Infinitesimal strain theory - Wikipedia, the free

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1 of 18 25-Sep-14 1:53 P
Infinitesimal strain tensor
!or infinitesimal deformations of a contin""m #ody, in $hich the displacements and the displacement %radients are small compared to "nity, i&e&,
and , it is possi#le to perform a geometric linearisation of the 'a%ran%ian finite strain tensor , and the ("lerian finite
strain tensor & In s"ch a linearisation, the non-linear or second-order terms of the finite strain tensor are ne%lected& )h"s $e ha*e
or
and
or
2 of 18 25-Sep-14 1:53 P
Infinitesimal strain theory - Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
ry
)his linearisation implies that the 'a%ran%ian description and the ("lerian description are appro+imately the same as there is little difference in
the material and spatial coordinates of a %i*en material point in the contin""m& )herefore, the material displacement %radient components and the
spatial displacement %radient components are appro+imately e,"al& )h"s $e ha*e
or
$here are the components of the infinitesimal strain tensor , also called Cauchy's strain tensor, linear strain tensor, or small strain tensor&
or "sin% different notation:
!"rthermore, since the deformation %radient can #e e+pressed as $here is the second-order identity tensor, $e ha*e
3 of 18 25-Sep-14 1:53 P
Infinitesimal strain theory - Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
ry
-lso, from the %eneral e+pression for the 'a%ran%ian and ("lerian finite strain tensors $e ha*e
Geometric derivation of the infinitesimal strain tensor
.onsider a t$o-dimensional deformation of an infinitesimal rectan%"lar material
element $ith dimensions #y /!i%"re 10, $hich after deformation, takes
the form of a rhom#"s& !rom the %eometry of !i%"re 1 $e ha*e
!or *ery small displacement %radients, i&e&, , $e ha*e
)he normal strain in the -direction of the rectan%"lar element is defined
#y
and kno$in% that , $e ha*e
!i%"re 1& )$o-dimensional %eometric deformation of an
infinitesimal material element&
Similarly, the normal strain in the

-direction, and -direction, #ecomes
)he en%ineerin% shear strain, or the chan%e in an%le #et$een t$o ori%inally ortho%onal material lines, in this case line and , is defined as
!rom the %eometry of !i%"re 1 $e ha*e
!or small rotations, i&e& and are $e ha*e
and, a%ain, for small displacement %radients, $e ha*e
th"s
1y interchan%in% and and and , it can #e sho$n that
Similarly, for the - and - planes, $e ha*e
It can #e seen that the tensorial shear strain components of the infinitesimal strain tensor can then #e e+pressed "sin% the en%ineerin% strain definition,
, as
Physical interpretation of the infinitesimal strain tensor
!rom finite strain theory $e ha*e
!or infinitesimal strains then $e ha*e
2i*idin% #y $e ha*e
!or small deformations $e ass"me that , th"s the second term of the left hand side #ecomes:
& )hen $e ha*e
$here , is the "nit *ector in the direction of , and the left-hand-side e+pression is the normal strain in the direction of & !or
the partic"lar case of in the direction, i&e& , $e ha*e
Similarly, for and $e can find the normal strains and , respecti*ely& )herefore, the dia%onal elements of the
infinitesimal strain tensor are the normal strains in the coordinate directions&
Strain transformation rules
If $e choose an orthonormal coordinate system / 0 $e can $rite the tensor in terms of components $ith respect to those #ase *ectors as
In matri+ form,
We can easily choose to "se another orthonormal coordinate system / 0 instead& In that case the components of the tensor are different, say
)he components of the strain in the t$o coordinate systems are related #y
$here the (instein s"mmation con*ention for repeated indices has #een "sed and & In matri+ form
or
Strain invariants
.ertain operations on the strain tensor %i*e the same res"lt $itho"t re%ard to $hich orthonormal coordinate system is "sed to represent
the components of strain& )he res"lts of these operations are called strain invariants& )he most commonly "sed strain in*ariants are
In terms of components
Principal strains
It can #e sho$n that it is possi#le to find a coordinate system / 0 in $hich the components of the strain tensor are
)he components of the strain tensor in the / 0 coordinate system are called the principal strains and the directions are called the
directions of principal strain& Since there are no shear strain components in this coordinate system, the principal strains represent the ma+im"m
and minim"m stretches of an elemental *ol"me&
If $e are %i*en the components of the strain tensor in an ar#itrary orthonormal coordinate system, $e can find the principal strains "sin% an
ei%en*al"e decomposition determined #y sol*in% the system of e,"ations
)his system of e,"ations is e,"i*alent to findin% the *ector alon% $hich the stress tensor #ecomes a p"re stretch $ith no shear component&
Volumetric strain
)he dilatation /the relati*e *ariation of the *ol"me0 is the trace of the tensor:
-ct"ally, if $e consider a c"#e $ith an ed%e len%th a, it is a ,"asi-c"#e after the deformation /the *ariations of the an%les do not chan%e the *ol"me0
$ith the dimensions and V
3
4 a
3
, th"s
as $e consider small deformations,
therefore the form"la&
5eal *ariation of *ol"me /top0 and the appro+imated one /#ottom0: the %reen dra$in% sho$s the estimated *ol"me and the oran%e dra$in% the ne%lected *ol"me
In case of p"re shear, $e can see that there is no chan%e of the *ol"me&
Strain deviator tensor
)he infinitesimal strain tensor , similarly to the .a"chy stress tensor, can #e e+pressed as the s"m of t$o other tensors:
1& a mean strain tensor or volumetric strain tensor or spherical strain tensor, , related to dilation or *ol"me chan%e6 and
2& a de*iatoric component called the strain deviator tensor, , related to distortion&
$here is the mean strain %i*en #y
)he de*iatoric strain tensor can #e o#tained #y s"#tractin% the mean strain tensor from the infinitesimal strain tensor:
Octahedral strains
'et / 0 #e the directions of the three principal strains& -n octahedral plane is $hose normal makes e,"al an%les $ith the three
principal directions& )he en%ineerin% shear strain on an octahedral plane is called the octahedral shear strain and is %i*en #y
$here are the principal strains&
)he normal strain on an octahedral plane is %i*en #y
Equivalent strain
- scalar ,"antity called the equivalent strain, or the *on ises e,"i*alent strain, is often "sed to descri#e the state of strain in solids&
Se*eral definitions of e,"i*alent strain can #e fo"nd in the literat"re& - definition that is commonly "sed in the literat"re on plasticity is
)his ,"antity is $ork con7"%ate to the e,"i*alent stress defined as
Compatibility equations
!or prescri#ed strain components the strain tensor e,"ation represents a system of si+ differential e,"ations for the
determination of three displacements components , %i*in% an o*er-determined system& )h"s, a sol"tion does not %enerally e+ist for an ar#itrary
choice of strain components& )herefore, some restrictions, named compatibility equations, are imposed "pon the strain components& With the
addition of the three compati#ility e,"ations the n"m#er of independent e,"ations is red"ced to three, matchin% the n"m#er of "nkno$n
displacement components& )hese constraints on the strain tensor $ere disco*ered #y Saint-8enant, and are called the 9Saint 8enant compati#ility
e,"ations9&
)he compati#ility f"nctions ser*e to ass"re a sin%le-*al"ed contin"o"s displacement f"nction & If the elastic medi"m is *is"alised as a set of
infinitesimal c"#es in the "nstrained state, after the medi"m is strained, an ar#itrary strain tensor may not yield a sit"ation in $hich the distorted
c"#es still fit to%ether $itho"t o*erlappin%&
In inde+ notation, the compati#ility e,"ations are e+pressed as
Engineering notation
Special cases
Plane strain
In real en%ineerin% components, stress /and strain0 are 3-2
tensors #"t in prismatic str"ct"res s"ch as a lon% metal #illet, the
len%th of the str"ct"re is m"ch %reater than the other t$o
dimensions& )he strains associated $ith len%th, i&e&, the normal
strain and the shear strains and /if the len%th is the 3-
direction0 are constrained #y near#y material and are small
compared to the cross-sectional strains& Plane strain is then an
accepta#le appro+imation& )he strain tensor for plane strain is
$ritten as:
in $hich the do"#le "nderline indicates a second order tensor&
)his strain state is called plane strain& )he correspondin% stress
tensor is:
Plane strain state in a contin""m&
in $hich the non-:ero is needed to maintain the constraint

