Ecole

Centrale de Nantes - Master 1 SMA

Continuum Mechanics
Stresses

Exercise 1 : Circular cylinder submitted to a combined tensile/torsion loading case

We consider a cylinder with a circular cross-section submitted to a combined tensile/torsion loading case. The study of this problem is performed in two steps, considering
successively the tensile and the torsion loadings.
1. Tensile loading
Question 1.1 : Give the Cauchy stress tensor associated to a pure tensile case.
Question 1.2 : Compute the normal and shear stresses applied on a given facet of
outward unit normal n.
Question 1.3 : Give the direction associated to the maximum shear stress and plot
the Mohr Circles.
Question 1.4 : Apply the von Mises criterion. Compare the yield stresses computed with the Tresca and von Mises criteria in the pure tensile
case.
2. Torsion loading
Question 1.5 : Give the Cauchy stress tensor associated to the torsion case.
Question 1.6 : Apply the Tresca criterion.
Question 1.7 : Compare the yield stresses computed with Tresca and von Mises in
the pure shear case.

Exercise 2 : Weight dam

We consider a rough modeling in two dimensions of a weight dam as shown in figure
1. This dam has a density d , and is submitted to its own weight and to the pressure of
the water pe = w gx2 applied on its face OA, where w and g denote the density of the
water and the gravity acceleration respectively. The face OB is assumed to be free. For
the sake of simplicity, the angle will be considered to be /4 in the sequel.
e2

pe

e1

Figure 1: Weight dam modeling

The Cauchy stress tensor within the dam is assumed to be of the form:

Ax1 + Bx2 Cx1 + Dx2

0

0
= Cx1 + Dx2 Ex1 + F x2
0
0
33 (x1 , x2 ) (e1 ,e2 ,e3 )

(1)

where A, B, C, D, E are constants.

Question 2.1 : Determine the constants A, B, C, D, E so that the form (1) of the
Cauchy stress tensor be statically admissible.
Question 2.2 : Express the non-tilting condition for the dam. Deduce an inequality
which relates d and w .

Exercise 3 : Particular stress states

Question 3.1 : Give the Cauchy stress tensor and the Mohrs circles plot associated
of the following stress states:
1. Plane stress state
2. Free boundary
3. Hydrostatic stress state
Question 3.2 : What stress states do the following cases correspond to?
1. The normal stress applied on every facets is zero.
2. The shear stress applied on every facets is zero.