[Random Daily CE Topics #2]

(March 25, 2018)

MOHR'S CIRCLE part 1/2
(for stresses)
Note: Sorry bihira na ako makapagpost. Super busy sa thesis eh huhu. Thanks :)

Mohr's circle, developed by the German civil engineer Christian Otto Mohr, is used together with
mechanics of materials to represent geometrically the state of stress of a [two-dimensional] stress
block at all of its angles. It is also a convenient way to solve stresses without having to memorize its
counterpart algebraic formulas
sx' = (sx + sy)/2 + (sx - sy)/2 * cos(2theta) + txy * sin(2theta)
txy' = -(sx - sy)/2 * sin(2theta) + txy * cos(2theta)
where sx = sigma_x, sy = sigma_y and txy = tau_xy.
Different references have different sign conventions, but for the purposes of this post, I'll discuss the
convention that I'm most convenient with. Just three words:
Palabas, counterclockwise, positive.
This means that the normal stresses (sigma_x, sigma_y) are positive if its outward, and negative if it
is inward. On the other hand, the shear stress (tau_xy) is positive if its effect is counterclockwise,
and negative if its effect is clockwise. Figure 1 below shows these conventions (8 cases) graphically.
With this convention, we are now ready to state the steps in drawing Mohr's circle for stresses and
get immediate quantities from it. We do it step-by-step using an example.
1 [own problem. Refer to Figure 2]
For the 2D stress block shown, determine the following quantities:
(1) maximum principal stress (in MPa)
(2) minimum principal stress (in MPa)
(3) maximum in-plane shear stress (in MPa)
Solution
STEP 1: Consider the vertical plane, and determine the signs of the given quantities (sigma, tau).
-> Normal stress 60 MPa is palabas, so it should be +60 MPa,
-> Shear stress 20 MPa is clockwise, so it should be -20 MPa.
Therefore, the stress coordinates are V(+60, -20).
STEP 2: Consider the horizontal plane, and determine the signs of the given quantities (sigma, tau).
-> Normal stress 40 MPa is papasok, so it should be -40 MPa,
-> Shear stress 20 MPa is counterclockwise, so it should be +20 MPa.
Therefore, the stress coordinates are H(-40, +20).
STEP 3: Draw the coordinate axis for the Mohr's circle, positive sigma axis to the right, and positive
tau axis DOWNWARD. (TAKE NOTE: positive tau axis DOWNWARD).
STEP 4: Plot the vertical (V) and horizontal (H) stress coordinates and then connect the two.
STEP 5: The intersection of the line segment with the sigma axis gives the CENTER (C) of the
circle. Its coordinates are determined using midpoint formula:
C = ([(+60) + (-40)]/2 , [(-20) + (+20)]/2)
C = (10, 0) MPa
STEP 6: The radius of the circle is determined using distance formula for segment CV or CH. We
have
C: (10, 0), V: (60, -20)
radius = CV = sqrt((10 - 60)^2 + (0 - (-20))^2) = 53.8516 MPa, or
C: (10, 0), H: (-40, 20)
radius = CH = sqrt((10 - (-40))^2 + (0 - 20)^2) = 53.8516 MPa,
The radius of the circle is also the maximum in-plane shear stress, so tau_max, ip = [53.8516 MPa]
STEP 7: The points at which the circle intersect the sigma axis are the principal stresses of the
block. Their values are determined by adding and subtracting the radius of the circle to the center of
the circle.
maximum principal stress:
sigma_max = C + radius = 10 + 53.8516 = [63.8516 MPa]
minimum principal stress:
sigma_min = C - radius = 10 - 53.8516 = [-43.8516 MPa]
and were done :)

Notes:
(1) Using this sign convention, tau_xy = -tau_yx.
(2) Replacing sigma_x with Ix, sigma_y with Iy, and tau_xy with Pxy, we can also use Mohr's circle
for computing moments of inertia.
(3) sigma_min + sigma_max = sigma_x' + sigma_y'.
TRY THIS ONE -------------------------
2 [own problem]
Use Mohr's circle to determine the maximum and minimum principal stresses of the 2D stress block,
with sigma_x = -75 MPa, sigma_y = 45 MPa and tau_xy = +60 MPa.
3 [various]
Use Mohr's circle to prove that for all angles theta,
sigma_min + sigma_max = sigma_x' + sigma_y'.