Tutorial 1

Question 1
Transform the 2-D equilibrium equations from cartesian coordinates,

xx
x
+

xy
y
= 0

yx
x
+

yy
y
= 0,
to polar coordinates,

r
r
+
1
r

+

r

r
= 0

r
r
+
1
r

+
2
r
r
= 0.
Solution guide
Using the above diagram, do a simple force balance in the radial and az-
imuthal directions.
1
Question 2
R1

r
= P
R2
Figure 1: Very long cylinder in hydrostatic compression. Like the inside of
a submarine, perhaps. Internal radius is R
1
and external is R
2
. External
pressure is P.
Consider the cylindrical vessel above. The cylinder is in a state of hydrostatic
compression. Using the equations above, together with the denition of
strain and Hookes law in cylindrical coordinates (given below), determine
an expression for the radial stress in the cylinder.
Strain in cylindrical coordinates:

r
=
u
r

=
1
r
v

+
u
r
Hookes law in cylindrical coordinates:

r
=
1
E
(
r

=
1
E
(

r
).
Hint: You need to assume the answer is in the form
r
= A + Br
m
, where
m needs to be found and A, B are determined by the boundary conditions.
The answer is:

r
= A +
B
r
2
(1)
2
Explain what happens to the stress as R
1
R
2
.
Determine A and B for the case where the inside of the cylinder is a
cavity of radius R
1
inside a large object, i.e. the case where R
2
.
Solution guide
1. Obtain relation between strains and
r
using equilibrium equation and
Hookes law (provided in the question).
2. You need to know strain denition in cylindrical coordinates (this is
provided in the question):

r
=
u
r

=
1
r
v

+
u
r
3. You can get a relation between radial and azimuthal strain from above.
4. From 1 and 3, you can use equations found to come up with a second
order, ordinary dierential equation. It has nasty coecients, but you
have been told the form of the solution ,
r
= A + Br
m
. Boundary
conditions give A and B.
5. End result is:

r
= P
1

R
1
R
2

2
1

1
R
2
1
r
2

. (2)
Obviously, as the wall gets thin R
1
R
2
, the stress goes to innity. If
R
2
, i.e., we are analysing a hole in a big object under hydrostatic
load, then

r
= P

R
2
1
r
2
1

(3)
Question 3
A rubber layer is pressed between two steel plates. This thin layer is well
bonded between perfectly rigid, very thick and heavy plates. The stress on
the rubber layer due to the weight of the top plate is
z
. Determine all the
components of stress and strain in the thin layer.
3
The answer is:

z
=
(1 + )(1 2)
(1 )E

z

x
=
y
=

(1 )

z
Everything else is zero.
Solution guide
Using boundary conditions and Hookes law in the xdir and explaining why
strain
x
= 0 based on boundary conditions, you can get a relation between

x
and
z
.
Then, from Hookes law in the z dir,

z
=
1
E
(
z
(
x
+
y
)) =
(1 + )(1 2)
(1 )E

z
. (4)
Question 4
Given the stress tensor:
=

1 2 0
2 2 2
0 2 1

MPa,
determine the traction vector, T, on a plane dened by the normal vector:
n =

2
1
2

.
Answer:
T =

0
2
0

MPa.
The Normal stress on this plane is -0.67 MPa.
Solution guide
First need to get the unit normal n: Then,
T = n (5)
The normal stress, T
N
= T n.
4
Question 5
Consider the Airys stress function:
=
3P
4ab
xy +
P
4a
3
b
xy
3
. (6)
Prove that it is a solution to the equilibrium equations.
Sketch a diagram showing a beam of length L, height 2a (depth b,
assume b << a). Show the forces on each face and explain the loading
situation.
Solution guide
1. Substitute into:

x
4
+ 2

4

x
2
y
2
+

4

x
4
= 0. (7)
2. Then determine normal and shear stresses. Substitute these into the
stress equilibrium equations and show they are satised.
3. For the sketch, just sketch the beam as described. Take the stresses
you have found in b, evaluate them on each face of the beam (i.e., at y
= a and x = 0, L). Then just sketch the relative magnitudes of each
stress with arrows.
4. Note that a shear stress on a vertical face is equivalent to either a
point load or a reaction force shear stress is the only way Airys
stress function can represent a point load. (This means, of course, that
Airys stress function can never represent a load case where there is a
point load in the centre of a beam!).
5