S4 (Hon) MET 292: Continuum Mechanics

Module 3
(KTU Syllabus)

Dr. Mathew John

Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering Trivandrum

Date of commencement of odd semester (S4) classes: 06 Feb 2023

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THE STATE OF STRESS AT A POINT

A body may be subjected to two types of

forces— body forces and surface forces.

The body forces act on each volume

element of the body. Examples of this kind
of force are the gravitational force, the
inertia force and the magnetic force. The
surface forces act on the surface or area
elements of the body. When the area
considered lies on the actual boundary of
the body, the surface force distribution is
often termed surface traction.

NB: here arbitrary plane say, i = 1

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THE STATE OF STRESS AT A POINT …..

Since an infinite number of planes can be drawn through a point (say P), we
get an infinite number of stress vectors acting at a given point, each stress
vector characterized by the corresponding plane on which it is acting. The
totality of all stress vectors acting on every possible plane passing through the
point is defined to be the state of stress at the point.

Stress Vector or
Traction Vector

NB: here arbitrary plane say, i = 1

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THE STATE OF STRESS AT A POINT ..contd
If the force distribution on ∆S* equivalent to a resultant force ∆fi and a resultant moment ∆Mi at
P, as shown below,

The Cauchy stress principle

asserts that in the limit as the Stress Vector or
area ∆S* shrinks to zero with P Traction Vector
remaining an interior point, we
obtain

And,
Ref: Mase

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 Traction or Stress Vector

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THE STATE OF STRESS AT A POINT - STRESS TENSOR

Ref: George Mase - Schaum's outline of theory and problems of continuum mechanics-McGraw-Hill
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THE STATE OF STRESS AT A POINT - STRESS TENSOR

For plane-1 (normal to x1)

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 Index notation for a vector, say V

Using the summation convention

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Using the summation convention

This equation expresses the stress vector at P for a given coordinate plane in
terms of its rectangular Cartesian components

In the above designation, the first subscript indicates the Plane

on which the stresses are acting and the second subscript
indicates the Direction of the component.
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 Rectangular stress components

http://oliver.rmee.upc.edu/xo/vpage/1/0/Teaching/Continuum-Mechanics

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Components of Cauchy’s Stress Tensor on an arbitrary plane

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Components of Cauchy’s Stress Tensor on an arbitrary plane

Consider a small tetrahedron at P with

three of its faces normal to the
coordinate axes, and the inclined face
(of area - A) having its normal parallel to
n. Let h be the perpendicular distance
from P to the inclined face (h tends to
zero).

Engineering notation (x,y,z) is followed here

Note: Here letter T is used for resultant stress vector instead of t Ref: L S Srinath
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For equilibrium, the sum of the forces in x, y and z directions must individually vanish

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Hence we get from equations (1) to (3)

….(5)

For getting stress vectors on an

arbitrary plane given by normal n

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Index notation

….(5)

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Normal and shear stresses on the arbitrary plane
Resultant stress vector

(Use eqn. 5 to get the components of T on a

given plane say, n )

Resultant stress vector,

normal and shear stress
components

Get resultant stress from Eq. 5 and normal stress from Eq (7), then
substitute in Eq. (6) to get shear stress
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Normal and shear stresses on the arbitrary plane contd….

…..(6)

Dot product of T and n vectors

ie. …(7)

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Principal Planes and Principal Stress Components

The planes which the stress vector is wholly normal are called the principal
planes, and the corresponding stresses, the principal stresses.

The principal planes corresponding to a given state of stress at a point can

be shown to be mutually orthogonal.

Subscripts x-y-x same as 1-2-3

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Maximum Shear Stress

where σmax and σmin denote the maximum and minimum magnitudes of
principal stresses, respectively. Recognize that the maximum shear stress acts
on a plane that is shifted about an angle of ±45 degrees to the principal plane
in which the maximum and minimum principal stresses act. In addition, we
can show that the normal traction σp to the plane in which τmax occurs has the
value σp = (σmax + σmin)∕2.

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Stress Transformation

(Derivation discussed in Module-1)

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Equilibrium Equations
In general, the state of stress in a body varies from point to point. One of the
important sets of equations used in the analyses of such problems deals with the
conditions to be satisfied by the stress components when they vary from point to
point. These conditions will be established when the body (and, therefore, every
part of it) is in equilibrium.

A body force is one that acts directly on every particle of the body, rather than being
applied by tractions at its boundaries and transmitted to the various particles by means of
internal stresses. The commonest example of a body force is that due to gravity
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Consider a small rectangular element with sides Δx, Δy, Δz from its parent body. In the
limit, we are going to make Δx, Δy, Δz tend to zero. The stress components in each
face is as shown in Fig.

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If we take the two planes perpendicular to x- axis, the stress components are

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Equilibrium Equations (from Integral theorems)
Ref: George Mase - Schaum's outline of theory and problems of continuum mechanics-McGraw-Hill

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Moment Equilibrium
(which gives Cross shears are equal or Stress tensor symmetry)

Ref: George Mase - Schaum's outline of theory and problems of continuum mechanics-McGraw-Hill
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SPHERICAL AND DEVIATORIAL STRESS TENSORS

A general stress-tensor can be conveniently divided into two parts as Hydrostatic

(Spherical) and Deviatoric.

(Volumetric stress)

The deviatorial part produces changes in shape of the body and finally causes
failure. The spherical part is rather harmless, produces only uniform volume
changes without any change of shape, and does not necessarily cause failure

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OCTAHEDRAL STRESSES

A plane that is equally inclined to three axes (principal planes) is called an

octahedral plane. Let the frame of reference be again chosen along principal directions

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Octahedral normal stress and Octahedral shearing stress

The octaherdral shear stress plays a dominant role in the yield

criteria associated with the elasto-plastic analysis of materials

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 (All stress components
shown are in + sense)

(you can also get the above relation from

Mohr’s Stress Circles (3D)

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Mohr’s Stress Circles (3D)

George Mase - Schaum's outline of theory and problems of continuum mechanics-McGraw-Hill (1970)
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Mohr’s Circle for Stress (2D)

(from normal, shear stress

components)

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