Principal stress and principal plane

When shear stress on plane KLM is zero, it will

be principal plane i.e.
tnn= t, tns1 = tns2 = 0
& as x, y, z are components of t
X = t anx, Y = t any, Z = t anz
so,
X = t anx = txx anx + txy any + txz anz
Y = t any = txy anx + tyy any + tyz anz
Z = t anz = txz anx + tyz any + tzz anz
Rearranging
(txx- t) anx + txy any + txz anz = 0
txy anx + (tyy- t) any + tyz anz = 0
txz anx + tyz any + (tzz – t) anz=0
Above equations are simultaneous
equations in terms of anx, any,anz i.e.
direction cosine of principal plane.
The trivial solution is
anx= any= anz= 0
for non trivial solution
(txx- t) txy txz
txy (tyy- t) tyz =0
txz tyz (tzz – t)
Expanding above equation
t3 – t2 (txx+ tyy+ tzz) + t (txx tyy + tyy tzz + tzz txx
- txy2 - tyz2- tzx2 ) – (txx tyy tzz - txx tyz2 - tyy tzx2
- tzz txy2 + 2 txy tyz tzx )= 0

The three roots of above equation t1, t2, t3 are

principal stresses and associated planes are
principal planes.

The coefficients of t2 , t and constant terms are :

I1= txx + tyy + tzz
I2= txx tyy+ tyy tzz+ tzz txx - txy2 - tyz2 - tzx2
= txx txy tyy tyz tzz tzx
txy tyy + tyz tzz +
tzx txx
I3 = (txx tyy tzz - txx tyz2 - tyy tzx2 – tzz txy2
+ 2 txy tyz tzx)

= txx txy txz

txy tyy tyz
txz tyz tzz
I1, I2, I3 are first, second, third invariant of stresses
respectively.
Invariant – whose values does not change with
rotation of axis or transformation of stresses.

Solution of cubic equation (for finding principal

stresses) can be obtained by trial and error
method or by Newton – Raphson’s method.
Example

Calculate principal stresses and direction cosine

associated with the normals to principal plane
3000 1000 1000
1000 0 2000 N/mm2
1000 2000 0
Solution:
stress invariants are
I1 = 3000
I2 = -(1000)2-(2000)2-(1000)2 = -6 ´ 106
I3 = 2 ´ 1000 ´ 1000 ´ 2000 – 3000 ´ 20002 = -8 ´ 109
 Cubic equation is
t3 - 3000 t2 – 6 ´ 106 t + 8 ´ 109 = 0

solution is
t1 = 4000 N/mm2
t2 = 1000 N/mm2
t3 = -2000 N/mm2

For direction cosine associated

-1000 1000 1000
tij – t I = 1000 -4000 2000
1000 2000 -4000

I is unit matrix
 A1= +16 ´ 106 – 4 ´ 106 = 12 ´ 106
B1= -(-4 ´ 106 – 2 ´ 106) = 6 ´ 106
C1= 2 ´ 106 + 4 ´ 106 = 6 ´ 106
k1 = √(A12 + B12 + C12) = 106 ´ √216
anx1 = 12 = 2 , any1 = 6 = 1
√216 √6 √216 √6
anz1 = 6 = 1
√216 √6
Similarly for the second principal plane
anx2 = 1 , any2 = -1 , anz2 = -1
√3 √3 √3
and for third principal plane
anx3 = 0 , any3 = -1 , anz3 = 1
√2 √2