Mapua Institute of Technology

School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

ME136P-2 / OL52
Engineering Materials, Process, and Testing

DIRECT SHEAR TEST ON MILD STEEL ROD

Experiment # 7

Leslie Veronica D. Catindig October 14, 2020

November 4, 2020

Engr. Jonathan S. Dondon

Professor
Objective

To determine experimentally, the ultimate shear strength in double shear of mild steel rod.
Theory

In direct shear test, the shearing stress is considered as uniformly distributed over the entire cross section. The shear
force is applied by a suitable test rig, two different cases of shearing may arise; i.e., single shear and double shear. In
single shear shearing occurs across a single surface and in double shear shearing occurs across two surfaces. Knowledge of
shear failure is important while designing any structures or machine components. Shear force causes the surface to go out
of the alignment with each other and thus the material fails.

The shearing force P in each section is P = F/2, it can be concluded that the average shearing stress is the maximum
load divided by the combined cross-sectional area of the two planes This shall be calculated from the following formula:

Shear strength of the specimen is determined by inserting a cylindrical specimen through round holes in three
hardened steel blocks, the center of which shall be pulled (or pushed) between the other two so as to shear the specimen on
two planes. In this test a suitable length of cylindrical specimen is subjected to double shear loading using a suitable test
rig in a testing machine under a compressive load or tensile pull and recording the maximum load P to fracture. The speed
of testing or the rate of separation of the cross-heads, at any moment during the test, shall not be greater than 10 mm/min.

Shear stress is produced in a body when it is subjected to two equal and opposite forces spaced at an infinite decimal
distance or tangentially across the resisting section.
 Generally, it is difficult to produce conditions of pure shear as some bending effect is likely to occur due to shearing
load resulting in equal and opposite forces at a small finite distance.
Procedure
1. Click on the direct shear test on mild steel rod file, a window will open as shown below.
2. Click on the next button to continue the experiment
3. Now the diameter of the mild steel rod is determined using a vernier scale, and then click on NEXT button.
 4. Here the shear attachment is placed in UTM, and after that move to the next step by clicking on NEXT
button.
5. Now the machine is switched on and the load is applied gradually.
 6. After failure of the specimen failure load is determined and the machine is switched off by clicking on the
red button and then click on the NEXT button to check the results.
7. The results for the first trial are obtained as following.
8. Same steps are repeated for further trials.
Engineering Materials, Processes, and Testing

Experiment No.: 7

DIRECT SHEAR TEST ON MILD STEEL ROD

Preliminary Data Sheet
Name: Leslie Veronica D. Catindig Date: October 19, 2020
Section: OL52 Group No.: 1
Specimen Label: Mild Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Specimen Label: Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
Steel
Diameter D, mm 5.94 mm 5.935 mm 5.91 mm
Failure Load P, kg 1400 kg 1350 kg 1300 kg
Area of Cross-section 27.7 mm2 27.65 mm2 27.42 mm2
A, mm2
Double Shear 247.91 239.48 232.55
Strength, N/mm2 N/mm2 N/mm2 N/mm2
Average Double 239.98 N/mm2
Shear Strength,
N/mm2

Grade Grade
Assisted By: Approved By:

_____ _____
ME-UTM ENGINEER INSTRUCTOR
Sample Computation:
Trial 1: Double Shear Strength, N/mm2
= (P*9.81)/2A = (1400*9.81)/2(27.7) = 247.91 N/mm2
Trial 2 : Double Shear Strength, N/mm2
= (P*9.81)/2A = (1350*9.81)/2(27.65) = 239.48 N/mm2
Trial 2 : Double Shear Strength, N/mm2
= (P*9.81)/2A = (1300*9.81)/2(27.42) = 232.55 N/mm2
Questions:
1. Explain double shear and single shear?

- Shear Strength is defined as the maximum load typically applied normal to a fastener's

axis that can be supported prior to fracture. Single shear is load applied in one plane
that would result in the fastener being cut into two pieces, while double shear would
result in three fastener pieces.

2. What is the speed to be maintained while testing the specimen?

- The speed to be maintained while testing or the rate of separation of the crossheads
should not be greater than 10 mm/min.

3. Define double shear strength of the specimen?

- Double shear strength is used to determine the shear strength of a mild steel sample,
since the sample will be in contact with the loads applied on the two sides. To determine the
double shear strength, use the formula Pg/2A where P is the load applied in kg, g is the
gravitational acceleration m/s2, and A is the cross-sectional area of the specimen in mm2.
4. According to the standard what is the maximum diameter of the bar that can be used in test?

- Specimen shall normally be of full cross section for cylindrical metallic products up to
and including 25 mm in diameter, in the case of cylindrical products over 25 mm in diameter
the samples may be turned down to a specimen of 25 mm diameter for testing. According to
the Indian standard minimum length of the specimen should be twice the diameter, the
maximum length of the specimen is not specified as it has no effect on the test result.

5. What is the use of shear testing of the specimen?

- The most common use of a shear test is to determine the shear strength, which is the
maximum shear stress that the material can withstand before failure occurs, of a material. This
is a very important design characteristic of many types of fasteners such as bolts and screws.
For example, when a bolt is used to secure two plates together it will experience a shear forces
if the plates themselves experience any forces parallel to their plane that attempt to separate
them. If the small fastener fails in shear it may lead to a chain of failures that could lead to the
entire destruction of a much larger structure.
Discussion
For this experiment, the students were tasked to find the ultimate shear strength in
double shear of mild steel rod. Three trials were conducted for each three mild steel samples
with slightly different initial diameters. A universal testing machine was used to conduct this
test. Different loads were used to get the average double shear strength of the mild steel
material. The first sample for the first trial has a diameter of 5.94 mm and the failure load P is
1400 kg. The double shear strength determined from the test is 247.91 N/mm 2. For the second
trial, the sample specimen has a diameter of 5.935 mm and load of 1350 kg. The resulting
double shear strength was found to be 239.48 N/mm 2. Lastly, for the third trial, the sample
specimen has a diameter of 5.91 mm and the failure load is 1300 kg. The resulting double
shear strength was 232.55 N/mm2. Overall, average double shear strength was calculated to be
239.98 N/mm2.

Conclusion

The participants were successfully able to find the shear strength in double shear of the mild
steel rod specimen. The experiment also offered an overview into the shear force of the material for
the participants. The participants were also able to discern the differences between single and
double shears. Essentially, for single shears, the load is transferred to just one surface of the
specimen. The load was applied on the two surfaces of the specimen for the double shear. Due
mainly to these modifications, by using double shear, the shear strength of the material would be
reduced by a factor of 2. 

This newfound knowledge on double shear strength will become useful in the future for
engineers who will pursue a field in Materials testing or Mechanical Engineering Design. Knowing
the mechanical properties as well as how to determine the said properties of materials is useful when
choosing the most suitable material for an efficient engineering design, project, or operation.

Recommendation
Since the students are using heavy and expensive equipment like the universal testing
machine, it is recommended to always follow the rules provided by the university or the
person in charged. This will not only prevent accidents that might harm the equipment, but it
will also protect the students from injuries.
References
https://www.testresources.net/applications/test-types/shear-test/
https://sm-nitk.vlabs.ac.in/exp7/index.html
https://www.engineersedge.com/video/Engineering_Education/double_shear_calculations_14251.ht
m#:~:text=Shear%20Strength%20is%20defined%20as,result%20in%20three%20fastener%20pieces.
https://amesweb.info/StressStrainTransformations/Shear-Stress.aspx