8/11/22, 11:47 PM Mechanics eBook: Principal and Max.

Shear Stresses
Ch 7. Stress Analysis     Multimedia Engineering Mechanics
Plane Principal Mohr's Circle Pressure
Stress Stresses for Stress
Failure
Vessels
 
Mechanics  Principal and Max. Shear Stresses Case Intro Theory Case Solution Example
 Chapter
 1. Stress/Strain
 2. Torsion MECHANICS - THEORY
 3. Beam Shr/Moment
 4. Beam Stresses  
 5. Beam Deflections
 
Maximum and Minimum Normal Stress
 6. Beam-Advanced
 7. Stress Analysis  
 8. Strain Analysis Rotating the stress state of a stress element can give
 9. Columns stresses for any angle.
But usually, the maximum
  normal or shear stresses are the most important.
 Appendix Thus,
this section will find the angle which will give
 Basic Math
 Units the maximum (or minimum) normal
stress.
 Basic Equations
 Sections Start with the basic stress transformation equation for
 Material Properties the x or y direction.
 Structural Shapes
 Beam Equations
 
Search
     
 
 eBooks   To maximize (or minimize) the stress, the derivative of
 Dynamics
 Statics σx′ with
respective to the rotation angle θ is equated
 Mechanics
 Fluids Rotating Stresses from x-y Coordinate to zero.
This gives,
 Thermodynamics System to new x'-y' Coordinate System
 Math      dσx′ /
dθ = 0 - (σx - σx)
sin2θp + 2τxy cos2θp =
0
   
Author(s): where subscript p represents the principal angle that
Kurt Gramoll produces the maximum or
minimum. Rearranging
 
©Kurt Gramoll
gives,

   

     
  The angle θp can be substituted back into
the rotation
stress equation to give the actual maximum and
minimum stress values.
These stresses are
commonly referred to as σ1 (maximum)
and σ2
(minimum),

Principal Stresses, σ1 and σ2,

at Principal Angle, θp

   

For certain stress configurations, the absolute value

of σ2 (minimum)
may actually be be larger than σ1
(maximum).

For convenience, the principal stresses, σ1 and σ2,

are generally written as,

   

where the +/- is the only difference between the two

stress equations.

www.ecourses.ou.edu/cgi-bin/ebook.cgi?topic=me&chap_sec=07.2&page=theory 1/3
8/11/22, 11:47 PM Mechanics eBook: Principal and Max. Shear Stresses

It is interesting to note that the shear stress, τx′y′ will

go to zero when the stress element is rotated θp.
     
Maximum Shear Stress
   
Like the normal stress, the shear stress will also have
a maximum at a given
angle, θτ-max. This
angle can
be determined by taking a derivative of the shear
stress rotation equation
with respect to the angle and
set equate to zero.

      

   

 
When the angle is substituted back into the shear
stress transformation equation,
the shear stress
maximum is
Maximum Shear Stresses, τmax,
at Angle, θτ-max
   

The minimum shear stress will be the same absolute

value as the maximum, but
in the opposite direction.
The maximum shear stress can also be found from
the
principal stresses, σ1 and σ2,
as

     
     
   
Plotting Stresses vs Angle

The relationships between principal normal stresses

and maximum shear stress
can be better understood
by examining a plot of the stresses as a function of
the
rotation angle.

Notice that there are multiple θp and θτ-max angles

because of the periodical nature of the equations.
  However, they will give
the same absolute values.

At the principal stress angle, θp, the shear

stress will
always be zero, as shown in the diagram. And the
maximum shear stress
will occur when the two
principal normal stresses, σ1 and σ2,
are equal.
Stresses as a Function of Angle
     
   
Principal Stresses in 3D

    In some situations, stresses (both normal and shear)

are known in all three directions. This would give
three normal stresses and three shear stresses (some
may be zero, of course). It is possible to rotate a 3D
plane so that there are no shear stresses on that
plane. Then the three normal stresses at that

www.ecourses.ou.edu/cgi-bin/ebook.cgi?topic=me&chap_sec=07.2&page=theory 2/3
8/11/22, 11:47 PM Mechanics eBook: Principal and Max. Shear Stresses

orientation would be the three principal normal

stresses, σ1, σ2
and σ3.

These three principal stress can be found by solving

the following cubic equation,

This equation will give three roots, which will be the

three principal stresses for the given three normal
stresses (σx, σy and σz) and the three shear stresses
(τxy, τyz and τzx).
     
   

Practice Homework and Test problems now available in the 'Eng Mechanics' mobile app
  Includes over 400 problems with complete detailed solutions.
Available now at the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

www.ecourses.ou.edu/cgi-bin/ebook.cgi?topic=me&chap_sec=07.2&page=theory 3/3