MECHANICS OF MATERIALS LESSON

(Approximate lecture time: 3 hours)

Stress-strain curve for mild steel [FERM 37:1]

Since this chart appears in the NCEES Handbook, its worth lecture time to discuss how it is read
and its usefulness in determining the modulus of elasticity, yield strength, ultimate strength, and
elongation.

Strain

DEFINITIONS
Hookes law [FERM 18:1]: The relation of stress and strain is linear. The modulus of elasticity is
constant in the linear region.
Modulus of elasticity (a material property)
E = / = normal stress divided by the normal strain
Shear modulus (a material property) (EIT8 41:13)
G = / = shear stress divided by the shear strain
E
G=
2(1 + v )
Stress [FERM 18:1]: Force per unit area
Strain [FERM 18:1]: Fractional elongation
Normal [FERM 18:1]: Perpendicular to the surface
Shear [FERM 18:1]: Parallel to the surface
Poissons ratio (v) (a material property) [FERM 18:1]:
(lateral strain)/(longitudinal strain)
0 < v < 0.5
v = 0.3 for most metals

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Uniaxial loading and deformation [FERM 18:2]

= P/A = loading divided by the area

= /L = longitudinal deformation divided by the length
PL
E= =
A

PL
=
AE

Thermal deformations [FERM 19:1]

Objects expand and contact depending on the temperature.
temp = L(t - to) = deformation due to temperature
t - to = change in temperature
L = length of the object at temperature to
= temperature coefficient of expansion (coefficient of linear thermal
expansion): a material property

Thin-walled pressure vessels [FERM 19:2]

Hoop stress: Stress tangent to the circumference (also known as circumferential stress
and tangential stress)
pD pressure diameter
t =
=
2t
2 thickness
Axial stress : Stress along the longitudinal surface (also known as longitudinal stress
and long stress)

a =

pD pressure diameter
=
4t
4 thickness

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Stress and strain [FERM 18:3]

If you know the stresses on two perpendicular planes, you can determine the stresses on
any plane. This is a matter of changing from one coordinate system to another. (Actually,
the planes do not have to be perpendicular, but if they are not, the mathematics gets too
complicated for the FE exam.)

x = (x + y) + (x - y)cos 2 + xysin 2
y = (x + y) - (x - y)cos 2 - xysin 2
xy = -(x - y)sin 2 + xycos 2
Mohrs circle of stress [FERM 18:4]
This is a graphical way of solving for the stresses in a plane given the stresses in two
perpendicular planes. To solve stress problems using Mohrs circle:
Tensile stress is positive
Compressive stress is negative
Clockwise couple shear stress is positive
Plot the center of the circle c = (x + y)
Plot (x, -xy) or (y, xy)
Draw Mohrs circle
Stress can be resolved into a different coordinate system

1+ 2
2

(x,-xy)

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Examples: Mohrs circle

The following questions relate to this diagram.

(1) The principal stresses (2, 1) are most nearly

(A) 70000 kPa and 14000 kPa
(B) 84000 kPa and 28000 kPa
(C) -62400 kPa and 14400 kPa
(D) 112000 kPa and -28000 kPa
The center of Mohrs circle is at
c = (x + y) = (-48000 kPa + 0) = -24000kPa
Mohrs circle includes the points (x, -xy) or (y, xy)
Using the Pythagorean theorem, the radius of Mohrs circle (max) is the distance from the
center to either one of these points

max = (30000 kPa) 2 + ( 24000 kPa) 2 = 38419 kPa

1 = c - max = (-24000 kPa 38419 kPa) = -62419 kPa
2 = c+ max = (-24000 kPa + 384219 kPa) = 14418 kPa
Therefore (C) is correct.

(2) The maximum shear stress is most nearly:

(A) 218000 kPa
(B) 33500 kPa
(C) 24000 kPa

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(D) 38400 kPa

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In the previous example problem, we found the radius of Mohr's circle (max)

max = (30000 kPa) 2 + ( 24000 kPa) 2 = 38419 kPa

Therefore (D) is correct.
Strain, general case [FERM 18:4]
Up to this point, stress and strain are only discussed as one- or two-dimensional
problems. However, stress and strain occur in three dimensions. Visualize squeezing a
marshmallow between your index finger and thumb. While the stress is applied in one
dimension, the marshmallow responds by deforming in all three dimensions.

x = (1/E)[x - v(y + z)]

y = (1/E)[y - v(z + x)]
z = (1/E)[z - v(x + y)]
xy
yz
xy =
yz =
G
G

zx =

zx
G

Static loading failure theory [FERM 18:5]

Maximum normal stress: A material fails if the most positive tensile stress is greater than
or equal to the tensile strength ( St), or the material fails if the most negative
compressive force is less than or equal to the compressive strength ( Sc)
Torsion [FERM 19:3]
For a body with radius r being strained to an angle , the polar shear strain and stress are:
d
z = r
dz
d
z = G z = Gr
dz
(analogous to = E)
For a body with polar moment of inertial (J), the torque (T) is:
d
d
2
T=G
r
dA
GJ
=

dz A
dz
The polar shear stress is:
T
Tr
z = Gr
=
GJ
J
(analogous to = Mc/I)

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For a body, the general angular displacement () is:

L T
dz
=
0 GJ
For a shaft of length (L), the total angular displacement () is:
TL
=
JG
This rearranges to give the moment required to produce one radian of twist:
T GJ
=

Hollow, thin-walled shafts [FERM 19:2]

For a shaft of wall thickness (t) and average area Am, shear stress () is:
T
=
2 Am t
In this diagram, the shaft is a cylinder, but regardless of the shape of the shaft, Am is the
average area taken half way around the thickness.

