In the methods described below a double subscript is used with normal stress and strain.

The book
uses only one subscript for normal stress and strain.

Wedge Method
Step 1 A stress cube with the plane on which stresses are to be found, or are given, is constructed.
Step 2: A wedge made from the following three planes is constructed:
(i) a vertical plane that has an outward normal in the x-direction,
(ii) a horizontal plane that has an outward normal in the y-direction, and
(iii) the specified inclined plane on which we either seek stresses or the stresses are given.
Establish a local n-t-z coordinate system using the outward normal of the inclined plane as the
n-direction. All the known and the unknown stresses are shown on the wedge. The diagram so
constructed will be called a stress wedge.
Step 3: Multiply the stress components by the area of the planes on which the stress components are
acting, to obtain forces acting on that plane. The wedge with the forces drawn will be referred
to as the force wedge.
Step 4: Balance forces in any two directions to determine the unknown stresses. We can write equilib-
rium equations on the force wedge because the wedge represents a point on a body that is in
equilibrium.
 Construction of Mohr’s Circle for Stress
Step 1. Show the stresses σxx, σyy, and τxy on a stress cube and label the vertical plane as V and the
horizontal plane as H as shown in Figure 8.1.
σyy
y
τyx
H
τxy
σxx V A V σxx
τxy βA
H θA
x
τyx
σyy
Figure 8.1. Stress cube for construction of Mohr’s circle.

Step 2. Write the coordinates of points V and H as V (σxx , τxy ) and H (σyy , τyx )

The rotation arrow next to the shear stresses corresponds to the rotation of the cube caused by
the set of shear stress on planes V and H.
Step 3. Draw the horizontal axis with the tensile normal stress to the right and the compressive normal
stress to the left as shown in Figure 8.2. Draw the vertical axis with clockwise direction of
shear stress up and counterclockwise direction of rotation down.
Step 4. Locate points V and H and join the points by drawing a line. Label the point at which the line
VH intersects the horizontal axis as C.
Step 5. With C as center and CV or CH as radius draw the Mohr’s circle.

τ
(CW)
H

τyx R
σxx
E C σ
(C) σyy D (T)
τxy
R
V

(CCW) σ xx + σ yy σ xx – σ yy
------------------------- -------------------------
Figure 8.2. Construction of Mohr’s Circle. 2 2

Stresses on an Inclined Plane

The stresses on an inclined plane are found by first locating it on Mohr’s circle and then determin-
ing the coordinate of the point representing the plane. This is achieved as follows.
Step 1. Draw the inclined plane on the stress cube and label it A as shown in Figure 8.1.
Step 2. Locate the inclined plane on the Mohr’s circle as described below and label it A as shown in
Figure 8.3.
Step 3. Calculate the coordinates of point A.
Step 4. Determine the sign of shear stress.
There are two alternatives in step 2.
(i) On the stress cube, the inclined plane A is at an angle of θA from the horizontal plane in the
clockwise direction. Start from line CH on the Mohr’s circle, then rotate by an angle of 2θA in the
clockwise direction and draw the line CA. Line CA represents plane A.
(ii) On the stress cube, the inclined plane A is at an angle of βA from the vertical plane in the
counter-clockwise direction. Starting from plane CV we rotate by an angle 2βA in the counter-
clockwise direction and draw the line CA that represents plane A.
We note that from stress cube that (θA+βA) is 90° and from Mohr’s circle we see that 2(θA+ βA)
is 180° . This once more confirms that each point of Mohr’s circle represents a unique plane and it
is immaterial how we locate that point on the circle.
Step 3 above is reverse of step 2 in the construction of the Mohr’s circle and is a simple problem
in geometry. The angle FCA can be found from the known angles. Radius CA of the circle is
known and length FA and length CF can be found from triangle FCA. The coordinates of point A
are ( σ A, τ A ) . The direction of rotation is recorded as clockwise because point A is in the upper
plane in Figure 8.3. If point A had been in the lower plane, we would have recorded a counter
clockwise rotation with the shear stress.
τ A
(CW) H
τA
2θA
2βA F D
(C) E C σ (T)

(CCW) σA
Figure 8.3. Stresses on an inclined plane.

