Steady Load Failure

Theories
Lecture 5

Engineering 473
Machine Design
 Steady Load Failure Theories

Ductile • Maximum-Normal-Stress Brittle

Materials • Maximum-Normal-Strain Materials
• Maximum-Shear-Stress
• Distortion-Energy
• Shear-Energy
Uniaxial • Von Mises-Hencky Multiaxial
Stress/Strain • Octahedral-Shear-Stress Stress/Strain
Field • Internal-Friction Field
• Fracture Mechanics

Many theories have been put forth – some agree

reasonably well with test data, some do not.
The Maximum-Normal-Stress Theory

Postulate: Failure occurs when one of the three

principal stresses equals the strength.

σ1, σ 2, and σ 3 are

σ1 > σ 2 > σ 3
principal stresses

Failure occurs when either

σ1 = St Tension St ≡ Strength in Tension
Sc ≡ Strength in Compression
σ 3 = −Sc Compression
Maximum-Normal-Stress Failure
Surface
(Biaxial Condition)

locus of failure states

σ2
St
According to the
Maximum-Normal-Stress
σ1
Theory, as long as stress
- Sc St state falls within the box,
the material will not fail.

- Sc
 Maximum-Normal-Stress Failure
Surface
(Three-dimensional Case)

σ2

~ St According to the
Maximum-Normal-Stress
σ1 Theory, as long as stress
state falls within the box,
~
~ the material will not fail.

σ3
- Sc
 The Maximum-Normal-Strain
Theory
(Saint-Venant’s Theory)

Postulate: Yielding occurs when the largest of the

three principal strains becomes equal to the
strain corresponding to the yield strength.

Eε1 = σ1 − ν(σ 2 + σ 3 ) = ±S y
E ≡ Young' s Modulus
Eε 2 = σ 2 − ν(σ1 + σ 3 ) = ±S y
ν ≡ Poisson' s Ratio
Eε 3 = σ 3 − ν (σ1 + σ 2 ) = ±S y
Maximum-Normal-Strain Theory
(Biaxial Condition)

locus of failure states

σ2
σ1 − νσ 2 = ±S y
Sy
σ 2 − νσ1 = ±S y
- Sy Sy σ
1

As long as the stress

state falls within the
polygon, the material
- Sy will not yield.
 Maximum-Shear-Stress Theory
(Tresca Criterion)
Postulate: Yielding begins whenever the maximum shear
stress in a part becomes equal to the maximum
shear stress in a tension test specimen that
begins to yield.

τ σ1 > σ 2 > σ 3 τ
τ1/3 = τ max τy
τ1/2
τ 2/3 σ1 = S y
σ3 σ2 σ1 σ σ 2 , σ3 σ

Stress State in Part Tensile Test Specimen

 Maximum-Shear-Stress Theory
(Continued)
Tensile Test Specimen

τ
τ max = Ss
Ss = 0.5Sy
σ1 = S y

The shear yield strength σ 2 , σ3 σ

is equal to one-half of the
tension yield strength.
 Maximum-Shear-Stress Theory
(Continued)

Stress State in Part

τ
τ1/3 = τ max σ1 − σ 2
τ1/2 τ1/2 =
2
τ 2/3
σ 2 − σ3
σ3 σ2 σ1 σ
τ 2/3 =
2
σ1 − σ 3
τ1/3 = τ max =
2
σ1 > σ 2 > σ 3
 Maximum-Shear-Stress Theory
(Continued)

Sy From Mohr’s circle for a

Ss = tensile test specimen
2
σ1 − σ 3 From Mohr’s circle for a three-
τ1/3 = τ max = dimensional stress state.
2

Sy = σ1 − σ 3
 Maximum-Shear-Stress Theory
(Hydrostatic Effect)
Principal stresses will always σ1d − σ d2
have a hydrostatic component τ1/2 =
(equal pressure) 2
σ1 = σ d1 + σ h σ d2 − σ3d
τ 2/3 =
2
σ 2 = σ d2 + σ h
σ1 − σ3
d d

σ 3 = σ d3 + σ h
σ h = 1 I1 = 1 (σ1 + σ 2 + σ 3 )
3 3
d => deviatoric component
h => hydrostatic
τ1/3 =
2
The maximum shear
stresses are independent of
the hydrostatic stress.
 Maximum-Shear-Stress Theory
(Hydrostatic Effect – Continued)

Hydrostatic Stress State

If σ1d = σ d2 = σ 3d
The Maximum-Shear-Stress
Then τ max = 0, and there Theory postulates that
yielding is independent of a
is no yielding regardless hydrostatic stress.
of the magintude of the
hydrostati c stress.
 Maximum-Shear-Stress Theory
(Biaxial Representation of the Yield Surface)

Yielding will occur if For biaxial case

any of the following (plane stress)
criteria are met. σ3 = 0

± S y = σ1 − σ 2 ± Sy = σ1 − σ 2
± Sy = σ 2 − σ 3 ± Sy = σ 2
± S y = σ1 − σ 3 ± Sy = σ1

In general, all three conditions must be checked.

 Maximum-Shear-Stress Theory
(Biaxial Representation of the Yield Surface)

σ2 locus of
For biaxial case failure states
(plane stress) Sy
σ3 = 0 II
I
- Sy
± Sy = σ1 − σ 2
Sy σ1
± Sy = σ 2 III
IV
± Sy = σ1 - Sy

Note that in the I and III quadrants the Maximum-Shear-

Stress Theory and Maximum-Normal-Stress Theory are
the same for the biaxial case.
 Maximum-Shear-Stress Theory
(Three-dimensional Representation of the Yield Surface)

failure surface

Hamrock, Fig. 6.9

 Assignment
Failure Theories, Read Section 5-9.

(a) Find the bending and transverse shear stress at points A

and B in the figure. (b) Find the maximum normal stress
and maximum shear stress at both points. (c) For a yield
point of 50,000 psi, find the factor of safety based on the
maximum normal stress theory and the maximum shear
stress theory.