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Figure 4.25b indicates how shear stresses flow in the thin wall of a torque
tube. Note that the rectangular tubes in Fig. 1 of the preceding example problem
have filleted inner corners to minimize the stress concentration that occurs due to
the 90 change in direction of the shear stress at each corner of the rectangular cross
section. (See Section 12.2 for a discussion of stress concentrations.)

Torsion

EXAMPLE 4.13
Determine the torsional rigidity, GJ, for the thin-wall tubular member
whose cross section is shown in Fig. 1. The shear modulus is G.
t0
r = 6t0

Solution This is a straightforward application of Eq. 4.34, but, since the

thickness of the wall of the torque tube is piecewise-constant, we can
write Eq. 4.34 in the form

t0

t0

2t0

GJ

2
4A m
G
si
aa t b
i
i

(1)

The area Am enclosed by the dashed median curve in Fig. 1 is

10t0

Fig. 1

Am

p
(6.5t0)2 (11t0)(13t0) 209.4t 20
2

(2)

Referring to Fig. 1, we can evaluate the sum in the denominator of

Eq. (1) as
p(6.5t0)
2(11t0)
si
13t0

48.92
aa t b
t0
t0
2t0
i
i

(3)

Combining Eqs. (1) through (3), we get

GJ

4(209.4 t 20)2G
3584 Gt 40
48.92

or, rounded to three significant figures,

GJ 3580 Gt40

*4.10

Ans.

TORSION OF NONCIRCULAR PRISMATIC BARS

In Section 4.2 the deformation of a circular cylinder twisted by equal and opposite
torques applied at its ends was described. That discussion, supported by the photos
in Fig. 4.2, pointed out that, for torsion members with circular cross sections, plane
sections remain plane and simply rotate around the axis of the member. It is clear
from the photo of the deformed square torsion bar in Fig. 4.2b that plane sections
do not remain plane when a member with noncircular cross section is subjected to

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281

Torsion of Noncircular
Prismatic Bars

xz = 0 xy = 0
zx = 0

max
yz = 0
x
z
(a)

FIGURE 4.28

(b)

(c)

Torsion of circular and rectangular members.

torsional loading. An important feature of the torsional deformation of noncircular

prismatic bars is the warping of the cross sections.
The theory of elasticity may be used to relate the torque applied to such noncircular prismatic members to the resulting stress distribution and angle of twist.5

Stress Distribution and Angle of Twist. The shear-stress distribution in noncircular torsion bars is quite different than the shear stress distribution in circular
torsion members. Figure 4.28 compares the stress distribution in a circular bar with
that in a rectangular bar. The shear stress on the circular cross section varies linearly
with distance from the center and reaches its maximum at the outer surface (Eq.
4.11). In contrast, the shear stress at the corners of the rectangular torsion member
in Fig. 4.28b must be zero. (Recall that xy yx.) In fact, the maximum shear stress
on a rectangular cross section occurs at the middle of the longer edge, which is the
point on the periphery of the cross section that is nearest the center!
The maximum shear stress in a rectangular prismatic bar subjected to torsion
may be expressed in the form
tmax

(4.35)

adt2

where is a dimensionless constant obtained by a theory of elasticity solution and

listed in Table 4.3. and where the dimensions d and t satisfy d/t 1. The angle of
twist of a bar of length L can be expressed by
f

TL
,
GJ

where J bdt 3

(4.36)

where is a dimensionless constant with value as listed in Table 4.3.

TA B L E 4 . 3

Torsion Constants for Rectangular Bars

d/t

1.00

1.50

1.75

2.00

2.50

3.00

0.208

0.231

0.239

0.246

0.258

0.267

0.282

0.298

0.307

0.312

0.333

0.141

0.196

0.214

0.229

0.249

0.263

0.281

0.298

0.307

0.312

0.333

Saint-Venant (see Section 2.10) developed the theory of torsion for noncircular bars. He presented his
famous memoir on torsion to the French Academy of Sciences in 1853. See, for example. Chapter 10 of
[Ref. 4-2] for a discussion of Saint-Venants theory of torsion.

10

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The shear-stress distribution on the cross section of a shaft with elliptical cross
section is illustrated in Fig. 4.29. The maximum shear stress occurs at the boundary
at the two ends of the minor axis of the ellipse and is given by

Torsion

tmax

2a
max

2b

(4.37)

The angle of twist for an elliptical shaft of length L is given by

max

ab

2T
pab2

FIGURE 4.29 Torsion of

an elliptical shaft.

