Introduction to

Strength of Materials
 Engineering Mechanics - The study of forces that act
on bodies and the resultant motion that those bodies
experience.
1. Statics
2. Dynamics P
3. Strength of Materials

A B

*Statics – assumes that the material (bar and cable) supporting the load is rigid.
Hence, the only concern here is the magnitude of the reaction (P) that shall
maintain the system in equilibrium.

*Strength of Materials – assumes that the supporting materials are deformable

bodies. Hence, the concern is on the maximum load that the whole assembly can
carry without allowing the supporting materials break or bend.
Strength of Materials

Simple Stresses
Are expressed as the ratio of the applied force divided by
the resisting area

1. Normal Stress
2. Shear Stress
3. Bearing Stress
Normal Stress
AXIAL STRESS
Normal stress develops when a force is applied
perpendicular to the resisting area.

P
__
δ=A where P
┴A
TENSION
δ Normal stress
P Internal Axial Force
A Cross – Sectional Area

COMPRESSION
EXAMPLE no. 01
Which bar is stronger A or B?
Assume that the given loads are the maximum loads each
can carry.

BAR 1 BAR 2

A1=50 mm2 A2=20 mm2

1000 N 500 N

Bar 2 with max. Normal

Stress of 25 N/mm2
answer :
EXAMPLE no. 02
A hollow steel tube with an inside diameter of 100 mm must
carry a tensile load of 400 kN. Determine the outside
diameter of the tube if the stress is limited to 120 MN/m2.

answer : D= 119.35 mm
EXAMPLE no. 03
A homogeneous 800 kg bar AB is supported at either end
by a cable as shown in Figure. Calculate the smallest
area of each cable if the stress is not to exceed 90 Mpa
in bronze and 120 MPa in steel.

Abr = 43.6 mm2

answer : Asteel = 32.70 mm2
EXAMPLE no. 04
The homogeneous bar shown in Figure is supported by a
smooth pin at C and a cable that runs from A to B around
the smooth peg at D. Find the stress in the cable if its
diameter is 0.6 inch and the bar weighs 6000 lb.

answer : δcable = 10,458.72 psi

EXAMPLE no. 05
A rod is composed of an aluminum section rigidly
attached between steel and bronze sections, as shown in
Figure. Axial loads are applied at the positions indicated.
If P = 3000 lb and the cross sectional area of the rod is
0.5 in2, determine the stress in each section.

δ s = δal = 24 ksi
answer : δ br = 18 ksi
EXAMPLE no. 06
An bronze rod is rigidly attached between a aluminum rod
and a steel rod as shown. Axial loads are applied at the
positions indicated. Find the maximum allowable value of
P that will not exceed a stress in steel of 140MPa, in
aluminum of 90MPa or in bronze of 100MPa.

Aluminum
A = 500mm2 Bronze
Steel
A = 200mm2
A = 150mm2
2P
3P P

L br = 2m L st = 1.2m

L al = 3.5m

answer : P = 10,500 N
EXAMPLE no. 07
Determine the weight of the heaviest traffic lighting
system that can be carried by the two bars shown if the
allowable stress on bar AB is 90MPa and on bar AC is
110MPa given that the cross sectional areas of bar AB is
50mm2 and that of AC is 80 mm2

B
C

70 A
35

answer : 5,306.30 N
EXAMPLE no. 09
Determine the weight of the heaviest cylinder that can be
supported by the structure shown if the cross sectional area of
the cable is 120mm2 and its allowable stress is 80MPa.

C B
8m

9m

A 3m

answer : W = 19,081.11 N
EXAMPLE no. 10
Determine the largest weight W that can be supported by two
wires shown in Figure. The stress in either wire is not to
exceed 30 ksi. The cross-sectional areas of wires AB and AC
are 0.4 in2 and 0.5 in2, respectively.

answer : W = 17.10 kips

EXAMPLE no. 08
Determine the required cross sectional areas of members BE,
CD and CE of the given truss shown, if the allowable stress in
tension is 120MPa while in compression is 105MPa.
D

C
G
4m

3m 3m
A B E F H
3m 3m 3m 3m

50KN 75KN 50KN

ACD = 941.15 mm2

ACE = 73.66 mm2
answer : ABE = 729.17 mm2
Shear Stress
TANGENTIAL STRESS
Shear Stress develops when the applied loads cause one
section of the body to slide past its adjacent section. The
force acts parallel to the area.

