• Failure theory 

is the science of predicting the conditions under

which solid materials fail under the action of external loads

• The failure of a material is usually classified into brittle

failure (fracture) or ductile failure (yield).

• Most metals are ductile and fail due to yielding

• Ceramics and polymers are brittle and fracture when stress
exceeds maximum value
• Failure theories are based on observation and testing over a
period of time
• When yielding occurs in any material, the distortion strain
energy per unit volume at the point of failure equals or exceeds
the distortion strain energy per unit volume when yielding
occurs in a tensile test specimen

• Von Mises stress is widely used by designers to check whether

their design will withstand a given load condition

• Applies to ductile materials only because it is based on yielding

• Strain energy at a location of the element:
• Total strain energy per unit volume
• Strain energy because of change in volume (Hydrostatic stress)
• Strain energy arising from distortion of the element
The area under the curve in the elastic region is called the Elastic Strain Energy.

U = ½ ε
3D case

U=½ 1ε1 + ½ 2ε2 + ½ 3ε3

Strain
energy
Tri Axial Stress-strain
relationship
1 2 3
ε1 = E
v E
v E
2 1 3
ε2 = E
v E
v E
3 1 2
ε3 = E
v E
v E
1
UT = (12 + 22 + 32) - 2v (12 + 13 + 23)
2E
4
Distortion strain energy = total strain energy – hydrostatic strain energy
Ud = UT – Uh
1 (1)
U T = 2E (1 + 2 + 3 ) - 2v (12 + 13 + 23)
2 2 2

Substitute  1 =  2 =  3 = h
1
Uh = (h2 + h2 + h2) - 2v (hh + hh+ hh)
2E

Simplify and substitute 1 + 2 + 3 = 3h into the above equation

3h
2
(1 + 2 + 3)2 (1 – 2v)
Uh = (1 – 2v) =
2E 6E
Subtract the hydrostatic strain energy from the total energy to obtain the
distortion energy
1+v
Ud = UT – Uh = (1 – 2)2 + (1 – 3)2 + (2 – 3)2 (2)
6E 5
Case of Simple Test When Yielding occurs:
1= Sy and 2 = 3 = 0 Substitute in equation (2)
1+v
U d = U T – Uh = (1 – 2)2 + (1 – 3)2 + (2 – 3)2 (2)
6E

2 1+v
Utest = (Sy)
3E
Case of Three Dimensional Stress When Yielding
occurs:
Failure will occur, if Ud ≥ Utest

(1 – 2)2 + (1 – 3)2 + (2 – 3)2 ½

≥ Sy
2

v ≥ Sy
6
• According to this theory, failure occurs when the distortion energy in
actual case is more than the distortion energy in a simple tension
case at the time of failure

• DESIGN EQUATION For Von Mises is derived by adjusting

Yield strength in simple tension with appropriate Factor of Safety f.s

(1 – 2)2 + (1 – 3)2 + (2 – 3)2 ½

• e=
2 =Sy/
f.s
• The solution to the design equation gives the minimum dimensions
required to avoid failure of the element by yielding.
• Distortion energy theory is the most preferred failure theory
used in industry
• Suppose an engineer has to design a cantilever beam using mild
steel as the material, with a load capacity of 10000 N. The
materials properties of mild steel are also shown in the figure.
The yield stress value of mild steel is 2.5x108 Pa. He wants to
check whether his design will withstand the design load
• The following figure shows the Von Mises stress distribution
obtained by FEA analysis of the beam.

• One can note that Von Mises stress is at maximum towards the
fixed end of the beam, and the value is 1.32x108 Pa. This is less
than the yield point value of mild steel. So the design is safe. In
short an engineer's duty is to keep the maximum value of Von
Mises stress induced in the material less than its strength
MUHAMMAD AKMAL QAISAR

Registration No:08-PWMCT-0056
1st Semester
Mechanical Engg Design
U.E.T, PESHAWAR