Stress Concentration

The increase in localized stress due to an abrupt change in

cross section called a discontinuity or a stress raiser
Stress in the fibres nearest to the discontinuity is increased
most
Stress concentration due to discontinuity occurs for any kind
of loading viz. a direct load, bending or torsion

The maximum stress at the discontinuity are

s1 = (P/A) Kt , for direct load
s1 = (Mc/I) Kt , for bending
s1 = (Tc/J) Kt , for torsion
A, J and I are based on the net section
Kt is the theoretical Stress Concentration Factor
 Stress Concentration (Contd)

Kt depends only on the geometrical form of the discontinuity

Sometimes referred to as the form-stress factor

Due to local yielding of ductile materials at the point of excessive

stress, the effective stress concentration factor, K used in design,
is always lower than the corresponding theoretical stress factor Kt

In design, Kt is used with extremely brittle materials

 Stress Concentration Factors
Tension
Stress concentration in tension members may be represented by lines
indicating the direction of the principal stresses
In the figure, at both ends of the plate, the lines are parallel, indicating
uniform stresses; at the right end, they are closer together, indicating
higher stresses
These lines are more crowded near the discontinuity, indicating a local
stress increase
These lines are usually called force flow lines
 Reduction of stress concentration in tension
Force flow lines are quite useful in visualizing stress concentration
created by discontinuities, and in taking remedial steps to reduce
stress concentration
The force flow lines indicate that the stress concentration induced by
the elliptical hole is lower in figure (b) than in (a)

(a) (b)
Reduction of stress concentration in tension
 Estimation of stress concentration factors
Free round holes
Stress distribution in a plate of infinite width containing a round hole

For an elliptical hole in an

infinitely wide plate, the max.
stress is

Smax= S1 = S0(1 + 2a/b) ,

where a & b are semi-major and

semi-minor axes of the ellipse
(Curve-a in figure)

Transverse stress, S2 = NS0

(Curve-b in figure) (Compressive stress)
Form-stress factor due to hole
in a narrow plate
Form stress factor due to a through hole
in a shaft loaded in tension
Stress concentration due to notches and grooves

t
Kt 1 2
r
 Limitation to the use of Kt

When a part is known to contain cracks, the geometry of these

may not be known

In any case as the notch radius tends to zero, as it does in a

crack, the stress concentration value tends to infinity

Then the stress concentration is no longer a helpful design

tool

In these cases, 'Fracture Mechanics' techniques are used

Stress Intensity Factor becomes prominent
 Notched flat
bar in Tension
Form stress factor
for bending case
of a shaft with a
transverse hole
Stress concentration
factor for filleted
flat bar in tension
 Notched flat
bar in bending
Bending case of
a bar with
shoulder fillet
Stress concentration
factor for stepped
shaft in bending
Gear tooth- Stresses at the root are
greatly influenced by fillet radius