Theory of Elasticity

In a 3D state of body, when an external load is

applied on a body, it is subjected to,
• Displacements in 3 directions
• Strains
• Stresses
 Continuum Model
• Bodies are composed a large number of discrete particles
(atoms, molecules) in constant motion.
• Depending upon the spacing of these particles and the
amplitude of their motion, these bodies are classified as solids,
liquids and gases.
• While studying the behavior of bodies the assumption is
usually made that the material is distributed in the space which
it occupies without leaving gaps or empty space, which means
that at every instant of time, there is a particle at every point of
the space occupied by the body at that time
 Continuum Model
• In the literature, this model is referred to as Continuum and it is used
in all engineering disciplines, because it is mathematically
convenient.
• It permits integration and differentiation of the quantities describing
the behavior of a body which are functions of the space coordinates.
• Thus, an infinitesimal portion of a continuum is called particle.

In this course, we study the behavior of deformable solid bodies

subjected to external loads on the basis the continuum model.
 Stress Modelling (Cauchy)
• Stress is generally not uniformly distributed over the cross
section of a material body.
• Consequently the stress at a given point differs from the average
strength over the entire area.
• It is necessary to define the stress at a specific point in the body.
• According to Cauchy, the stress at any point in an object assumed
to behave as continuum is completely defined by 9 stress
components.
 3 Orthogonal Normal stresses
 6 Orthogonal Shear stresses
 Euler-Cauchy Stress Principle

It states that upon any surface (real or imaginary) that

divides the body, the action on one part of the body on
the other is equivalent to the system of distributed forces
and couples on the surface dividing the body and it is
represented by a vector field called the stress vector or
traction vector, defined on the surface ‘S’ and assumed to
depend continuously on the surface unit vector.
 Traction Components of stress Acting on a
plane of a particle of a body

Consider a body in equilibrium under the

influence of external loads,

ΔF
P
an II
I P P

Plane aa -an
-ΔF
• Let us imagine that the body is cut into two parts by plane aa
passing through point P.
• As per the Newton's third law of action & reaction the
distribution of forces on the surface of part I shall be equal and
opposite to the distribution of forces on the surface of part II.

• Let ΔS1 be the portion of the surface of part I which contains

point P and let an be the unit vector, outwardly normal to it at

point P.
• Let the resultant of the forces acting on this portion be denoted
by ΔF.
Similarly,

• Let ΔS2 shall be the portion of the surface of part II containing

point P and let an be the unit vector, outwardly normal to it.

• The resultant of the forces acting on yhis portion is denoted by

–ΔF.

Now the traction at point P, which is also known as the stress

vector acting on the surface of part I is defined as,
ΔF ΔF 𝑑𝐹
𝑇ത= lim = ∙ = τ (Stress)
ΔS1→0 ΔS1 ΔA 𝑑𝑆
While the traction at point P acting on the surface of
part II is denoted by –ΔT & is defined as,
ΔF ΔF 𝑑𝐹
𝑇ത= lim = ∙ = τ (Stress)
ΔS2→0 ΔS2 ΔA 𝑑𝑆
ΔF
𝛿𝐹𝑛
lim = 𝜏𝑛𝑛 Normal Stress
𝛿𝐴 →0 𝛿𝐴
P Δ Fn
𝛿𝐹𝑆1
lim = 𝜏𝑛1
𝛿𝐴→0 𝛿𝐴
ΔA Shear Stress
𝛿𝐹𝑆2
Δ Fs1 lim = 𝜏𝑛2
𝛿𝐴→0 𝛿𝐴
Δ Fs2
Where, τij → General

i → Outward normal to the plane on which stress is active

j → Actual direction of stress

It is apparent that the traction at point P acting on the surface I

need not be in the direction of unit vector an, normal to this

surface at point P.

It is also clear that the magnitude and direction of traction Ta at

point P acting on plane aa are different then the magnitude and

direction of traction Tb acting at point P on another plane bb.

