topics): Problem 5.6-12

5.6-12 A “trapeze bar” in a hospital room provides a means for patients to exercise while in bed (see figure). The bar is 2.1 m long and has a cross section in the shape of a regular octagon. The design load is 1.2 kN applied at the midpoint of the bar, and the allowable bending stress is 200 MPa. Determine the minimum height h of the bar. (Assume that the ends of the bar are simply supported and that the weight of the bar is negligible.)