Chapter 1

Simple Stresses

1.1] General
External forces applied to a body have the tendency to deform the body which develops an internal
resistance against the deforming forces. This resistance increases with the increase in deforming forces but
only up to a certain limit, beyond which the deforming forces will cause the failure of that body. The
ultimate internal resistance, to the external forces, offered by a body depends upon the type of deformation
taking place and the nature of material of which the body is made.
In strength of materials the internal effects produced and the deformations of bodies caused by externally
applied forces is studied. Whereas in engineering mechanics, the study is confined to relations between
externally applied forces on rigid bodies, either at rest or in motion.

Note: The capacity of any material to sustain load is defined as its strength which also depends upon the
manner in which load is applied and the configuration in which material is shaped to serve its purpose
in the structure.

1.2] Stress
External forces acting on a rigid body are termed as loads. All externally applied loads deform an
elastic material. As the material undergoes deformation it sets up internal resistance to the deforming
forces. The quantum of internal resisting forces correspondingly increases with the increase in
externally applied loads only up to a certain limit beyond which any increase in applied loads will
continue the process of deformation to the stage of failure. The deformation is known as strain and the
resisting forces are called stresses. Since within elastic limit the resistance offered by a body is the same
as the load applied so the stresses may be defined as the load per unit area and be mathematically
expresses as
applied load
stress =
area of the loaded sec tion

For the present we plan to study the following four types of stresses – tensile stresses, compressive
stresses, shear stresses, and bearing stresses.

1.2.1. Types of stresses

a) Tensile stresses
Consider a straight bar of uniform section subjected to a pair of collinear forces acting in opposite
directions and coinciding with the axis of the bar. If the forces are directed away from the bar then the
bar tends to increase in length under the action of applied forces and the stresses developed in the bar
are tensile.

T
t =
A
b) Compressive stress
 In the case discussed above if the forces are directed towards the bar, then the bar tends to shorten
in length under the action of the applied forces. The stresses developed in the bar are compressive.

P
c =
A

c) Shearing stress
This type of stress differs from tensile and compressive stresses in that the stress plane (the
shear plane) lies parallel with the direction of stress rather than perpendicular to it, as in the case of
tensile and compressive stresses. A shearing stress maybe called a tangential stress.
A shearing stress is produced whenever the applied loads cause one of a body to tend to slide
past its adjacent section. Shearing stress predominantly occurs in rivets, bolts, and beams.

The simple shearing stress formula is:

V
= where: V = shear force
A
A = shear area
 = shearing stress

d. Bearing stress
Bearing stress differs from compressive stress in that the latter is the internal stress caused by
a compressive force, whereas the former is a contact pressure between separate bodies. The bearing
stress is given by the formula
Pb
b = where: Pb = bearing load
A
Ab = bearing area
b = bearing stress

Problem Set 01:

1. A hollow steel tube with an inside diameter of 100 mm must carry a tensile load of 400 kN. Determine
the outside diameter of the tube if the stress is limited to 120 MN/m2.
2. A homogeneous 800 kg bar AB is supported at either end by a cable as shown in figure below. Calculate
the smallest area of each cable if the stress is not to exceed 90 MPa in bronze and 120 MPa in steel.

3. The homogeneous bar shown in the figure below is supported by a smooth pin at C and a cable that
runs from A to B around the smooth peg at D. Find the stress in the cable if its diameter is 0.6 inch
and the bar weighs 6000 lb.

4. An aluminum rod is rigidly attached between a steel rod and a bronze rod as shown in the figure
below. Axial loads are applied at the positions indicated. Find the maximum value of P that will
not exceed a stress in steel of 140 MPa, in aluminum of 90 MPa, or in bronze of 100 MPa.

5. Determine the largest weight W that can be supported by two wires shown in the figure below. The
stress in either wire is not to exceed 30 ksi. The cross-sectional areas of wires AB and AC are 0.4
in2 and 0.5 in2, respectively.
6. For the truss shown below, calculate the stresses in members CE, DE, and DF. The cross sectional
area of each member is 1.8 in2. Indicate tension (T) or compression (C).

