Problem sheet # 3

1. The rails of a railroad track are welded together at their ends (to form continuous rails and thus
eliminate the clacking sound of the wheels) when the temperature is 10 0C. What compressive
stress σ is produced in the rails when they are heated by the sun to 52 0C if the coefficient of
thermal expansion α =12 X 10-6/0C and the modulus of elasticity E = 200 GPa?

2. The horizontal steel rod, 2.5 m long and 1200 mm2 in cross-sectional area, is secured between
two walls as shown in Fig. If the rod is stress-free at 20 0C, compute the stress when the temperature
has dropped to -200C. Assume that (1) the walls do not move and (2) the walls move together a
distance of 0.5 mm. Use α =11.7 X 10-6/0C and E =200 GPa

3. An aluminum pipe has a length of 60 m at a temperature of 10 0C. An adjacent steel pipe at the
same temperature is 5 mm longer than the aluminum pipe. At what temperature (degrees Celsius)
will the aluminum pipe be 15 mm longer than the steel pipe? (Assume that the coefficients of
thermal expansion of aluminum and steel are 23 X 10 -6/0C and 12 X 10-6/0C respectively.)

4. A rigid bar of weight W= 3560 N hangs from three equally spaced wires, two of steel and one
of aluminum (see figure). The diameter of the wires is 32 mm. Before they were loaded, all three
wires had the same length. What temperature increase in all three wires will result in the entire
load being carried by the steel wires? (Assume Es = 205 GPa, αs= 12 X 10-6/0C, and αa =23 X
10-6/0C.)

5. A plastic bar ACB having two different solid circular cross sections is held between rigid
supports as shown in the figure. The diameters in the left- and right-hand parts are 50 mm and 75
mm, respectively. The corresponding lengths are 225 mm and 300 mm. Also, the modulus of
elasticity E is 6.0 GPa, and the coefficient of thermal expansion α is 100 X 10-6/0C. The bar is
subjected to a uniform temperature increase of 30 0C.
(a) Calculate the following quantities: (1) the compressive force N in the bar; (2) the maximum
compressive stress σc; and (3) the displacement δC of point C.
(b) Repeat part (a) if the rigid support at A is replaced by an elastic support having spring constant
k = 50 MN/m (see figure part b; assume that only the bar ACB is subject to the temperature
increase).

6. A circular steel rod AB (diameter d1 = 15 mm, length L1 = 1100 mm) has a bronze sleeve (outer
diameter d2 = 21 mm, length L2 =400 mm) shrunk onto it so that the two parts are securely bonded
(see figure). Calculate the total elongation δ of the steel bar due to a temperature rise 350 0C.
(Material properties are as follows: for steel, Es = 210 GPa and αs= 12 X 10-6/0C; for bronze, Eb
= 110 GPa and αb =20 X 10-6/0C.)
7. A rigid triangular frame is pivoted at C and held by two identical horizontal wires at points A
and B (see figure). Each wire has axial rigidity EA = 540 kN and coefficient of thermal expansion
23 X 10-6/0C.
(a) If a vertical load P= 2.2 kN acts at point D, what are the tensile forces TA and TB in the wires
at A and B, respectively?
(b) If, while the load P is acting, both wires have their temperatures raised by 100 0C, what are the
forces TA and TB?
(c) What further increase in temperature will cause the wire at B to become slack?