Department of Civil Engineering

Course: Mechanics of Solids-I

(CE 2003)

Course Teacher:
Dr. Md. Abdus Salam
Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
DUET, Gazipur

1
 Mechanical Properties of Materials

• A quality that defines a specific

characteristic of materials is termed as
property.
• The properties are may be physical,
mechanical, chemical, thermal, magnetic
and electrical.
• In this chapter we are discussing about
mechanical properties of materials.
• Mechanical properties are used to help
classify and identify material.

2
 Mechanical Properties of Materials

The following are the very important

mechanical properties of materials:
1. Strength 7. Stiffness
2. Elasticity 8. Toughness
3. Plasticity 9. Resilience
4. Ductility 10. Fatigue
5. Malleability 11. Hardness, and
6. Brittleness 12. Creep

1. Strength:
It is the property of a material that represents
its ability to resist internal forces or stresses.
3
 Mechanical Properties of Materials

2. Elasticity:
It is the property of a material which allows it to
return to its original shape and size after the load
to which it is subjected to released.

3. Plasticity:
Plasticity is the opposite property of elasticity. It
is the property by virtue of which a material can
undergo permanent deformation without rupture.

4. Ductility:
Ductility indicates the ability of a material to
deform in the plastic range without breaking.
4
 Mechanical Properties of Materials

5. Malleability:
This property permits plastic deformation of a
material when subjected to compression. Materials
that can be hammered into thin sheets are
malleable materials.

6. Brittleness:
The opposite property of malleability is brittleness.

7. Stiffness:
The term stiffness designates the resistance of a
material to deform in the elastic range.
5
 Mechanical Properties of Materials

8. Toughness:
This property indicates the ability to absorb
released energy in the plastic range.

9. Resilience:
The resilience of a material is the ability to
absorb energy in the elastic range.

10. Fatigue:
The term fatigue of a material is used to
indicate its strength in resisting repeated
stress.
6
 Mechanical Properties of Materials

11. Hardness:
The term hardness is the resistance of a material
to permanent deformation of its surface. This
deformation may be in the form of scratching,
mechanical wear or cutting.

12. Creep:
Some materials are required to sustain steady
loads for long periods of time. Under such
conditions the material may continue to deform.
Such time dependent deformations is termed as
creep.
7
8