To determine the sign of shear stress, we start by drawing the shear stress such that the inclined
plane A rotates in the same direction as was recorded with the coordinates in step 3. A local coor-
dinate system is established, and if shear stress is in the positive tangent direction, then it is posi-
tive. The two possibilities are shown in Figure 8.4. In both cases the shear stress is positive.
t
n
τA
H
A V
V A
τA n
t
Figure 8.4. Sign of shear stress on an incline. H
 Construction of Mohr’s Circle for Strains
The construction of the Mohr’s Circle for strain is very similar to the Mohr’s circle for stress. The
two important differences are: (i) In stress transformation we talked about planes, here we talk
about directions. The directions are the outward normal of the planes. This difference is elabo-
rated in Step 1 of the Mohr’s circle construction below. (ii) The vertical axis is shear strain divided
by two. All values of shear strain that are plotted on Mohr’s circle or calculated from the Mohr’s
Circle must account for the fact that the vertical coordinate is shear strain divided by two.
The steps in the construction of the Mohr’s Circle for strain are as follows:
Step 1. Draw a square with deformed shape due to shear strain γxy. Label the intersection of the verti-
cal plane and x-axis as V and the intersection of the horizontal plane and y-axis as H as shown
in Figure 8.1.
Unlike stress transformation where V and H represented planes, here V and H refer to directions.
The outward normal to the vertical plane is the x-axis and V is the label associated with it. Simi-
larly the outward normal to the horizontal plane is the y-axis that is represented by point H.
y
y
H
H
γxy > 0
γxy < 0 x
x V
V
Figure 9.5. Deformed cube for construction of Mohr’s circle.

Step 2. Write the coordinates of point V and H as:

V ( ε xx, γ xy ⁄ 2 ) and H ( ε yy, γ xy ⁄ 2 ) for γ xy > 0

The rotation arrow along the side of shear strains corresponds to the rotation of the line on which
the point lies as shown in Figure 8.1. The construction of deformed shape in step 2 for the purpose
of determining the direction of rotation of the ‘x’ and ‘y’ axis is a critical step for a successful
construction of the Mohr’s circle. The rotation of the lines differentiate γxy from γyx for purpose of
plotting.
Step 3. Draw the horizontal axis to represent the normal strain, with extension to the right and con-
tractions to the left as shown in Figure 8.2(a). Draw the vertical axis to represent half the shear
strain, with clockwise rotation of a line in the upper plane and counter-clockwise rotation of a
line of rotation lower plane.
This steps emphasizes the following point:
The shear strain value read from the Mohr’s circle does not tell us if shear strain is positive or
negative but that the shear strain will cause the a line in a given direction to rotate clock-wise
or counter-clockwise.
Step 4. Locate points V and H and join the points by drawing a line. Label the point at which the line
VH intersects the horizontal axis as C.
Step 5. The horizontal coordinate of point C is the average normal strain. Distance CE can be found
from the coordinates of point E and C and the radius R calculate from Pythagoras theorem.
With C as center and CV or CH as radius draw the Mohr’s circle.
 (a) (b)

CW γ /2
CW γ /2
H
γ max ⁄ 2
γ yx γp ⁄ 2
------- R ε
2 P3 P2 P1
P3 P2 2θp C E P1 ε (C) (E)
(C) ε3 D 2θp (E) γp ⁄ 2
R γ xy
ε2 ------- γ max ⁄ 2
2
ε xx + ε yy ε xx – ε yy
---------------------
2 -------------------- V
2
ε1 CCW
CCW

Figure 9.6. Mohr’s Circle for strains.