Chapter 1

Tension and Compression in Bars

1 Tension and Compression in Bars

1.1
Stress..............................................................
7
1.2
Strain..............................................................
13
1.3
Constitutive
Law................................................ 14 1.4 Single Bar under Tension or
Compression. ................ 18 1.5 Statically Determinate Systems of
Bars ................... 29 1.6 Statically Indeterminate Systems of Bars ................. 33
1.7
Supplementary
Examples......................................
40
1.8
Summary ......................................................... 46

Objectives: In this textbook about the Mechanics of Materials we investigate the stressing and the deformations of elastic structures subject
to applied loads. In the first cha pter we will re- strict ourselves to the simplest
structural members, namely, bars under tension or compression.
In order to treat such problems, we need kinematic relations and
a constitutive law to complement the equilibrium conditions which are known from
Volume 1. The kinematic relations represent the geometry of the deformation,
whereas the behaviour of the elastic material is described by the constitutive law. The
students will learn how to a pply these equations and how to solve statically
determinate a s well as statically indeterminate problems.

D. Gross et al., Engineering Mechanics 2,

DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-12886-8_1, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011

1.1 Stress 7
1.1

1.1 Stress

Let us consider a straight bar with a constant cross-sectional area

A. The line connecting the centroids of the cross sections is called the axis of the bar. The
ends of the bar are sub jected to the forces
F whose common line of action is the axis (Fig. 1.1a).
The external load causes internal forces. The internal forces
can be visualized by an imaginary cut of the bar (compare Volu- me 1, Section 1.4). They
are distributed over the cross section (see Fig. 1.1b) and are called stresses. Being area
forces, they have the dimension force per area and are measured, for example, as multiples of the unit MPa (1 MPa = 1 N/ mm2 ). The unit Pascal (1 Pa = 1 N/m2 ) is named
after the mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal (16231662); the notion of stress was
introduced by Augustin Louis Cauchy (17891857). In Volume 1 (Statics) we only dealt
with the resultant of the internal forces (= normal for- ce) whereas now we have to study
the internal forces (= stresses).

c
F

ad

c
F

FF

c
ts

s
b

A* = Acos

s t

Fig. 1.1

In order to determine the stresses we first cho ose an imaginary

cut c - c perpendicular to the axis of the bar. The stresses are shown in the free-body
diagram (Fig. 1.1b); they are denoted by
s. We assume that they act perpendicularly to the exposed surface
A o f the cross section and that they are uniformly distributed. Since they are normal to the
cross section they are called normal stresses. Their resultant is the normal force N shown
in Fig. 1.1c (compare Volume 1, Section 7.1). Therefore we have N = sA and the stresses s
can be calculated from the normal force N :

8 1 Tension and Compression in Bars

1.1 Stress 9

It is practical to write these equations in a di erent form. Using the standard trigonometric
relations
s=N
A . (1.1)
1
2 (1 +Ncos
2 ) , to the applied force F . Thus, we
1+tan2
, cos2
= 1 the norma l force
In the=cos2
present
example
is equal
obtain from (1.1)
sin cos = 1
2 sin 2
s=F
(1.2)
and the abbrevia
A . tion s0 = F/A (= normal stress in a section perpendicula r to the axis) we
finally get
In the case of a positive normal force N (tension) the stress s
is then positive (tensile stress). Reversely, if the normal force is negative
s = s0
(compression)
the
stress).
sin 2 . (1(compressive
.3)
2 (1 + cos 2 ) ,t=
s0 stress is also2negative
Thus, the stresses depend on the direction of the cut. If s0 is known, the stresses s and t can be
calculated Let
fromus(1.3)
arbi- trary
of the
angle . by
Theamaximum
nowfor
imagine
the values
bar being
sectioned
cut whichvaislue of s is obtained for
=0,inwhichcasesm
ax
=
s0
;
the
maximum
value
of
t
is
found
for
= p/4forwhichtm
ax =angle
s0 /2. (Fig.
not orthogonal to the axis of the bar so that its direction
is given by the

1.1d). The internal forces now act on the exposed surface A* = A/ cos . Again we
assume that they are uniformly distributed. We resolve the stresses into a co mponent
s
If we section a bar near an end which is subjected to a concenthe section
surface (the
normal
stress)
component
trated perpendicular
force F (Fig. to
1.2a,
c - c)
we find
thatand
thea normal
stress is not distributed
t
tangential
to
the
surface
(Fig.
1.1e).
The
compo
nent
actshigh
in the
directio
n
uniformly over the cross-sectional area. The concentrated forcet which
produces
stresses
near
of of
theapplication
surface is called
shear This
stress.phenomenon is known as stress con- centration. It
its point
(Fig. 1.2b).
can be shown,
however,
theacting
stressonconcentration
Equilibrium
of thethat
forces
the left portionisofrestricted
the bar to sections in the
proximity of the point of application of the concentrated force: the high stresses decay
yields (see Fig. 1.1e)
rapidly towards the average value s0 as we increase the distance from the end of the bar.
This fact is referred to as Saint-Venants principle (Adh
: sA* cos + tA* sin - F =0,
: sA* sin - tA* cos =0.

emar
Jean Claude
Barrwe ehave
de Saint-Venant,
No te that
to write down17971886).
the equilibrium conditions for the forces, not for the
stresses.WithA* = A/ cos we obtain
c

s + t tan = F

AF ,stan - t =0. c c F

Solving these two equations for s and t yields

s=1

Fs A .

F F Ab,t=
a tan
1+tan2
Fig.1.2

1+tan2
F