Theories of Failure

The material properties are usually determined by simple

tension or compression tests.

The mechanical members are subjected to biaxial or
triaxial stresses.

To determine whether a component will fail or not, some
failure theories are proposed which are related to the
properties of materials obtained from uniaxial tension or
compression tests.

Initially we will consider failure of a mechanical member
subjected to biaxial stresses
The Theories of Failures which are applicable for
this situation are:

Max principal or normal stress theory
(Rankines theory)
Maximum shear stress theory (Guests or
Trescas theory)
Max. Distortion energy theory (Von Mises
& Henckys theory)
Max. strain energy theory
Max. principal strain theory




Ductile materials usually fail by
yielding and hence the limiting strength is
the yield strength of material as determined
from simple tension test which is assumed
the same in compression also.

For brittle materials limiting strength
of material is ultimate tensile strength in
tension or compression.
Max. Principal or Normal stress theory
(Rankines Theory):

It is assumed that the failure or yield occurs at a
point in a member when the max. principal or
normal stress in the biaxial stress system
reaches the limiting strength of the material in a
simple tension test.

In this case max. principal stress is calculated in
a biaxial stress case and is equated to limiting
strength of the material.

Maximum principal stress
y
+ t
2
2
1
2 2
xy
x y
+
. \ .
x
| |
o + o
|
o o
|
o =
\
Minimum principal stress
y
+ t
2
2
2
2 2
xy
x
y

. \
x
.
| | o + o | o o
|
o =
\
For ductile materials
o
1
should not exceed

FOS

in tension,
FOS=Factor of safety
.
|
\
For brittle materials
| S
yt
o 1 should not exceed

FOS

in tension
\ .
| | S
ut
This theory is basically applicable for brittle materials
which are relatively stronger in shear and not applicable
to ductile materials which are relatively weak in shear.
+
2



S
yt
-
1
S
yc


-
2

Boundary for maximum normal stress theory under bi axial stresses
+
1
S
yc
S
yt
o
2. Maximum Shear Stress theory (Guests or Trescas
theory):

The failure or yielding is assumed to take place at a

point in a member where the max shear stress in a
biaxial stress system reaches a value equal to shear
strength of the material obtained from simple tension
test.

In a biaxial stress case max shear stress developed is

given by
FOS
t
t =
yt
max
where t
max
=
2
FOS
S
yt
This theory is mostly used for ductile materials.
+ t
2
2
max
2
xy
y

x
|
o o
t =

.
|


\
o

2
=
3
= 0
t
max

1
t
Mohrs circle for uni axial
tension



t
max


Mohrs circle for bi axial stress
condition
t

3
= 0
+
1
-
2
t
max
o
2
=
Max.direct stress Min.direct stress
max
i.e o = S
yc
=
o
=
S
yc
Thent
2 2
2
max
And also
t
CASE 1 (First quadrant )

1
and
2
are +ve
2 2 2 2
i.e. o
1
= S
yt
=
o
1
o
3
=
o
1
+ 0
=
o
1
=
S
yt
t
m ax
Assuming that
1
>
2
>
3
and
3
=0
CASE 2 (Second quadrant)

1
is -ve and
2
is +ve ,Then
2
2
o (o ) o + o 2o
2 2
max 1
=
2 1
=
2 1
=
1
max
S
Then t = o =
yt
t
2
max
S
=
yt
According to the Maximum shear stress theory, t
CASE 3 (Third quadrant)

1
is -ve and
2
is more
-ve ,Then
o (o )
0 + o
= t =
2
2 3 2
max
CASE 4 (Fourth quadrant)
is +ve and is -ve ,Then
1 2
2
2 2 2
=
o
1
(o
2
)
=
o
1
+ o
2
=
2o
max
max
S
Then t = o =
yt
t
+
1

