Strength of Materials

Lecture #1
Horris K. Nangulama (MSc., BSc. Civil Eng.)
Department of Mining Engineering, Malawi University of Business and Applied
Sciences
hnangulama@poly.ac.mw; 0885271934; at 201 Engineering Bldg
Two dimensional complex stress and strain
 TWO-DIMENSIONAL STRESS

• These are stresses acting on solid bodies in two axes.

• The stresses have the following sign convention.
• The stress in z axis is assumed to be zero because there is
no force acting in z direction.
– Tensile stress is positive
– Compressive stress is negative

Figure: Two-dimensional or bi-axial stresses.

 2-DIMENSIONAL STRESS: PRINCIPAL STRESSES

At a given point,
• It is always possible to locate two orthogonal planes in
which the shear stress occurs.
• These planes in which the normal forces are acting are
called the principal planes, while the normal stresses on
these planes are the principal stresses.
• The maximum and minimum principal stresses are the
maximum and minimum possible values of the normal
stresses.
 2-DIMENSIONAL STRESS: PRINCIPAL STRESSES

• There are 2 methods which can be used to deduce

the principal stresses.
– Analytical method
– Graphical method (Mohr's circle)
 2-DIMENSIONAL STRESS: PRINCIPAL STRESSES

• The maximum principal stress is obtained from the

equation below:

• The minimum principal stress is obtained from the

equation below
 Two-dimensional complex stress system

• Here we are going to consider a material subjected to combined

direct and shear stresses
• Consider a state of stress represented by a plane stress element
subjected to stresses 𝜎𝑥 , 𝜎𝑦 , and 𝜏𝑥𝑦 = 𝜏𝑦𝑥
 Two-dimensional complex stress system

• To derive equations applicable for any orientation we begin by defining a plane

surface A–A oriented at some angle θ with respect to a reference axis x
• The normal to surface A–A is termed the n axis.
• The axis parallel to surface A–A is termed the t axis.
• The z axis extends out of the plane of the stress element
 Two-dimensional complex stress system

• Consider equilibrium of a free-body diagram of a wedge-shaped element in which

the areas of the faces are dA for the inclined face (plane A–A)

Since 𝜏𝑥𝑦 = 𝜏𝑦𝑥 equation above can be

simplified to give an expression for the
normal stress acting on the n face:

(1)
 Two-dimensional complex stress system

• Consider equilibrium of a free-body diagram of a wedge-shaped element in which

the areas of the faces are dA for the inclined face (plane A–A)

Since
𝜏𝑥𝑦 = 𝜏𝑦𝑥

(2)
 Two-dimensional complex stress system

• But recall the following trigonometric identities:

, ,

Substituting the above identities into equations (1) and (2):

(1) (2)

(4)
(3)
 Two-dimensional complex stress system

• Equations (1), (2), (3), and (4) are called the plane stress
transformation equations.
• They provide a means for determining normal and shear stresses on
any plane whose outward normal is
(a) perpendicular to the z axis (i.e., the out-of-plane axis), and
(b) oriented at an angle θ with respect to the reference x axis.
 Two-dimensional complex stress system

• The normal stress acting on the n face of the stress element shown
in Figure below can be determined from Equation (3).
• The normal stress acting on the t face can also be obtained from
Equation (3) by substituting (θ+90°) in place of θ , giving the
following equation:

(5)

• Note that the sum of the normal stresses acting

on any two orthogonal faces of a plane stress
element is a constant value, independent of the
angle θ.

(6)
 Two-dimensional complex stress system
Principal Stresses and Maximum Shear Stress
• The transformation equations for plane stress [Equations (1), (2), (3), and (4)] provide a
means for determining the normal stress 𝜎𝑛 and the shear stress 𝜏𝑛𝑡 acting on any plane
through a point in a stressed body.
• For design purposes, the critical stresses at a point are often the maximum and minimum
normal stresses and the maximum shear stress.
• The stress transformation equations can be used to develop additional relationships that
indicate

(a)the orientation of planes where maximum and minimum normal stresses occur,
(b) the magnitude of maximum and minimum normal stresses,
(c) the magnitude of maximum shear stresses, and
(d) the orientation of planes where maximum shear stresses occur.
 Two-dimensional complex stress system

Principal Planes
• For a given state of plane stress, the stress components 𝜎𝑥 , 𝜎𝑦 , and
𝜏𝑥𝑦 are constants
• The dependent variables 𝜎𝑛 and 𝜏𝑛𝑡 are actually functions of only
one independent variable θ, .
• Therefore, the value for which the normal stress is a maximum or a
minimum can be determined by differentiating Equation (3) with
respect to θ and setting the derivative equal to zero:

(8)
 Two-dimensional complex stress system

Principal Planes

(8)

Solving equation(8) gives the orientation 𝜃 = 𝜃𝑝 of plane where either

maximum or minimum normal stresses occur:

