Continuum Mechanics
STRESS II ME802
15th Nov, 2019
Dr. Sana Waheed
Lai et al, Introduction to Continuum Mechanics, 4th Edition, Section 4.5, 4.6,
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(For this topic, lecture slides easier to comprehend)
2D MOHR’S CIRCLE FOR PLANE STRESS
Principal stresses
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PRINCIPAL STRESSES
The planes on which there are only normal stresses acting and no shear
stresses are known as principal planes.
On these planes, the stress vector is normal to the plane (i.e., there is no
shearing stresses) and the normal stresses are known as the principal stresses.
The stress state can be represented in terms of the principal stresses as:
𝜎1 0 0
𝝈′ = 0 𝜎2 0
0 0 𝜎3
Only one subscript is used in this
case to differentiate the principal
stress values from other normal
stress components.
The principal stresses correspond to the maximum and minimum values of
normal stresses at a given point.
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PRINCIPAL STRESSES
Apart from the Mohr’s circle, the principal stresses can also be obtained by
finding the eigenvalues 𝜆 of the stress tensor 𝝈
𝜆3 − 𝐼1 𝜆2 + 𝐼2 𝜆 − 𝐼3 = 0
where 𝐼1 , 𝐼2 and 𝐼3 are the principal scalar invariants of 𝝈
See Lec 4, slide 6.
The Principal stresses correspond to the eigenvalues of the stress tensor 𝝈 and
the Principal directions correspond to its eigenvectors. 4
MAXIMUM SHEAR STRESS Maximum shear stress
The maximum shear stress is equal to the
radius of the largest Mohr’s circle.
In terms of the principal stresses, it is
simply:
2𝜃
𝜎𝑚𝑎𝑥 −𝜎𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝜏𝑚𝑎𝑥 =
2
This applies in both 2-D and 3-D. The
maximum shear always occurs in a
coordinate system orientation that is rotated
45° from the principal coordinate system
Failure in brittle materials is determined by
largest tensile (normal) stress and in ductile
materials by the maximum shear stress A rotation on the Mohr’s circle by
2𝜃 represents a rotation of 𝜃 in the
physical space, in the same
direction.
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EXAMPLE
A point in a body experiences the stress state below:
Find the principal stresses and the maximum shear stress at this point.
The principal scalar invariants of the stress tensor are:
𝐼1 = tr 𝝈 = 𝜎𝑖𝑖 = 50 − 20 + 10 = 40
= −200 − 100 + 500 − 400 + −1000 − 900 = −2100
𝐼3 = det 𝝈 = −28,000
(Try finding the scalar invariants for a stress tensor that is rotated from the initial
coordinates by, say, 30°. They should be the same. Hence the name: principal
scalar invariants.)
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EXAMPLE
The principal stresses are the solution to
𝜆3 − 𝐼1 𝜆2 + 𝐼2 𝜆 − 𝐼3 = 0
𝜆3 − 40𝜆2 − 2100𝜆 + 28000 = 0
𝜆1 = 65.5, 𝜆2 = −37.1, 𝜆3 = 11.5
So our principle stress tensor is:
65.5 0 0
𝝈′ = 0 −37.1 0
0 0 11.5
And the maximum shear stress at this point is:
𝜎𝑚𝑎𝑥 − 𝜎𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝜏𝑚𝑎𝑥 =
2
65.5 − −37.1
𝜏𝑚𝑎𝑥 = = 51.3
2
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VON MISES STRESS
In order to determine whether a ductile material will fail, a yield criterion is
used. One such criterion commonly used is the von mises yield criterion.
This criterion involves calculating an effective stress, for any complex stress state
at a point, and comparing it to the material's yield stress.
The effective stress is known as the von mises stress and is given in terms of the
principal stresses as:
1 2 2 2
𝜎𝑣𝑚 = 𝜎 − 𝜎2 + 𝜎2 − 𝜎3 + 𝜎3 − 𝜎1
2 1
By defining the von mises stress (which is a scalar value), we can obtain an
effective measure of loading or stress at a point and compare it against the yield
stress to determine whether plastic failure occurs. This is the von mises yield
criterion which states that yielding occurs when:
where 𝜎𝑌𝑆 is the material
𝜎𝑣𝑚 ≥ 𝜎𝑌𝑆 yield strength
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