3/30/2011

Plastic Bending
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Lecturer: Dr. Djwantoro Hardjito

Civil Engineering Department

Petra Christian University, Surabaya

Materials and figures are mostly taken from “Mechanics of Materials”, by R.C.
1 Hibbeler, 7th SI Edition, Prentice Hall.

Plastic Bending
` In elastic bending, one of the assumptions taken is
material follows Hooke’s law (stress varies linearly
with
ith strain)
t i ) Æ linear
li flflexurall stress
t distribution
di t ib ti
` Further loading will cause material not in elastic
condition anymore; thus stress-strain relation will
not be linear Æ this is called plastic bending. Bending
moment occurred in this stage is called Plastic
Moment (Mp),
(Mp) where the stress in whole cross
section is equal to σyp (yield stress).

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Idealized Stress-Strain Diagram

σ

σyp

εyp ε

Plastic Bending
σyp

C2
σyp A2
y2

y1 C1 Mp
σyp A1

σyp

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Evaluation of Plastic Moment Resisting

Capacity Mp of a fully plastic cross section:
Equilibrium of forces:
σ yp A1 − σ yp A2 = 0.........................(a )
σ yp A1 y1 + σ yp A2 y2 = M p ...............(b)
Where:
A1: Area below the neutral axis
A2: Area above the neutral axis
Y1: Distance from the center of gravity of Area 1
to the Neutral Axis
Y2: Distance from the center of gravity of Area 2
to the Neutral Axis
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We obtain:
A1 = A2 = 0.5A

Where:
A: Total cross sectional area

Thus, the Plastic Neutral Axis divides the total

sectional area into two equal areas.

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From equation (b), by substituting A1 and A2 with

0.5A respectively, we obtain:

M p= σ yp
A
( y1 + y2 ) ……………………….(c)
( )
2
For rectangular cross section (width b, height
h):

A = bh ⎛ bh 2 ⎞
y1 = y2 = h/4 Æ M = σ yp ⎜⎜
Mp ⎟
⎝ 4 ⎠

Elastic bending moment resisting capacity:

Me = σ * z Æ Me = σyp * (bh2/6)

So, for a rectangular cross section, we may obtain

the ratio between plastic and elastic bending
moment resisting capacities as:

Mp/Me = 3/2

This means that plastic bending moment capacity

is 50% higher than the maximum elastic bending
moment.
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For a circular cross section with radius r:

A = πr 2
4r
y1 = y2 =
3π
⎛ 4πr 3 ⎞
M p = σ yp ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟
⎝ 3 ⎠ This means that plastic
⎛ πr 3 ⎞ moment resisting
M = σ yp ⎜⎜
Me capacity is 70% bigger
⎝ 4 ⎠ than the maximum
Mp 16 elastic moment
= = 1.70
Me 3π (capacity).
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Remember equation (c)

M p= σ yp
A
( y1 + y2 ) ……………………….(c)
2
It can be rewritten as:
Mp Mp
σ yp= =
A( y1 + y2 )
1 Zp
2
Where:
Zp=0.5A
p (y1+y
y2) is the plastic
p section modulus of
the cross section
I NA
Remember Z=Elastic section modulus =
c
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Elastic & Plastic Neutral Axes

100mm
σyp
20mm 45mm
61mm
cg Elastic Plastic Neutral
Neutral Axis Axis
150mm
109mm 125 mm A+ = A-
σyp
20mm Elastic Fully Plastic

This above example shows that in fully plastic condition

the neutral axis moves 16 mm above the elastic neutral
axis.
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