Derive the equations to find the principal stresses in a 3D stress system.

For the three-dimensional case, we know that three planes of zero shear stress exist and these planes are mutually perpendicular, and that on these planes the normal stresses have maximum or minimum values. As has been discussed, these normal stresses are referred to as principal stresses, denoted as

1, 2, and 3. The algebraically largest stress is represented by 1 and the smallest

by 3: 1 > 2 > 3 We know that equation (a)

The problem at hand is the determination of extreme or stationary values of x' . To accomplish this, we examine the variation of x' relative to the direction cosines. In as much as l, m, and n are not independent, but connected by l + m + n = 1, only l and m may be regarded as independent variables.
2 2 2

Thus, Equation (b)

Differentiating Eq. (a) as indicated by Eqs. (b) we obtain Equation (c)

From n = 1 l m , we have
2 2 2

n/

l = l/n and

n/

m = m/n. Introducing these into Eq. (c), the

following relationships between the components of p and n are determined: Equation (d)

These proportionalities indicate that the stress resultant must be parallel to the unit normal and therefore contains no shear component. It is concluded that, on a plane for which value, a principal plane, the shearing stress vanishes. It is now shown that three principal stresses and three principal planes exist. Denoting the principal stresses by p , Eq. (d) may be written as Equation e
x'

has an extreme or principal

These expressions, together with Eq. (1.26), lead to Equation 1

A nontrivial solution for the direction cosines requires that the characteristic determinant vanish: Equation 2

Expanding Eq. (2) leads to Equation 3

where Equation 4a

Equation 4b

Equation 4c

The three roots of the stress cubic equation (3) are the principal stresses,