DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE

College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology

University of the Philippines Los Baños

ENSC 13
Strength of Materials
Problem Set 1 (Stresses)

1. The assembly consists of three disks A, B and

C that are used to support the load of 140 kN.
If d1 = 25 mm, d2 = 70 mm and d3 = 30 mm,
determine the following.

a) The compressive stress in disk A

b) The shear stress in disk B
c) The bearing stress in disk C

P d 2. The assembly shown at the left consists of a hollow concrete

cylinder with an outer diameter of 12 in and an inner diameter of 6
in. It is reinforced with ten (10) solid steel rods, each with a
diameter of 1.5 in as shown in order to support a given load P
applied to a rectangular slab 2 in thick. Determine the maximum
safe load P that can be supported by the system if the ultimate
shear stress in the slab is 500 psi, ultimate normal stress in the
steel rod is 1000 psi, and ultimate normal stress in the concrete is
D 200 psi. Use 2 as factor of safety, and assume that the load carried
by the steel rods is 2.385 times the load carried by the concrete.

3. A force P is applied on the

wooden block which is resisted
by the inclined bar fixed on two
ends. If P = 1000 N, determine
the following:

a. Shear stress in the

inclined bar (neglect bending)
b. Shear stress in the
wooden block
c. Bearing stress
between the inclined bar and
the wooden block
d. Maximum average
tensile stress in the wooden
block
 DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE
College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology
University of the Philippines Los Baños

4. Three plates are joined by 10-

mm and 12-mm diameter pins as
shown. Two-fifths of the external
load P is transmitted to the 10-mm
diameter pin, while the rest, to the
12-mm diameter pin. If the
allowable tensile stress in the
plates is 150 MPa, the allowable
shear stress in the pin is 100 MPa,
and the allowable bearing stress
between the pins and plates is 200
MPa, determine the maximum
allowable value of P.

5. The following truss is pin supported at J and E. The cross-sectional dimension of all members is 100
x 50 mm2 and the diameter of all pins is 20 mm. If d = 2 m, solve the maximum permissible value of P if
the allowable compressive stress is 500 MPa and the allowable tensile stress is 350 MPa for all members.
 DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE
College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology
University of the Philippines Los Baños

6. The frame shown supports the two

concentrated loads P and 2P and the
uniformly distributed load P. Pins A and C
have a diameter of 1 in while pins B and D
have a diameter of 0.5 in. Determine the
maximum value of P if the ultimate
shearing stress in the pins is 75 ksi, the
ultimate bearing stress between the pins
and the members/supports is 100 ksi, and
the ultimate normal stress in member BD is
120 ksi. All members have a cross
sectional area of 4 x 2 in2 while supports
are 1.5 in thick. Use a factor of safety of 3.

7. The can crusher consists of two links AB (20mm

x 5 mm) and two links AOD, with one pair of the
linkages on each side of the stationary portion as
shown. All pins are 10 mm in diameter. Pin B is on
the vertical centerline of the can. Note that the small
square projections E of the moving jaw move in the
recessed slots of the fixed frame. Determine the
maximum force P that can be applied at the handle
at D if the ultimate normal stress in AB is 90 MPa
and the ultimate shearing stress in all pins is 60
MPa. An overall factor of safety of 2.5 is desired.

8. The frame supports the cage housing 3 ducklings, with combined weight of 1000 N. All pins have 10
mm diameters and all members have 30mm x 12 mm cross-sectional dimension. (Note that there are two
links BD). Solve the following:

a. Maximum normal stress on link BD?

b. Maximum normal stress on pin D?
c. Maximum bearing stress on member ABC?
 DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE
College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology
University of the Philippines Los Baños

9. A thin-walled cylindrical pressure vessel with a circular cross-section is subjected to internal gas
pressure of 1000 psi and simultaneously elongated by an axial load of 5 kips. The cylinder has an inner
radius of 2.1 in. and a wall thickness of 0.15 in and singly riveted at the girth using thirty 0.25 in. diameter
rivets. Determine the shearing stress developed in each rivet, and the bearing stress between the plate
and the rivets. Moreover, determine the normal stress developed along the joint.

5 kip

5 kip

10. The gas storage tank is fabricated in the following manner: a 10-mm thick plate is rolled to form a
cylindrical shell which is bolted on one side, then its ends are sealed by bolting two hemispherical shells.
The resulting inner diameter of the tank is 4 m. All bolts have a diameter of 15 mm. If the internal pressure
in the tank is 1 MPa, determine the following:
a. the number of bolts needed in each hemispherical shell if the normal stress in the bolts should
not exceed 250 MPa
b. the minimum required thickness of the hemispherical shells if the normal stress in the shell should
not exceed 125 MPa
c. the circumferential stress in the cylindrical shell
d. the minimum required spacing of the bolts in the cylindrical shell if the normal stress in the bolts
should not exceed 250 MPa
 DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE
College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology
University of the Philippines Los Baños

11. A boiler is constructed of 0.4-in steel plates that are fastened together at their ends using a 0.4-in
cover plate and rivets having a diameter of 0.3 in spaced 2 inches apart as shown. If the steam pressure
in the boiler is 75 ksi, determine (a) the circumferential stress in the boiler’s plate apart from the seam,
(b) the circumferential stress in the cover plate along the line a-a, and (c) the shear stress in the rivets.

12. The thin-walled pressure vessel as shown is being transported by hanging it

from a high-tension steel cable. The pressure vessel is manufactured by rolling a
¾-in steel plate into a cylinder with 2.5 ft outside diameter and 6 ft height then
sealing it by two rigid steel caps with diameter of 2.5 ft and thickness 3 in. When the
pressure in the vessel is 500 psi, determine the maximum longitudinal and
circumferential stresses in the vessel. Steel has a density 500 lb/ft 3. Neglect the
weight of the gas.