Week 4 | Poisson's Ratio : Biaxial and

Triaxial Deformation
Sunday, 26 December 2021 12:22 pm

Definition
of Poisson...

Another type of elastic deformations is the change in transverse dimension

accompanying axial tension or compression. Experiments shows that if a bar is
lengthened by axial tension, there is a reduction in the transverse dimensions.
Siméon D. Poisson showed in 1811 that the ratio of the unit deformations or strains
in these directions is constant for stresses within the proportionality limit.
Accordingly, this ratio is named after him; it is denoted by n (nu) and defined by;

𝜺𝒚 𝜺𝒛
𝝂 = − ⎯⎯ = − ⎯⎯
𝜺𝒙 𝜺𝒙

Where, ex is the strain due only to stress in the x direction, ey and ez are the strains
induced in the perpendicular directions. The minus sign indicates a decrease in
transverse dimensions when ex is positive, as in the case of tensile elongation.

Poission's ratio permits us to extend the Hooke's Law of uniaxial stress to the case
of biaxial stress. Thus if an element is subjected simultaneously to tensile stresses
in x and y directions, the strain in the x direction due to the tensile stress sx is sx/E.
Simultaneously the tensile stress sy will produce lateral contraction in the x
direction of the amount ns /E, so the resultant unit deformation or stain in the x

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direction of the amount nsy/E, so the resultant unit deformation or stain in the x
direction will be;

𝝈𝒙 𝝈𝒚
𝜺𝒙 = ⎯⎯⎯− 𝝂 ⎯⎯⎯
𝑬 𝑬

Similarly, the total strain in the y direction is,

𝝈𝒚 𝝈𝒙
𝜺𝒚 = ⎯⎯⎯− 𝝂 ⎯⎯⎯
𝑬 𝑬
If desired, equations above can be solved to express the stress in terms of the
strains as follows;

𝜺𝒙 + 𝝂𝜺𝒚 𝑬 𝜺𝒚 + 𝝂𝜺𝒙 𝑬
𝝈𝒙 = ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ; 𝛔 𝐲 = ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
𝟏 − 𝝂𝟐 𝟏 − 𝝂𝟐

A further extension of this discussion results in the following expressions for

strains caused by the simultaneously action of triaxial tensile stresses:
𝟏
𝜺𝒙 = ⎯⎯{𝝈𝒙 − 𝝂 𝝈𝒚 + 𝝈𝒛 }
𝑬
𝟏
𝜺𝒚 = ⎯⎯ 𝝈𝒚 − 𝝂(𝝈𝒙 + 𝝈𝒛 ) ]]
𝑬
𝟏
𝜺𝒛 = ⎯⎯{𝝈𝒛 − 𝝂 𝝈𝒚 + 𝝈𝒙 }
𝑬

All these equations are valid for compression effect also; it is only necessary to
assign positive signs to elongations and tensile stresses, and, conversely, negative
sign to contractions and compressive stresses.

An important relation among the constants E,G, and n for a given material is
expressed by;

𝑬
𝑮 = ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
𝟐(𝟏 + 𝒗)

Which is useful for computing values of n when E and G have been determines.
Common values of Poisson's ratio are 0.25 to 0.30 for steel, approximately 0.33 for
most other metals, and 0.20 for concrete.

Sample Problem Number 1.

A specimen of any given material is subjected to a uniform triaxial stress.
Determine the theoretical maximum value of the Poisson's ratio.

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Sample Problem Number 2
A solid aluminum shaft of 80 mm diameter fits concentrically in a hollow steel tube.
Compute the minimum internal diameter of the steel tube so that no contact
pressure exists when the aluminum shaft carries an axial compressive load of 400
kN. Assume n = 1/3 and Eal= 70 GPa.

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kN. Assume n = 1/3 and Eal= 70 GPa.

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Sample Problem Number 3
A solid cylinder of diameter d carries an axial load P. Show that its change in
diameter is 4Pn/pED.

Sample Problem Number 4

A 150-mm-long bronze tube, closed at its end, is 80 mm in diameter and has a wall
thickness of 3mm. It fits without clearance in an 80-mm hole in a rigid block.
The tube is then subjected to an internal pressure of 4 MPa . Assuming n= 1/3 and
E= 83 GPa, determine the tangential stress in the tube.

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Week 4 | Statistically Indeterminate
Member
Sunday, 26 December 2021 12:22 pm

What is Statistically Indeterminate?

There are certain combinations of axially loaded members in which the equations of static
equilibrium are not sufficient for a solution. This conditions exist in structures where the
reactive forces or the internal resisting forces over a cross section exceed the number of
independent equations of equilibrium. Such cases are called statistically indeterminate and
require the use of additional relation that depends on the elastic deformations in the
members. The cases are so varied that they can best be described by sample problems
illustrating the following principles:
1. To a free-body diagram of the structure, or a part of it , apply the equations of static
equilibrium.
2. If there are more unknowns than independent equations of equilibrium, obtain
additional equations form the geometric relations between the elastic deformations
produced by the loads. To define these relations clearly, you will find it helpful to draw
a sketch that exaggerates the magnitudes of the elastic deformations.

Sample Problem Number 1

A horizontal bar of negligible mass, hinged at A in the figure below and assumed rigid, is
supported by a bronze rod 2.0 m. long and a steel rod 1.0m long. Using the data in
accompanying table, compute the stress in each rod.

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Sample Problem Number 2
The rigid platform in the figure has negligible mass and rests on two steel bars, each 250
mm long. The center bar is aluminum and 249.90 mm long. Compute the stress in the
aluminum bar after the center load P=400 kN has been applied. For each steel bar, the area
is 1200 mm2 and E=200 GPa. For aluminum bar, the area is 2400 mm2 and E= 70 GPa.

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Sample Problem Number 3
The composite rod in the figure is stress-free before axial load P1 and P2 are applied.
Assuming that the wall are rigid, calculate the stress in each material if P1= 150 kN and P2=
90 kN.

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Sample Problem Number 4
As shown in the figure, a rigid bar with negligible mass is pinned at O and attached to two
vertical rods. Assuming that the rods were initially stress-free, what maximum load P can be
applied without exceeding stresses of 150 MPa in the steel rod and 70 MPa in the bronze
rod.

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