 Cauchy’s Stress Tensor / Theorem
The state of stress at a point in the body can be defined by all the
stress vectors associated with all planes (infinite in number) that
pass through that point.

However, according to Cauchy's stress theorem, merely by

knowing the stress vectors on 3 mutual perpendicular planes, the
stress vector on any other plane passing through that point can be
found through co-ordinate transformation equations.
 The traction T at a point P of a body of plane specified by the
unit vector an may be expressed as the sum of its components in 3
mutually perpendicular directions which are specified by the unit
vectors ȧn, ȧt, ȧp.

i.e. 𝑇 = 𝜏𝑛𝑛 ∙ ȧ𝑛 + 𝜏𝑛𝑡 ∙ ȧ𝑡 + 𝜏𝑛𝑝 ∙ ȧ𝑝

Where,
τnn → Normal component of stress at point P acting on an plane
normal to unit point vector an
τnt & τnp → Shearing component of stress at point P acting on an
plane normal to unit point vector an in the directions of the unit
vectors at & ap respectively.
 Here, the first subscript indicate the direction of the normal
to the plane on which the stress acting. Second subscript
indicates the direction of the component of stress.
This states that there exists а second order tensor field of
σ(x, t) called the Cauchy stress tensor independent of n such
that T is linear function of n.

𝑇 =𝜎∙𝑛

𝑇𝑗 = 𝜎𝑖𝑗 ∙ 𝑛𝑖
 Sign Conversion
• Stress acting on a plane for which outward normal is
positive and in a positive direction of Cartesian axis, then
stress is positive.
• Stress acting on a plane for which outward normal is
negative and in a negative direction of Cartesian axis,
then stress is positive.
 2D Stress
τ33
x3 (z) τ32
ሬ
Ԧሺ𝑥ҧ
𝑇 , 𝑛തሻ
τ23
τ22
τ22
Tn
τ23
τ32
τ33 Ts
x2 (y)
x

x1 (x)
𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑣𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑡
ሬ
Ԧሺ𝑥ҧ
𝑇 , 𝑛തሻ → 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑥 𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒
𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝑖𝑠 𝑛
𝑇ത= ത𝑇ത
ത ഥ
𝑛 + 𝑇𝑠
 3D Stress
x3 (z) τ33 τ3

τ31 τ32
τ23
τ13
τ22
τ12
τ21
τ11
τ2
τ1
x2 (y)

x1 (x)
Let us consider 3D infinitesimal particle such that the resultant
traction or stress vector on three faces be T(x,a 1), T(x,a2) &
T(x,a3) for which a1, a2 and a3 be the outward normals to the
respective surfaces.

Let ā1, ā2, ā3 be the unit vectors along the outward normals to
the respective faces.
Let, Tሺx, a1 ሻ = τഥ
1

That is stress vector acting on a plane for which a 1 is the

normal.
Similarly, Tሺx, a2 ሻ = τഥ
2 and Tሺ
x, a3 ሻ = τഥ
3
Resolving these stress vectors into their components, i.e. one
normal and two tangential, we can write,
τഥ ത
1 = τ11 aതത+ τ12 ത
1 aത
ത+ τ13 ത
2 aത
ത
3

τഥ ത
2 = τ21 aതത+ τ22 ത
1 aത
ത+ τ23 ത
2 aത
ത
3

τഥ ത
3 = τ31 aതത+ τ32 ത
1 aത
ത+ τ33 ത
2 aത
ത
3

In Matrix form,
τഥ
1 τ11 τ12 τ13 ത aത
ത
1
൥τഥ
2 ൩= ൥τ21 τ22 τ23 ൩൥ത
aത
ത
2 ൩
τഥ
3 τ31 τ32 τ33 ത aത
ത
3

ሼτതሽ= ሾτሿሼaതሽ
 3

∴ τഥi = ෍ τij aഥj

j=1

Tensor Notation,
τi = τij aj OR τi = τji aj

 A tensor quantity is a physical quantity which has no

specified direction but different values in different
directions.