The University of Calgary

Schulich School of Engineering

ENGG 317 - Mechanics of Solids (Winter 2011)

Instructors: Dr. S. Federico, Dr. L. Li, Dr. M. Epstein*
* course coordinator

Midterm Examination
Mon 28 Feb, 18:30-20:30
SOLUTIONS

Instructions:
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x
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Show your work clearly

Clearly indicate your answer (e.g., underline or draw a box)
Answer all three questions; maximum marks for each question are indicated
This is an open textbook and closed notes exam
Calculators are permitted (Schulich calculators only)
Write your name on this title page, and your student ID at the top of all other pages
Exam duration is 120 minutes

page 1 of 4

Question 1 (10 marks)

The structure in the figure on the right is
subjected to a uniformly distributed load
between A and C. For the horizontal member
ABCD,
a)
b)
c)
d)

draw the diagram of the axial force N,

draw the diagram of the shear force V,
draw the diagram of the bending moment M,
calculate the maximum value of the bending
moment and indicate the point on ABCD at
which this maximum occurs, by means of
the distance of this point from point A.

Reactions:
K: wA (m)
G: wA (o) ;

N ( x)

wA
0

2 wA (n)
x [0, A]
x ]A, 2A]
x ]2A, 3A]

x [0, 2A]
 wx

x ]2A,3A]
0
 12 wx 2
x [0, A]
1 2
2
M ( x )  2 wx  wA
x ]A, 2A]
0
x ]2A,3A]

M max wA 2 at x 2A

V ( x)

page 2 of 4

Question 2 (10 marks)

Link HC is made of a steel with a ultimate normal stress
of 400 MPa, and has a 6 x 12 mm uniform rectangular
cross section. It is connected to a support at H and to
member BCD at C by pins with a diameter of 9 mm,
while member BCD is connected to its support at B by a
pin with a diameter of 7.5 mm; All of the pins are made
of a steel with an ultimate shearing stress of 175 MPa,
and are in single shear.
a) Knowing that a factor of safety of 3.0 is desired,
determine the largest load P that may be applied at D
as shown.
b) What would the answer be if the load P were acting
upward?
Note that link HC is not reinforced around the pinholes.

page 3 of 4

Question 3 (10 marks)

A rectangular plate lying on the xy plane has sides 2 in the x direction and in the y direction, thickness h
in direction z, and is made of a material with Youngs modulus E, Poissons ratio Q, and shear modulus G.
The plate is first subjected to the state of stress in Figure A. Then, a shear stress is also imposed, as shown
in figure B, where W 14 V .
Under the state of stress in Figure B, determine
Under the state of stress in Figure A, determine:
d) the elongations in the x and y directions;
a) the elongations in the x and y directions;
b) the change in thickness in the z direction;
e) the change in thickness in the z direction;
c) the change in angle D.
f) the change in angle D.

Figure A
Isotropic material:
x normal stresses do not cause shear strains
x shear stresses do not cause normal strains

Figure B
Isotropic material:
x normal stresses do not cause shear strains
x shear stresses do not cause normal strains

V x V , V y V , V z 0
W xy 0 , W xz 0 , W yx 0

V x V , V y V , V z 0
W xy V 4 , W xz 0 , W yx 0

a) ' x 2A (1  Q ) V E
' y A (1  Q ) V E
b) ' z 0
c) 'D 0

d) ' x 2A (1  Q ) V E
' y  A (1  Q ) V E
e) ' z 0
f) 'D J W G V 4G

page 4 of 4