1
= S
yt
+
2
-
1
-
2
S
yc
S
yt
S
yc
S
yt
o

1
= S
yc
It is assumed that failure or yielding occurs at a point
the member where the distortion strain energy (also
called shear strain energy) per unit volume in a biaxial
stress system reaches the limiting distortion energy
(distortion energy at yield point) per unit volume as
determined from a simple tension test.
The maximum distortion energy is the difference
between the total strain energy and the strain energy due
to uniform stress.
3.Max. Distortion energy theory (Von Mises & Henckys
theory):
& Hencky's
I
(A)
-
--+-++
(CI
(a) Element with tri-axial stresses,
(b) Stress components due to distortion of element,
(c) Stress components due to change of volume.
(8)
o,
3.1Vlax. Distortion energy theory (Von Mises
theory):

The criteria of failure for the distortion energy
theory is expressed as

Considering the factor of safety
For bi axial stresses (
3
=0),
3.Max. Distortion energy theory (Von Mises &
Henckys theory):
= (o +o o o )
1 2 1 2
2 2
FOS
S
yt
=
1
|(o o )
2
+ (o o )
2
+ (o o )
2
|
1 3 3 2 1 2
FOS 2
S
yt
S =
1
|(o o )
2
+ (o o )
2
+ (o o )
2
|
1 2 2 3 3 1
2
yt
3.Max. Distortion energy theory (Von Mises & Henckys
theory):

A component subjected to pure shear stresses and the
t
t
X
Element subjected to pure shear stresses
corresponding Mohrs circle diagram is t
Y



t
t
o

1
-
2
t

Mohrs circle for pure shear stresses
In the biaxial stress case, principal stress o
1
, o are
2
calculated based on o
x
,o
y
& t
xy
which in turn are
used to determine whether the left hand side is more
than right hand side, which indicates failure of the
component.
= (o +o o o )
1 2 1 2
2 2
FOS
S
yt
From the figure,
1
= -
2
= t and

3
=0
Substituting the values in the equation
We get
Replacing
t
by S , we get
sy
= 3t S
yt
= 0.577S
yt
S
yt
S
sy
3
=
+
1
+
2
-
1
-
2
S
yc
S
yt
S
yc
S
yt
o
Boundary for distortion energy theory under bi axial stresses
Case 1 (First quadrant)
1 and 2 are +ve and equal
to , then
= (o
2
+ o
2
o o )
1 2 1 2
FOS
S
yt
FOS
S
yt
o =
Case 4 (Fourth quadrant)

1
is +ve and
2
is -ve and equal
to
S
, then
= (o + o o o )
= (o
2
+ o
2
+ o o )
1 2 1 2
FOS
S
FOS
S
yt
FOS
S
yt
FOS
yt
yt
o = 0.577
= 3o
2
= 3o
1 2 1 2
2 2
Case 2 (Second quadrant)
is -ve and is +ve and equal
1 2
to
S
, then
= (o + o o o )
= (o
2
+ o
2
+ o o )
1 2 1 2
FOS
S
FOS
S
FOS
S
yt
FOS
yt
yt
yt
o = 0.577
= 3o
2
= 3o
1 2 1 2
2 2
Case 3 (Third quadrant)

1
is -ve and
2
is +ve and equal
to , then
= (o + o o o )
S
1 2 1 2
o =
FOS
FO
S
S
yt
yt 2 2
MPa
MPa
MPa
The limiting strain energy per unit volume for yielding
as determined from simple tension test is
2
(

2

2o
1
o
2
(
2

o
1
+o
2E


U =
m
2 1
1
4. Max. Strain energy theory (Heighs Thoery):





Failure is assumed to take place at a point in a member
where strain energy per unit volume in a biaxial stress
system reaches the limiting strain energy that is strain
energy at yield point per unit volume as determined
from a simple tension test.

