(5.5-4) A simply supported wood beam AB with span length L = 4m carries a uniform load of intensity q = 5.8 kN/m.
(a) Calculate the maximum bending stress due to the load q if the beam has a rectangular cross section with width b=140mm and height h=240 mm.
(b) Repeat part (a) but use the trapezoidal distributed load shown in the figure part b.