(9)
 Two-dimensional complex stress system

Principal Planes

(9)

• For a given set of stress components 𝜎𝑥 , 𝜎𝑦 , and 𝜏𝑥𝑦 equation (9)

can be satisfied by two values of 2𝜃𝑝 and these two values will be
separated by 180 ̊
• The values of 𝜃𝑝 will differ by 90°
• From this result, we can conclude that
(a) there will be only two planes where either a maximum or a
minimum normal stress occurs, and
(b) these two planes will be 90° apart (i.e., orthogonal to each other)
 Two-dimensional complex stress system

Principal Planes

(8)

(4)

𝑑𝜎𝑛
• Note that in equation (8) can be obtained by setting 𝜏𝑛𝑡 in
𝑑𝜃
equation (4) to 0
• Shear stress vanishes on planes where maximum and minimum
normal stresses occur.
• Planes free of shear stress are termed principal planes. The normal stresses
acting on these planes—the maximum and minimum normal stresses—are called
principal stresses.
 Two-dimensional complex stress system

Magnitude of Principal Stresses

• The normal stresses acting on the principal planes at a point in a
stressed body are called principal stresses.
• The maximum normal stress (i.e., the most positive value
algebraically) acting at a point is denoted as 𝜎𝑝1 , and the minimum
normal stress (i.e., the most negative value algebraically) is denoted
as 𝜎𝑝2
 Two-dimensional complex stress system

Magnitude of Principal Stresses

There are two methods for computing the magnitudes of the normal
stresses acting on the principal planes.
• The first method is simply to substitute each of the 𝜃𝑝 values into
either Equation (1) or Equation (3) and compute the corresponding
normal stress.
• The second method is a general equation which can be derived to
give values for both 𝜎𝑝1 and 𝜎𝑝2 . The derivation is done as follows:

(9)
 Two-dimensional complex stress system

Magnitude of Principal Stresses

• Equation (9) can be expressed geometrically as follows

(9)

From the geometry:

 Two-dimensional complex stress system

Magnitude of Principal Stresses

• Substituting expressions for and into equation
(3) we get 𝜎𝑝1 :

(3)

• A similar expression is obtained for 𝜎𝑝2 by repeating these steps

with the principal angle 2𝜃𝑝 + 180° :
 Two-dimensional complex stress system

Magnitude of Principal Stresses

• The two equations can be combined to give:

(10)

Note: On the 𝜃𝑝 plane , 𝜏𝑛𝑡 = 0

 Two-dimensional complex stress system

Orientation of Maximum In-Plane Shear Stress

(11)

The solution of (11) gives θ= 𝜃𝑠 , the plane where 𝜏𝑛𝑡 is either

maximum or minimum:

(12)
 Two-dimensional complex stress system

Maximum In-Plane Shear Stress Magnitude

(4)

(13)

(14)
 MAXIMUM SHEAR STRESS
• Maximum shear stress is given by the equations below
• When σ2 is negative, maximum shear stress is calculated as:

• which gives maximum shear 𝛕𝑚𝑎𝑥 =

• When σ2 is positive,

Where σ2 is σ𝑧 = 0
 Two-dimensional complex stress system
Example 1

At a point on a structural member subjected to plane stress, normal and shear stresses
exist on horizontal and vertical planes through the point as shown. Use the stress
transformation equations to determine the normal and shear stress on the indicated
plane surface.
 Two-dimensional complex stress system

Example 1

Angle between a vertical plane and the

inclined surface:
 Two-dimensional complex stress system

Example 1

Or
 Two-dimensional complex stress system

Example 1

Or
End of Lecture #1

Thank You!
Assignment #1
Due Date: 20th Feb. 2023

Q1

A circular bar 40 mm diameter carries an axial tensile load of 100kN.

What is the value of the shear stress on the planes on which the
normal stress has a value of 50 MNΤm2 tensile?
Q2
Under certain loading conditions the stresses in the walls of a cylinder are as follows:
a) 80 MNΤm2 tensile
b) 30 MNΤm2 tensile at right angle to (a)
c) Shear stresses of 60 MNΤm2 on the planes on which the stresses (a) and (b) act;
Calculate the principal stresses and the planes on which they act.
Q3

From the figure below

a) Determine the stresses in the material oriented 42 degrees clockwise using Plane Stress
Transformation Equations.
b) Determine the Principal Stresses by using Plane Stress Transformation Equations.
c) Determine the Maximum Shear Stresses for the element above.
Q4

Find the principal stresses and maximum shear stress in the system of
stresses shown below.
Q5

At a point in a piece elastic material direct stresses of 90 MNΤm2 tensile and

50 MNΤm2 compressive are applied on mutually perpendicular planes. The planes
are also subjected to a shear stress. If the greater principal stress is limited to
100 MNΤm2 tensile, determine:
a) The value of the shear stress
b) The other principal stress
c) The maximum shear stress