Strain energy per unit volume in a biaxial system is
U
2
=
2E

FOS
(
1

(


S
yt
Equating the above two equations then we get
In a biaxial case o
1
, o
2
are calculated based as o
x
, o
y
&

t
It
xy
will be checked whether the Left Hand Side of
Equation is less than Right Hand Side of Equation or
not. This theory is used for ductile materials.
2
2o
1
o
2
2
1 2
2
=


FOS
\ .
| |
o +o
S
yt
m
E = =
E mE FOS
E
S

yt
1 2
max
It is assumed that the failure or yielding occurs at a point
in a member where the maximum principal (normal) strain
in a biaxial stress exceeds limiting value of strain (strain at
yield port) as obtained from simple tension test.

In a biaxial stress case
One can calculate o
1
& o
2 x
, o
y
& t
xy
given o and
check whether the material fails or not, this theory is not
used in general as reliable results could not be detained
in variety of materials.
5.Max. Principal Strain theory (Saint Venants Theory):
Example :1

The load on a bolt consists of an axial pull of 10kN
together with a transverse shear force of 5kN. Find
the diameter of bolt required according to
1. Maximum principal stress theory
2. Maximum shear stress theory
3. Maximum principal strain theory
4. Maximum strain energy theory
5. Maximum distortion energy theory
Permissible tensile stress at elastic limit =100MPa and
Poissons ratio =0.3
Solution 1
Cross sectional area of the bolt,

Axial stress,

And transverse shear stress,
A =
t
d
2
= 0.7854d
2
4
/ mm
2
d
2
A 0.7854d
2
1
o =
P
=
10
=
12.73
kN
= 6.365kN / mm
2
A 0.7854d
2
5
t =
P
s
=
According to maximum principal stress theory

Maximum principal stress,

According to maximum principal stress
theory, S
yt
=
1
y
+ t
2
2
1
2 2
xy
x y
+
. \ .
x
| |
o o
|
o =
\
|
o + o
x
+ t
2
2
1
\
2
. \
2
.
xy
x

| o |

| o |
+
o =
o =
15365
N / mm
2
d
2
1
2
d
2
2

\
2d
2
\
2d
2
1
o =
| 12.73 |
+

| 12.73 |
+
| 6.365 |
(
.
(

(




. \ .
100 =
15365
d = 12.4mm
d
2
According to maximum shear stress theory

Maximum shear stress,

According to maximum shear stress,
+ t
2
2
max
2
xy
y

.
x
|

\
|
o o
t =
=
9000
N / mm
2
d
2
+

6.365
(
=
9
kN / mm
2
d
2
d
2

| |
2
| |
2
(
d
2
+ t
2
2
max
12.73

\
2
.
xy
x

\ . \ .
(


=
|

|
o
t =
d = 13.42mm
d
2
S
yt
t =
2

9000
=
100
2
max
According to maximum principal strain theory

The maximum principal stress,

And minimum principal stress,
y
+ t
2
2
1
2 2
xy
x
y
+
. \
x
.
| | o o
|
o =
\
| o + o
y
+ t
2
2
2
2 2
xy
x
y

. \
x
.
| |
o o
|
o =
\
|
o + o
d
2
o =
o
x
+
o
x
+ t
2
2
1
=
15365
2
. \
2
. \
xy
| | | |
=
2635
N / mm
2
d
2
2
2
d
2
2

2d
2
=
12.73

d
2
|
o
x
|
+ t
2
2
o
2
=


2
+
| 6.365 | | 12.73 |

2
xy
|
o
x
|
o


. \
. \ \ . \ .

And according to maximum principal strain theory,
d = 12.7mm

15365
+
2635 0.3
=
100
d
2
d
2

2
= S
m

2
E mE E
S
=
yt
yt 1
According to maximum strain energy theory
According to
d
m
=
a
1
x
2
im
.78
u
m
m
m
distortion theory
d
2
d
2
d
2
d
2
2

2o
1
o
2
= S
m
yt
2
15365

2635
0.3 =
100
2

15365
(
+

2635
(
2 2
2
1 2
o
2
+ o
(

S = (o
2
+ o
2
o o )
1 2 1 2
d = 13.4mm
d
2
d
2
d
2
d
2
yt

15365
(
+

2635
(

15365

2635

100 =
2 2

.
|


\

|
(

(