UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

• DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL AND

MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING
ENGINEERING DESIGN II
FME 461
PART 5
GO NYANGASI
November 2008

1
MAXIMUM SHEAR STRESS
THEORY

A THEORY OF FAILURE
APPLICABLE TO DUCTILE
MATERIALS

2
 STATEMENT OF THE THEORY
• When Yielding occurs in any material
• The maximum shear stress at the point
of failure
• Equals or exceeds
• The maximum shear stress when
yielding occurs
• In the tension test specimen.

3
 STATEMENT OF THE THEORY
• The theory applies to ductile materials only
• Because it is based on yielding.

4
 THREE-DIMENSIONAL
(TRIAXIAL) STRESS SITUATION.
• In the three-dimensional stress situation,
• State of stress at a particular location is
fully defined by three principal stresses

1,  2 ,  3

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THREE DIMENSIONAL STRESS

 y

 yx
 yz  xy
 zy
x
x
 zx  xz
z

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TRI-AXIAL STRESS SITUATION

1

3

2

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MAXIMUM SHEAR STRESS AT A
LOCATION OF THE ELEMENT
• The extreme values of shear stresses , in
each of the three principal planes are then
given by the expressions:

1  2 1  3 2 3
 12  ,  13  ,  23 
2 2 2

8
MAXIMUM SHEAR STRESS AT A
LOCATION OF THE ELEMENT
• Expressing the principal stresses in the
order of magnitude and sign

 1  2  3

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MAXIMUM SHEAR STRESS AT A
LOCATION OF THE ELEMENT
• Then the maximum shear stress is given
by

1   3
 13 
2

10
MAXIMUM SHEAR STRESS AT A
LOCATION OF THE ELEMENT
• THE CASE OF SIMPLE TENSION TEST
WHEN YIELDING OCCURS
• The principal stresses are

 1  S y ,  2  0,  3  0

11
MAXIMUM SHEAR STRESS AT A
LOCATION OF THE ELEMENT
• THE CASE OF SIMPLE TENSION TEST
WHEN YIELDING OCCURS
• The maximum shear stress then becomes

1   3 S y  0 S y
 13   max   
2 2 2

12
 THREE DIMENSIONAL STRESS
WHEN YIELDING OCCURS
• The maximum shear stress theory of
failure states:
• When Yielding occurs in any material
• The maximum shear stress at the point
of failure
• Equals or exceeds
• The maximum shear stress when
yielding occurs
• In the tension test specimen.
13
 THREE DIMENSIONAL STRESS
WHEN YIELDING OCCURS
• Maximum shear stress is then compared
with the case of simple tension to obtain

1   3 S y
 max  
2 2

14
 THREE DIMENSIONAL STRESS
WHEN YIELDING OCCURS
• The equation in slide 11 implies that when
yielding occurs in simple tension
• Maximum shear stress equals Shear
yield strength of the material
• Maximum shear stress equals half the
tensile yield strength
Sy
S sy 
2
15
 DESIGN EQUATION: MAXIMUM
SHEAR STRESS THEORY
• This is derived by adjusting the shear yield
strength of the material with an
appropriate factor of safety
• The design equation then becomes:

 1   3 S sy Sy
 max   
2 f .s. 2 * f .s.

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 DESIGN EQUATION: MAXIMUM
SHEAR STRESS THEORY
• For plane stress situation, when principal
stresses are of OPPOSITE sign
• The maximum shear stress can be
expressed in terms of the plane stress
elements, as shown below

2
 x  y  2 S sy Sy
 max       xy 
 
 2  f .s. 2 * f .s.
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 DESIGN EQUATION: MAXIMUM
SHEAR STRESS THEORY
• Design equation in slide 13 employs principal
stresses to determine maximum shear stress at
the location
• Design equation in slide 14 employs plane
stress elements to determine maximum shear
stress on the plane
• When principal stresses in the plane are of
opposite sign, maximum shear stress at the
location is in the plane
• When Principal stresses in the plane are of
same sign, maximum shear stress at the
location is not in the plane
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 APPLICATION OF THE DESIGN
EQUATION
• The principal stresses are first determined
by stress analysis.
• Such analysis describes the principal
stresses as a function of the load carried,
and the geometry and dimensions of the
machine or structural element.

 1  2  3
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 APPLICATION OF THE DESIGN
EQUATION
• The maximum shear stress in the design
equation is expressed in terms of the load and
dimensions of the machine or structural
element
• Right hand side of design equation is the
design, or allowable shear stress, a function of
the tensile yield strength of the material.
• The tensile yield strength of the material is
used because it is more easily determined from
laboratory experiments than shear strength.

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 APPLICATION OF THE DESIGN
EQUATION
• The factor of safety is simply a number chosen by the
designer.
• The factor of safety together with the tensile yield
strength of the material, gives the working[1] (design,
allowable) stress expected in the machine part.
• The solution to the design equation then gives the
minimum dimensions required to avoid failure of the
element by yielding.
•
[1] Working Stress, page 527,Handbook, Metals
Engineering –Design, American Society of Mechanical
Engineers (ASME)

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