11451 Highway Pavements Home Assignment #1

Cylindrical Coordinates

Cylindrical coordinates are often preferred over Cartesian system, especially when dealing
with axisymmetric problems. The link between Cartesian and cylindrical coordinates:

x r cos ,

y r sin ,

zz

In cylindrical coordinates, the displacement field is:

u r ur ( r , , z )

u u (r , , z )

u z u z (r , , z )

and the displacement gradient tensor is:

ur
r

u
u
r

u z

1 ur u

r
r
1 u ur

r
r
1 u z
r

ur
z

u
z

u z

The strain and stress tensors are:

r
r
zr

rz
z
z

r r
r
zr z

rz
z
z

1. Using the definition u uT / 2 , calculate the strain tensor components in

cylindrical coordinates:
2. Show the graphical meaning of strains in cylindrical coordinates (similar to what was done
in class for Cartesian coordinates).
3. Show the graphical description of the stress tensor in cylindrical coordinates.