Chapter 7 Failure Criteria

1. If the combined stresses acting on a

engineering component are sufficiently
severe, they may cause the material to
yield or fracture.
2. Predicting the safe limits for use of a
material under combined stresses requires
the application of a failure criterion.
3. Two types of failure criteria: yield criteria
(for ductile materials) and fracture criteria
(for brittle materials).
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 7.1 Introduction-1
Need for
Failure
Criteria

2
 7.2 General Form of
Failure Criteria-1
Failure criteria for isotropic materials can be expressed in
the following mathematical form:
f(s1, s2, s3) = sc (at failure)
where failure (yielding or fracture) is predicted to occur
when a specific mathematical function f of the principal
normal stresses is equal to the failure strength of the
material, sc, from a uniaxial tension test. The failure
strength is either the yield strength so, or the ultimate
strength su, depending on whether yielding or fracture is
of interest.

3
 7.2 General Form of
Failure Criteria-2
Define an effective stress,s , and s  f s 1 , s 2 , s 3 

s  sc (at failure)

s  sc (no failure)

sc
 
s (safety factor)

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 7.3 Maximum Normal Stress
Fracture Criterion-1
For a brittle material having an ultimate (fracture)
strength in tension and compression:

s u  MAX ( s 1 , s 2 , s 3 ) (at fracture)

s N  MAX ( s 1 , s 2 , s 3 ) ( s N is the effective

stress of the maximum
su normal stress criterion)
 
sN (safety factor)

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 7.3 Maximum Normal Stress
Fracture Criterion-2

6
 7.3 Maximum Normal Stress
Fracture Criterion-3

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 Homework
 7.3 An engineering component is made of the silicon
Nitride (Si3N4) ceramic of Table 3.10. The most severely
stressed point is subjected to the following state of stress:
sx = 60, sy = 90, sz = 200, txy = 33, and tyz = tzx = 0 MPa.
Determine the safety factor against fracture.

8
 7.4 Maximum Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-1
For a ductile material having a critical value of shear
stress to for yielding to occur:
This criterion is
t o  t max (at yielding) often called
Tresca Criterion.
 s1  s 2 s 2  s 3 s 3  s1 
t 0  MAX  , ,  (at yielding)
 2 2 2 
 
When yielding occurs in a uniaxial tension test
s0
s1  s 0, s2  s3  0  t0 
2

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so is the uniaxial tensile yield strength)
 7.4 Maximum Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-3
For a ductile material having a uniaxial tensile yield
strength so for yielding to occur:

s0  s1  s 2 s 2  s 3 s 3  s1 
 MAX  , ,  (at yielding)
2  
 2 2 2 

s 0  MAX s 1  s 2 , s 2  s 3 , s 3  s 1  (at yielding)

s S  MAX s 1  s 2 , s 2  s 3 , s 3  s 1  ( s S is the effective

stress of the
maximum shear
so
  stress criterion)
sS (safety factor)
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 7.4 Maximum Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-4

11
 7.4 Maximum Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-5

12
 7.4 Maximum Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-6

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 7.4 Maximum Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-7
Hydrostatic Stresses: s1  s 2  s 3  s h

The maximum shear stress criterion predicts

that hydrostatic stress alone does not cause
yielding. It is likely that brittle fracture without
yielding would occur at a high stress level
even in normally ductile materials.

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 7.4 Maximum Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-8

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 7.4 Maximum Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-9

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 7.4 Maximum Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-10

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 7.4 Maximum Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-11

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 7.4 Maximum Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-12

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 7.5 Octahedral Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-1
Another yield criterion often used for ductile metals is
that yielding occurs when the shear stress on the
octahedral planes reaches a critical value: th = tho.
This criterion is called octahedral shear stress yield
criterion. Mathematically, it is similar to the von Mises
or distortion energy criterion.
1
th  (s 1  s 2 ) 2  (s 2  s 3 ) 2  (s 3  s 1 ) 2
3

1
t h0  (s 1  s 2 ) 2  (s 2  s 3 ) 2  (s 3  s 1 ) 2 (at yielding)
3
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 7.5 Octahedral Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-2
For a ductile material having a uniaxial tensile yield
strength so for yielding to occur: (s1 = so, s2 = s3 =0)
2
 t h0  s0
3

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 7.5 Octahedral Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-3
In other convenient forms:
1
s0  (s 1  s 2 ) 2  (s 2  s 3 ) 2  (s 3  s 1 ) 2 (at yielding)
2
1
sH  (s 1  s 2 ) 2  (s 2  s 3 ) 2  (s 3  s 1 ) 2
2
1
sH  (s x  s y ) 2  (s y  s z ) 2  (s z  s x ) 2  6(t xy2  t yz2  t zx2 )
2

s H  s o (at yielding)
( s H is the effective stress of the octahedral shear
stress criterion)
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 7.5 Octahedral Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-4

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 7.5 Octahedral Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-5

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 7.5 Octahedral Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-6

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 7.5 Octahedral Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-7

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 7.5 Octahedral Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-8

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 7.5 Octahedral Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-9

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 7.5 Octahedral Shear Stress Yield
Criterion-10

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 7.6 Comparison of the Basic Failure
Criteria-1

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 7.6 Comparison of the Basic Failure
Criteria-2

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 7.6 Comparison of the Basic Failure
Criteria-3
Hydrostatic and Deviatoric Stresses
s x t xy t zx  s x s y s z s1  s 2  s 3
  sh  
s ij  t xy sy t yz  3 3
t zx t yz s z 

s ij  hij  sij

s h 0 0  s x  s h t xy t zx 
 
s ij   0 s h 0    t xy s y s h t yz 
 0 0 s h   t zx t yz s z  s h 

32 (hydrostatic stresses) (deviatoric stresses)

 7.9 Additional Comments-1
1. In a tension test, brittle materials exhibit no well-
defined yielding behavior, and they fail after only a
small elongation, on the order of 5% or less.
2. However, normally brittle materials may exhibit
considerable ductility when tested under loading such
that the hydrostatic component sh of the applied
stress is highly compressive.
3. Also, materials normally considered ductile fail with
increased ductility if the hydrostatic stress is
compressive, or reduced ductility if it is tensile.

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 Homework: 7.26

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