& )his stress term can #e temporarily remo*ed from the analysis to lea*e
only the in-plane terms, effecti*ely red"cin% the 3-2 pro#lem to a m"ch simpler 2-2 pro#lem&
Antiplane strain
-ntiplane strain is another special state of strain that can occ"r in a #ody, for instance in a re%ion close to a scre$ dislocation& )he strain tensor
for antiplane strain is %i*en #y
Infinitesimal rotation tensor
)he infinitesimal strain tensor is defined as
)herefore the displacement %radient can #e e+pressed as
$here
)he ,"antity is the infinitesimal rotation tensor& )his tensor is ske$ symmetric& !or infinitesimal deformations the scalar components of
satisfy the condition & ;ote that the displacement %radient is small only if both the strain tensor and the rotation tensor are infinitesimal&
he a!ial vector
- ske$ symmetric second-order tensor has three independent scalar components& )hese three components are "sed to define an a!ial vector, ,
as follo$s
$here is the perm"tation sym#ol& In matri+ form
)he a+ial *ector is also called the infinitesimal rotation vector& )he rotation *ector is related to the displacement %radient #y the relation
In inde+ notation
If and then the material "nder%oes an appro+imate ri%id #ody rotation of ma%nit"de aro"nd the *ector &
"elation bet#een the strain tensor and the rotation vector
<i*en a contin"o"s, sin%le-*al"ed displacement field and the correspondin% infinitesimal strain tensor , $e ha*e /see )ensor deri*ati*e
/contin""m mechanics00
Since a chan%e in the order of differentiation does not chan%e the res"lt, & )herefore
-lso
=ence
"elation bet#een rotation tensor and rotation vector
!rom an important identity re%ardin% the c"rl of a tensor $e kno$ that for a contin"o"s, sin%le-*al"ed displacement field ,
Since $e ha*e
Strain tensor in cylindrical coordinates
In cylindrical polar coordinates / 0, the displacement *ector can #e $ritten as
)he components of the strain tensor in a cylindrical coordinate system are %i*en #y
>1?
Strain tensor in spherical coordinates
In spherical coordinates / 0, the displacement *ector can #e $ritten as
)he components of the strain tensor in a spherical coordinate system are %i*en #y
>1?