THEORIES OF FAILURE

• Components fail because stresses on them exceed their strength

• If the material is ductile : by the initiation of yielding, brittle, it is specified by
fracture.
• Depends on the material’s strength in tension, compression and shear, the
character of the loading (static or dynamic) and on the presence of cracks
• Easy to establish failure for uniaxial loading; whereas multiaxial stress state
yielding cannot be accurately predicted
• Hence multiaxial failure theories are utilised, based on stress, strain or strain
energy density (loading severity parameters)
• Failure is predicted to occur when the maximum value of the selected LSP in the
multiaxial state of stress becomes equal to or exceeds the value of the same
selected loading severity parameter that produces failure in a simple uniaxial
stress test using a specimen of the same material
 Failure of ductile materials under static loading
Maximum-Shear-Stress Theory.
• Based on the idea, that ductile materials fail by shear, in 1868 Henri Tresca proposed the
maximum-shear-stress theory or Tresca yield criterion
• The theory states that yielding of the material begins when the absolute maximum
shear stress in the material reaches the shear stress that causes the same material to
yield when it is subjected only to axial tension.
• The maximum-shear-stress theory for plane stress can be expressed for any two in-plane
principal stresses by the following criteria:
 Maximum-Distortion-Energy Theory
• The energy per unit volume of material is called the strain-energy density
• If the material is subjected to triaxial stress, then each principal stress contributes a
portion of the total strain-energy density,

• If the material behaves in a linear-elastic manner, then Hooke’s law applies. Hence,

• This strain-energy density can be considered as the sum of two parts, one part
representing the energy needed to cause a volume change of the element with no
change in shape, and the other part representing the energy needed to distort the
element.
According to maximum-distortion-energy theory, yielding in a ductile material occurs when the distortion
energy per unit volume of the material equals or exceeds the distortion energy per unit volume of the same
material when it is subjected to yielding in a simple tension test.
• Distortion energy per unit volume is given by :

• In uniaxial tension 1= y, 2= 0 , 3 = 0 , hence

• Hence, according to the distortion energy theory, failure occurs at that point where
Define an effective stress

In terms of rectangular stress components

In terms of equivalent stress,

e   y
• In the case of plane stress, 3 = 0 , so

• For the case of plane or biaxial stress,

A force F = 45,000 N is necessary to rotate the shaft shown in figure at uniform
speed. The crank shaft is made of ductile steel whose elastic limit is 207,000 kPa,
both in tension and compression. With E = 207 x 10 6 kPa, determine the diameter of
the shaft, using the distortion energy theory and the maximum shear stress theory. Use
a factor of safety N = 2. Consider a point on the periphery at section A for analysis.
 Failure Theory for Brittle Materials
Maximum Normal Stress Theory
• The maximum-normal-stress (MNS) theory states that failure occurs whenever one
of the three principal stresses equals or exceeds the strength.
• if 1 > 2 > 3 are the principal stresses at a point and y the yield stress or
tensile elastic limit for the material under a uniaxial test, then failure occurs when

• This theory is not much supported by experimental results.

• However this theory is considered to be reasonably satisfactory for brittle
materials which do not fail by yielding.
Sut and Suc are the ultimate tensile and compressive strengths
 Failure Theory for Uneven Materials

• To predict failure for materials whose strengths in tension and compression are not equal.
• The yield strength of magnesium alloys in compression may be as little as 50 percent of
their yield strength in tension
• The ultimate strength of gray cast irons in compression varies from 3 to 4 times greater
than the ultimate tensile strength
• The Coulomb-Mohr theory is a variation of Mohr’s theory
• The idea of
• Mohr is based on three “simple” tests: tension, compression, and shear, to yielding if the
material can yield, or to rupture
 Coulomb - Mohr Theory
• Failure curve is based on two circles based on only tensile and compressive
strengths
• Assumes that the boundary BCD (failure line ) is straight.
• From similar triangles,

or
simplifying reduces this equation to

• Either yield strength or ultimate strength can be used

• Failure Criteria:

Case 1 :  1   2 ,  3  0 then  1  St
 1  3 
Case 2 :  1  0   3 then,     1
 St Sc 
Case 3 : 0   1   3 then  3  - Sc
• Brittle Materials
Consider the wrench shown below as made of cast iron, machined to dimension.
The force F required to fracture this part can be regarded as the strength of the
component part. If the material is ASTM grade 30 cast iron, find the force F with
(a) Coulomb-Mohr failure model.
(b) Modified Mohr failure model.
From Table, the tensile ultimate strength is 31 kpsi (ksi)
and the compressive ultimate strength is 109 kpsi.
This puts us in the fourth-quadrant of the - plane