TL
,
GJ

where J

pa3b2
a2 b2

(4.38)

Finally, the area of an ellipse is

A pab
It is important to note that the torsional behavior of circular bars is very special. If a channel section or a wide-flange section or any other noncircular cross section is subjected to torsional loading, its behavior must be analyzed by analytical
methods like the Saint-Venant solution that produced Eqs. 4.35 through 4.38. Finiteelement analysis may also be used to solve specific torsion problems.

EXAMPLE 4.14

(a)
Ta

Solution Since the areas are to be the same, that is Aa Ab Ac a2,

the radius of the circular bar is given by

t=a

(b)

If torsion members having the cross sections shown in Fig. 1 have the
same cross-sectional area and are subjected to torques that produce
the same maximum shear stress, max, in each, what is the torque carried
by each?

Tb
d=a

(c)

t=

a
2

pc 2 a 2,

For the circular bar J Ip 12 pc 4, and, from Eq. 4.13,

tmax

Tc
d = 2a

c 0.5642a

Tac
J

(1)

Therefore,

Fig. 1

Ta

ptmax(0.5642a)2
tmax J
ptmaxc 3

c
2
2

(2)

or
Tcircle Ta 0.282tmaxa3

(3)

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For rectangular bars, Eq. 4.35 gives

tmax

(4)

adt2

For the square bar in Fig. 1b, d/t 1, and Table 4.3 gives 0.208.
Therefore,
Tsquare Tb 0.208tmaxa3

(5)

Finally, for the rectangle in Fig. 1c, d/t 4, so Table 4.3 gives
0.282. Therefore, Eq. (2) gives
T4:1rect Tc 0.282tmax(2a)(a/2)2 0.141tmaxa3

(6)

Summarizing the above results, we get

Tcircle
1.36,
Tsquare

Tcircle
2.00
T4:1rect

Ans.

(7a,b)

That is, the circular bar can support 36% more torque than a square bar
of equal area; the circular bar can support 100% higher torque than can
a rectangle with a 4:1 ratio of sides.

EXAMPLE 4.15
If the two torsion members in Fig. 1 have the same length L and the
same cross-sectional area a2, and if they are subjected to torques Ta and
Tb that produce the same angle of twist, a b , what is the ratio
of the two torques, Ta /Tb?

2a
t=

a
2

t=

Ta

a
4

d = 2a

Tb
2a

(a)

(b)

Fig. 1

Solution

For rectangular bars, Eq. 4.36 gives

Ta

GJ
b f,
L

where J bdt 3

(1)

For the rectangular cross section in Fig. 1a, d/t 4, for which Table 4.3
gives 0.281.

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For thin, open cross sections, like the equal-leg angle cross section in
Fig. 1b, the dimension d can be taken to be the length of the centerline,
as indicated by the dashed line in Fig. 1b. For this particular cross section,
d
4a
16. For this d/t ratio, we must extrapolate from the
then,
t
a/4
values given in Table 4.3. A reasonable estimate is 0.323.
0.281(2a)(a/2)3
Ja
T4:1rect

3.48
T16:1angle
Jb
0.323(4a)(a/4)3

Ans.

(2)

That is, for the same angle of twist the 4:1 rectangular bar can support
248% more torque than an angle cross section with an equivalent 16:1
ratio of sides. Thin-wall, open cross sections do not make good torsion
members. Compared to more compact sections, they will have much
higher maximum shear stress and much larger angle of twist for a given
torque, cross-sectional area, and length.

*4.11

INELASTIC TORSION OF CIRCULAR RODS

In the preceding sections of Chapter 4, we have considered torsion of linearly elastic members, the simplest case being the torsion of rods with circular cross section.
Now we will examine the behavior of circular rods that are subjected to torques that
produce shear stresses beyond the proportional limit. Inelastic torsion is similar in
many respects to the inelastic axial deformation discussed in Section 3.11, with one
very important difference. In the case of axial deformation, the strain and stress are
uniform over the entire cross section of the axial-deformation member, but in the
case of torsion, both shear strain and shear stress vary with distance from the center of the torsion rod.

max = r
r

Fundamental Equations. Of the three fundamentals of deformable-body mechanicsequilibrium, geometry of deformation, and material behavioronly the
material behavior differs when we consider inelastic torsion rather than the linearly
elastic behavior treated so far in Chapter 4.
Geometry of Deformation: The strain-displacement equation, Eq. 4.1, holds for
inelastic as well as for linearly elastic torsion.
g(x, r) r

df
ru
dx

(4.39)

where
max = ro
ro
ri

FIGURE 4.30 Torsional

shear-strain distribution.

284

the shear strain due to torsion.

the distance from the center of the rod to the point in the cross section where
the strain is to be determined.
df
the angle of twist at section x; u
is the twist rate.
dx
This linear strain distribution is sketched in Fig. 4.30 (repeat of Fig. 4.6).