V
__ where V || A
P
τ= A

τ Shear Stress
P
V Resultant Shear
A Cross – Sectional Area V ∑Fx = 0;
V=P
Shearing area
parallel to the
load
TYPES OF SHEARING STRESS
SINGLE SHEAR
LAP JOINT
Rivet under Single shear
P
t P Shearing
Area

B P 130mm
P

DOUBLE SHEAR
Rivet under Double shear
BUTT JOINT

t splice plate
t
P/2 main plate

P
P/2
Shearing
Areas
 SINGLE SHEAR

w/ only 1 bolt or rivet with n number of bolt or rivet;

ex. n = 2

P
P P
P
Lower Plate
P
Lower Plate
P
Right Side View
P
Right Side View
P
 DOUBLE SHEAR

w/ only 1 bolt or rivet with n number of bolt or rivet;

ex. n = 4

P/2 P/2
P
P
P/2
P/2

Middle Plate (Top View)

Middle Plate (Top View)
P
P

Middle Plate (Bottom View) Middle Plate (Bottom View)

P P

Right Side View

Right Side View
P P
TYPES OF SHEARING STRESS
PUNCHING SHEAR INDUCED SHEAR
P
L = width P

a
Ɵ
a
t

D at Section a-a :
x

t
V L Pcos(Ɵ)

Ashearing = x.L

t Ashearing = πD.t
πD
Bearing Stress

Contact pressure exerted by one body upon

another body. The force acts perpendicular to the
area where load is applied.

P
__ where P A
δb = b
┴
A
δb Bearing Stress
Pb Perpendicular Force / Bearing Force
A Projected Contact Area
Bearing Stress
END STRESS
LAP JOINT
t
P
P

P P
130mm
B

P
130mm
P

Enlargement of Holes

D
t

A=D
t
EXAMPLE no. 02
The lap joint shown in the figure is fastened by four ¾-in.
diameter rivets. Calculate the maximum safe load P that can be
applied if the shearing stress in the rivets is limited to 14 ksi
and the bearing stress in the plates is limited to 18 ksi. Assume
the applied load is uniformly distributed among the four rivets.

answer : P = 24,___ N
EXAMPLE no. 01
A circular hole is to be punched out of a plate that has a
shear strength of 40ksi The working compressive stress
in the punch is 50ksi. a.) Compute the maximum
thickness of a plate in which a 2.5” diameter hole can be
punched. b.) If the plate is 0.25in thick, determine the
smallest diameter that can be punched. P

a.) tplate = 0.781”

answer : b.) Dhole = 0.800 ”
EXAMPLE no. 03
Compute for the shearing stress in the pin at B for the member
supported as shown in the figure. The diameter of the pin is
20mm.

answer : 94.01 MPa

EXAMPLE no. 04
Member B is subjected to a compressive force of 600 lb. If A
and B are both made of wood and are 1.5 in. thick, determine
to the nearest 1/8” the smallest dimension a of the support so
that the average shear stress along the blue line does not
exceed 50 psi.

answer : a = 6.50 inches

Homework no. 02 - b
The figure shows a roof truss and the detail of the connection at joint
B. Members BC and BE are angle sections with thickness shown in
the figure. The working stresses are 70MPa for shear in rivet and
140MPa for bearing stress due to the rivets. How many 19-mm
diameter rivets are required to fasten the said members to the
gusset plate?
DETAIL OF JOINT B
14 mm thick
GUSSET PLATE
D

B
G 75X75X13 mm
4m

3m 3m
75X75X6 mm
A C E F H
3m 3m 3m 3m P BE

50KN P BC
50KN 75KN

answer :