7. Determine the weight of the heaviest cylinder which can be placed in the position shown without
exceeding a stress of 50 MN/m2 in the cable BC. Neglect the weight of the bar AB. The cross-
sectional area of cable BC is 1 000 mm2.

8. What force is required to punch a 20-mm-diameter hole in a plate that is 25 mm thick? The shear
strength is 350 MN/m2.
9. As in the figure below, a hole is to be punched out of a plate having an ultimate shearing stress of
300 MPa.
a) If the compressive stress in the punch is limited to 400 MPa, determine the maximum thickness
of plate from which a hole 100 mm in diameter can be punched.
b) If the plate is l0 mm thick, compute the smallest diameter hole which can be punched
10. Find the smallest diameter bolt that can be used in the clevis shown below if P = 400 kN. The
shearing strength of the bolt is 300 MPa.

11. A 750-mm pulley, loaded as shown in the figure below, is keyed to a shaft of 50-mm diameter.
Determine the width b of the 75 mm long key if the allowable shearing stress is 70 MPa.

12. The bell crank shown in the figure is in equilibrium.

a) Determine the required diameter of the connecting rod AB if its axial stress is limited to 100
MPa.
b) Determine the shearing stress in the pin at D if its diameter is 20 mm.

13. The end chord of a timber truss is framed into the bottom chord as shown below. Neglecting
friction,
a) Compute the dimension b if the allowable shearing stress is 900 kPa; and
b) Determine dimension c so that the bearing stress does not exceed 7 MPa.
1.2.2. Stress on thin - walled pressure vessels
a) Thin – walled cylindrical tank
A tank or pipe carrying a fluid or gas under a pressure is subjected to tensile forces, which
resist bursting, developed across longitudinal and transverse sections.

Consider a pipe of diameter D and thickness t be subjected to a net pressure p. To determine

the tangential stress in the pipe wall, let us cut a section of length s along the diameter. The
forces acting on this section are the total pressure F due to the internal pressure and this is to
be resisted by T which is the total stress of the pipe wall.

Applying equilibrium conditions:

 FH = 0 : F = 2T
also, F = pA = pDs
and T =  t Awall =  t ( st )
 pDs = 2 t ( st )
pD
then  t =
2t
To determine the longitudinal stress, let us cut the cylinder across its length as shown.
  FH = 0 : F = T

also, F = pA = p ( D2 )
4
and T =  l Awall =  l ( Dt )

 p ( D 2 ) =  l ( Dt )
4
pD
then  l =
4t

b) Spherical shell
If a spherical tank of diameter D and thickness t contains gas under a pressure of p, the stress
in the wall can be expressed as:

pD
s = , where D = outside diameter of the sphere
4t
T = thickness of the wall

c) Spacing of hoops of a wood stave pipe

2 t Ah
s= , where :  t = sllowable tensile stress of the hoop
pD
Ah = cross sec tional area of the hoop
p = internal pressure in the pipe
D = diameter of the pipe

Problem Set No. 2:

1. A cylindrical steel pressure vessel 400 mm in diameter with a wall thickness of 20 mm is subjected
to an internal pressure of 4.5 MN/m2. (a) Calculate the tangential and longitudinal stresses in the
steel. (b) To what value may the internal pressure be increased if the stress in the steel is limited to
120 MN/m2?
2. The wall thickness of a 4-ft-diameter spherical tank is 5/16 in. Calculate the allowable internal
pressure if the stress is limited to 8000 psi.
3. A water tank, 22 ft in diameter, is made from steel plates that are ½ in. thick. Find the maximum
height to which the tank may be filled if the circumferential stress is limited to 6000 psi. The
specific weight of water is 62.4 lb/ft3.

4. The tank shown in the figure below is fabricated from 1/8-in steel plate. Calculate the maximum
longitudinal and circumferential stress caused by an internal pressure of 125 psi.