STRENGTH OF MATERIALS

By
Prashant sunagar

1.2 STRENGTH OF MATERIALS

1.2.1 Mass and Gravity

1.2.2 Stress and strength
1.2.3 Strain
1.2.4 Modulus of Elasticity
1.2.5 Flexural loads
1.2.6 Fatigue Strength
1.2.7 Poisson's ratio
1.2.8 Creep

Gravity and Mass

The mass of an object is defined from its
acceleration when a force is applied, i.e. from the
equation F = Ma, not from gravity.
Gravity is normally the largest force acting on a
structure. The gravitational force on a mass M is:
F = Mg

where g = 9.81 m/ s 2
The gravitational force on an object is called its
weight. Thus an object will have a weight of 9.81N
per kg of mass

1.2 STRENGTH OF MATERIALS

1.2.1 Mass and Gravity

1.2.2 Stress and strength
1.2.3 Strain
1.2.4 Modulus of Elasticity
1.2.5 Flexural loads
1.2.6 Fatigue Strength
1.2.7 Poisson's ratio
1.2.8 Creep

Types of strength
In engineering the term strength is always
defined and is probably one of the following

Compressive strength

Tensile strength

Shear strength
depending on the type of loading.

Forces

This cylinder
is in Tension

This cylinder
is in
compression

Flexural (bending)
stress
Shear
Stress

Compression
, tension,
bending and
shear

Tension and Compression

Structures lab

Testing for strength

Applying Loads

Stress
This is a measure of the internal resistance in
a material to an externally applied load. For
direct compressive or tensile loading the
stress is designated and is defined as:

stress

load W
=
area A

Types of stress
Compressive
load

Compressive
stress

Compressive
load

Tensile load

Tensile
Stress

Tensile load

Measuring:
Stress = Load/area

Shear Stress
Similarly in shear the shear stress is a
measure of the internal resistance of a
material to an externally applied shear load.
The shear stress is defined as:

shear stress

load W
=
area resisting shear A

Shear stress
Area resisting
shear

Shear Force

Shear force

Ultimate Strength
The strength of a material is a measure of the
stress that it can take when in use. The
ultimate strength is the measured stress at
failure but this is not normally used for design
because safety factors are required. The
normal way to define a safety factor is :
stress at failure
Ultimate stress
safety factor =

stress when loaded Permissibl e stress

1.2 STRENGTH OF MATERIALS

1.2.1 Mass and Gravity

1.2.2 Stress and strength
1.2.3 Strain
1.2.4 Modulus of Elasticity
1.2.5 Flexural loads
1.2.6 Fatigue Strength
1.2.7 Poisson's ratio
1.2.8 Creep

Strain
We must also define strain. In engineering this is
not a measure of force but is a measure of the
deformation produced by the influence of stress. For
tensile and compressive loads:
strain

increase in length x
=
original length L

Strain is dimensionless, i.e. it is not measured in

metres, killogrammes etc.
shear displacement x
shear strain

width L
For shear loads the strain is defined as the angle
This is measured in radians

Shear stress and strain

Area resisting
shear

Shear displacement (x)

Shear Force

Shear force

Shear strain is angle

Units of stress and strain

The basic unit for Force and Load is the Newton (N)
which is equivalent to kg m/s2. One kilogramme (kg)
weight is equal to 9.81 N.
In industry the units of stress are normally Newtons per
square millimetre (N/mm2) but this is not a base unit for
calculations.
The MKS unit for pressure is the Pascal. 1 Pascal = 1
Newton per square metre
Pressure and Stress have the same units 1 MPa = 1
N/mm2
Strain has no dimensions. It is expressed as a percentage
or in microstrain (s).
A strain of 1 s is an extension of one part per million. A
strain of 0.2% is equal to 2000 s

Measuring: Strain = extension/length

Elastic and Plastic deformation

Stress

Stress

Strain

Strain
Permanent
Deformation
Elastic deformation

Plastic deformation

Stress-Strain curve for steel

Yield

Plastic

0.2%
proof
stress
Stress

Failure
Elastic

0.2%

Strain

Steel Test in Laboratory

High Tensile Steel

Load N

40000
30000
20000
10000
0
-1

Extension m m (extensom eter)

Energy absorbed

Stress
(force)

Area = average stress

final strain
= Energy absorbed
= work done

Final strain

Strain (distance)

1.2 STRENGTH OF MATERIALS

1.2.1 Mass and Gravity

1.2.2 Stress and strength
1.2.3 Strain
1.2.4 Modulus of Elasticity
1.2.5 Flexural loads
1.2.6 Fatigue Strength
1.2.7 Poisson's ratio
1.2.8 Creep

Modulus of Elasticity
If the strain is "elastic" Hooke's law may be used to
define
Stress
W L
Youngs Modulus E =
=

Strain
x A

Young's modulus is also called the modulus of

elasticity or stiffness and is a measure of how much
strain occurs due to a given stress. Because strain is
dimensionless Young's modulus has the units of
stress or pressure

Measuring modulus of elasticity

Initial Tangent and Secant Modulus

1.2 STRENGTH OF MATERIALS

1.2.1 Mass and Gravity

1.2.2 Stress and strength
1.2.3 Strain
1.2.4 Modulus of Elasticity
1.2.5 Flexural loads
1.2.6 Fatigue Strength
1.2.7 Poisson's ratio
1.2.8 Creep

Flexural Strength
Load W

d=depth

Compression region
Tension region

b=breadth

Span L
deflection x

1.2 STRENGTH OF MATERIALS

1.2.1 Mass and Gravity

1.2.2 Stress and strength
1.2.3 Strain
1.2.4 Modulus of Elasticity
1.2.5 Flexural loads
1.2.6 Fatigue Strength
1.2.7 Poisson's ratio
1.2.8 Creep

Fatigue

Failure

Stress

Strain

1.2 STRENGTH OF MATERIALS

1.2.1 Mass and Gravity

1.2.2 Stress and strength
1.2.3 Strain
1.2.4 Modulus of Elasticity
1.2.5 Flexural loads
1.2.6 Fatigue Strength
1.2.7 Poisson's ratio
1.2.8 Creep

Poissons Ratio
This is a measure of the amount by which a solid
"spreads out sideways" under the action of a load
from above. It is defined as:
(lateral strain) / (vertical strain)
and is dimensionless.
Note that a material like timber which has a "grain
direction" will have a number of different
Poisson's ratios corresponding to loading and
deformation in different directions.

How to calculate deflection if the proof stress is applied and

then partially removed.
If a sample is loaded up to the 0.2% proof stress and then unloaded to a stress s
the strain x = 0.2% + s/E where E is the Youngs modulus

Yield

Plastic

0.2% proof stress

Failure

s
Stress

Strain

0.2%

0.002

s/E