Tr
J
4 4
J = (ro ri )
2

BEAMS [FERM 20:1]

Sign conventions [FERM 20:2]
Positive bending moment = concave up bending (positive moment makes the beam
smile!)

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Positive shear = right side down relative to left

Load (w), shear (V) and moment (M) relations [FERM 20:2]
w=

dV ( x)
dx

V2 V1 =

V =

x2

dM ( x )
dx

w( x )dx (the area under the loading diagram)

x1

M 2 M1 = x V ( x )dx (the area under the shear diagram)

x2
1

For a beam deflected to a radius of curvature () a distance (y) from the neutral axis, the
axial strain due to bending is:
x = -y/

Bending stress [FERM 20:2]

Bending (axial, normal) stress is the axial strain times modulus of elasticity

x = -Ey/ = -My/I
Bending stress is maximum when y = c, the distance from neutral axis to the extreme
fibers

Shear stress [FERM 20:2]

xy = VQ/Ib where b = thickness of the cross-section

Q = Ay = (Area shear acts on)(distance from neutral axis to the area centroid)
= statical moment

Deflection [FERM 20:4]

Deflection is the double integral of the moment divided by EI
y=

[ M ( x)dx] dx
EI

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NOTE: If you have time in the lecture, a few words on the boundary conditions needed to
complete the two integrations would be useful.

Beam deflection formulas [FERM 20:4]

The formulas in the NCEES Handbook give deflection and deflection angle for any
situation that might be on the exam.
Example: Beam deflection

Find the tip deflection of the beam shown. EI is 3.47 106 N-m2, the load is 11,379 N/m, and the
beam is 3.7 m long.
N

11,379 (3.7 m) 4

m
From the NCEES Handbook: = wo L =
= 0.077 m
8 EI
(8) (3.47 106 N m2 )
4

Shear and bending moment diagrams [FERM 20:2]

Shear is the sum of vertical forces from the end of the beam to the point of interest.
Bending moment is the integral of the shear from either end of the beam to the point of
interest.
Examples: Shear and bending moment
(1) Draw the shear and bending moment diagrams for the following beam
100 N/m

x
Rr

Rl
12 m

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4m

Mechanics of Materials - 8

Rl + Rr = (100 N/m) (16 m) = 1600 N

Rl (8) - Rr (4) = 0
Therefore Rl = 533.3 N and Rr = 1066.7 N
From 0 to 12 m, shear = Rl - (100 N/m)x = 533.3 N - (100 N/m)x; 0 < x < 12 m
Shear is undefined at concentrated force points, but just short of x = 12 m
Shear (12-) = 533.3 N - (100 N/m)(12 m) = -666.7 N
From 12 to 16 m, shear = shear(12-) + Rr - (100 N) (x - 12)
Shear = 1600 N - (100 N/m)x; 12 m < x 16 m
So the shear diagram is:
533.3 N
400 N

x
-666.7 N
12 m

4m

The bending moment is the integral of the shear.

Bending moment = 533.3 x - 50x2; 0 < x < 12 m
x

12
x
x
N

N
M = Sdx + Sdx = 800 + 1600 N 100 x dx = 800 N m + (1600 N )x 50 x 2
0
12
12
m 12
m

M = -800 Nm + (1600 N)x - (50 N/m)x2 - (1600 N)(12 m) +(50 N/m)(12 m)2
M = -12800 Nm + (1600 N)x - (50 N/m)x2
12 m < x 16 m
Or, let the right end of the beam be x = 0
Then, S = -(100 N/m)x; -4 m < x 0
0
0
N
N
M = Sdx = 100 x = 50 x2
x
x
m
m
The bending moment diagram is:
1422 Nm

x
-800 N m
12 m

4m

(2) The vertical shear for the section at the midpoint of the beam shown is:
(A) 0
(B) P
(C) P
(D) None of these

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2L

Drawing the force diagram and shear diagram:

P
P

-P
P
L

P
2L

2L

Therefore (A) is correct.

(3) For the shear diagram shown, what is the maximum bending moment? The bending moment
at the ends is zero, and there are no concentrated couples.
(A) 8 kNm
(B) 16 kNm
(C) 18 kNm
(D) 26 kNm
2m
10 m

4m

6
Shear
(kN) 0

4
-4

-12

-14

Starting from the left end of the beam, areas begin to cancel after 2 m.
Starting from the right end of the beam, areas begin to cancel after 4 m.
The rectangle on the right has an area of 16 kNm.
The trapezoid on the left has area of ()(12 kN + 14 kN) (2 m) = 26 kNm.
This trapezoid is the largest bending moment.
Therefore (D) is correct.

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COLUMNS
Beam-columns (axially loaded beams) [FERM 21:1]
The maximum and minimum stresses in an eccentrically loaded column are
F Me
F Me
max = +
min =
A
I
A
I
where e = eccentricity, the distance from neutral axis to the point of application of the
force.

Eulers formula [FERM 21:2]

The critical load that will cause a long column to fail by buckling is given by Eulers load
equation
2 EI 2 EAr 2
Pcr =
=
( kl ) 2
( kl ) 2
where r is the radius of gyration and k is the end-resistant coefficient.
The NCEES Handbook gives a table of values for k. The FE exam may have problems
that require picking column parameters for a design. The design should use the more
conservative design values for k unless the problem statement includes the word
ideal, theoretical, or perfect.

Elastic strain energy [FERM 18:2]

U = W = P = (load deflection)
Strain energy per unit volume for tension is:
2
U
u=
=
AL 2 E
(the area under the stress-strain curve)

End of Mechanics of Materials Lesson

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