Chapter-2: Stress Tensor Analysis

2.1 Cauchy Equations of Equilibrium in Cartesian Coordinate:

• Consider stresses and body forces on infinitesimal cubic element cut out
from elastic body with sides of dx, dy, dz as shown in figure below.
• The small changes of components of stress due to small increases in dx, dy
and dz of coordinates of the element are

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 Chapter-2: Stress Tensor Analysis --Cont’d
• From [Fx=0] in presence of body force, we have

• Substituting *xx , *yx , *zx and simplifying, we get 1st equilibrium eqn.

• From [Fy=0] in presence of body force, we have

• Substituting *yy , *xy , *zy and simplifying, we get 2nd equilibrium eqn.

• From [Fz=0] in presence of body force, we have

• Substituting *zz , *xz , *yz and simplifying, we get 3rd equilibrium eqn.

• Neglecting higher order derivative, rotational equilibrium provide the

following equations

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 Chapter-2: Stress Tensor Analysis --Cont’d
2.2 Stress at a Point:
• State of stress at a point in Cartesian coordinates (x, y, z) represented by
nine stress components (6 independent) known as stress tensor is

where 1st subscript in ij is to identify a row of the array of terms whereas
2nd subscript is to identify a column of the array. The diagonal terms are
all normal stresses and all off-diagonal terms are shear stresses.
• In the same manner, stress tensors in Cylindrical (r, , z), Spherical (r, , )
and 2-D polar (r, ) coordinates represented as follows

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 Chapter-2: Stress Tensor Analysis --Cont’d
2.3 Transformation between Sets of Coordinates Axes:
• Directional cosine is the property of angle between two lines and equal to
cosine of angle between them. Consider 2 sets of coordinate axes x1, x2, x3
and x1’, x2’, x3’ as shown in figure below. The relation between angles of
the new and old axes may be defined by 9 components of aij=cos(xi’, xj),
where aij are the directional cosines and i, j = 1, 2, 3.

• The set of nine directional cosine coefficients constitute a (33) matrix,

called the transformation matrix, which may be written as

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 Chapter-2: Stress Tensor Analysis --Cont’d
• Thus, the stress components at a point in a new coordinate axes using
transformation matrix are obtained by

• and, the components of stress vector at a point along 3 directions on new

axes using transformation matrix are obtained by

where {Aj} is components stress vector at a point on old axes

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 Chapter-2: Stress Tensor Analysis --Cont’d
2.4 Stress Components on an Arbitrary Plane:
• Consider a small tetrahedron OABC cut out from body at Point O with three
of its faces on the coordinate planes xy, xz, yz shown in figure below
subjected to known stress components.
• To get stress at any inclined plane through Point O, a parallel plane ABC is
taken at small distance from Point O. The stress acting on plane ABC will
approach the stress on parallel plane through O as the element is made
infinitesimal.

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 Chapter-2: Stress Tensor Analysis --Cont’d
• If ñ( , , ) is unit normal to inclined plane ABC at Point N, the directional
cosines can be written as

• The volume of tetrahedron element in terms of areas of element as

where ON is shortest distance between Point O and inclined plane

• then, areas of faces of element on coordinate planes can be obtained in
terms of area of inclined plane as

• and, in terms of directional cosines

• Let Sx, Sy, Sz are x-, y-, z-components of stress tensor on inclined plane.
From static equilibrium of all forces in x-direction [Fx=0] neglecting body
force and variation of stresses over sides, we have

• Substituting ΔOBC, ΔOAC, ΔOAB and simplifying, we can get

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 Chapter-2: Stress Tensor Analysis --Cont’d
• In the same way, we can obtain similar equations from static equilibrium
of all forces in y-direction [Fy=0] and z-direction [Fz=0]. Therefore, the
components of resultant stress on any inclined plane can be obtained by

• In matrix form given by

• Resultant stress on the inclined plane

• Normal stress component on the inclined plane

• and, shear stress component on the inclined plane

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 Chapter-2: Stress Tensor Analysis --Cont’d
2.5 Principal Stresses and Principal Planes:
• If resultant stress ‘ ’ and normal stress ‘ n’ on inclined plane are identical
i.e. | |=| n|, then the inclined planes with unit normal vector [l, m, n]
happens to be the principal plane where shear stress is zero ( s=0).

• Substituting components of resultant stress 𝑥 , y , z

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 Chapter-2: Stress Tensor Analysis --Cont’d
• Solution of Eq.(*)
(i) l=m=n=0, not possible solution as l2+m2+n2=1.
(ii) Solutions will be different from zero only if determinant of the first
matrix of Eq.(*) is zero.

This gives the following cubic equation in terms of stress invariants

• The three roots of cubic equation provide values of 3 principal stresses,

i.e. major, intermediate and minor principal stresses (| 1| > | 2| > | 3|).
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 Chapter-2: Stress Tensor Analysis --Cont’d
• By substituting each of the principal stresses one-by-one in Eqs.(*) and
using the relation l2+m2+n2=1, we can determine 3 sets of directional
cosines for the three principal planes.
1) If 1 , 2 , 3 have different values (| 1| ≠ | 2| ≠ | 3|), then the three
associated principal axes are unique and mutually perpendicular.

2) If the three principal stresses are equal, then every direction is a principal
direction. This is the case of hydrostatic/isotropic state of stress.
3) If 1 = 2 and 3 is different, principal direction corresponding to 3 is
unique and every direction perpendicular to it is a principal direction
associated with 1 = 2.
• I1, I2, I3 are called stress invariants and their values do not change with the
change in the coordinates system. The stress invariant can also be found in
terms of principal stresses by

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 Chapter-2: Stress Tensor Analysis --Cont’d
2.6 Maximum Shearing Stresses and the Corresponding Planes:
• Let x-, y-, z-axes of element be the principal axes, the stresses on element
are principal stresses i.e. 𝑥𝑥 = 1 , yy = 2 , zz = 3 , xy = yz = xz =0.
Directional cosines for planes of maximum shearing stress from the
principal axes are obtained as given in table below.

• The first 3-columns in table give directions of planes of zero shear stress.
• The 3 remaining columns in table give planes of maximum shearing stress
bisecting the angles between 2 other principal axes (45 rotated from
principal planes). Based on directional cosines of these 3 planes, we find
the following values of maximum shearing stresses on these planes and the
associated normal stresses as

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 Chapter-2: Stress Tensor Analysis --Cont’d
2.7 Octahedral Normal and Shear Stresses:
• If x-, y-, z-axes in tetrahedron element OABC shown in figure before
represent the directions of principal stress, and if OA=OB=OC, so that the
unit normal ñ( , , ) to the inclined face of tetrahedron has directional
cosines = = = 1⁄√3, the normal stress on this face is given by

This is called the octahedral normal stress. Octahedral planes are equally
inclined from 3 principal axes and defined by = = = ±1⁄√3. There are
eight such planes.
• The shear stress on these planes is given by

This shear stress is called the octahedral shear stress, because the face on
which it acts is one face of a regular octahedron with vertices on the axes.
It occurs frequently in the theory of plasticity.

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 Chapter-2: Stress Tensor Analysis --Cont’d
2.8 Deviatoric and Volumetric Stress Tensor:
• Stress tensor can be decomposed into 2 stress tensors so that one of them
contains pure shear components only, which is known as deviatoric stress
tensor and produces distortion only in the body and the other one contains
hydrostatic components only, which is known as volumetric or hydrostatic
stress tensor and produces volume changes only.
 Stress tensor, []=Deviatoric stress tensor, [D]+Volumetric stress tensor, [m]

• Deviatoric principal stresses can be obtained in terms of principal stresses by

• For volumetric stress tensor, every direction is a principal direction. Hence,

deviatoric principal plane and principal plane of stress are identical.
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 Chapter-2: Stress Tensor Analysis --Cont’d
2.9 Von-Mises Stress:
• Von-Mises stress is used as a criterion in determining the failure in ductile
materials. The failure criterion states that the Von-Mises stress should be
less than the yield stress of the material. i.e. VM ≤ y
• The Von-Mises stress is given by

• and, in terms of principal stresses substituting octahedral shear stress

2.10 Mohr’s Circles for Three-dimensional Stress:

• Mohr’s circles for stress is defined by the area bounded by three circles in
terms the principal normal stresses ( 1, 2 and 3).
• The two smaller circles having radius & center of ( 1 − 2)⁄2, [( 1 + 2)⁄2, 0]
and ( 2 − 3)⁄2, [( 2 + 3)⁄2 , 0]; and the larger circle having radius & center
of ( 1 − 3)⁄2, [( 1 + 3)⁄2 , 0].

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 Chapter-2: Stress Tensor Analysis --Cont’d
2.11 Equations of Equilibrium in Polar Coordinate:
• Consider stresses on infinitesimal area of elastic plate element at Point P in
polar (r, ) coordinate between radii r and r+dr, and angular positions 
and +d as shown in figure below.
• The small changes of components of stress due to small increases in dr and
d of coordinates of the element are

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 Chapter-2: Stress Tensor Analysis --Cont’d
• From [ r = 0] (in the absence of body forces),

• Substituting *rr , * , *r and simplifying, we can get

• For small angle ⁄2, ( ⁄2) ( ⁄2) & ( ⁄2) 1, neglecting

higher order differential and simplifying, we get 1st equilibrium eqn.

• From [  = 0] (in the absence of body forces),

• Substituting *rr , * , *r and simplifying, we can get

• For small angle ⁄2, ( ⁄2) ( ⁄2), neglecting higher order

differential and simplifying, we get 2nd equilibrium eqn.
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 Chapter-2: Stress Tensor Analysis --Cont’d
• Equations of equilibrium in the presence of body forces in polar (r, )
coordinate system,

• We can obtain equations of equilibrium in cylindrical (r, , z) coordinate

system as follow

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 Chapter-2: Stress Tensor Analysis --Cont’d
2.12 Plane State of Stress:
• It is state of stress where stresses in the direction of one of axes are zero,
say stresses in the direction of z-axis are zero.
i.e. zz = 0, xz = 0, yz = 0
This state of stress is said to have a ‘plane state of stress’ parallel to x-y
plane as shown in figure below.

• Components of stress on oblique plane

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 Chapter-2: Stress Tensor Analysis --Cont’d
• Then, normal stress component on this plane

• and, shear stress component on the same plane

• Principal stresses are given by

• and, principal stress planes are 2 planes with normal in x-y plane such that

• Maximum shear stress in x-y plane

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