CE-324 Lecture 1

Mohr circle and Pole method for calculating

stresses

1
 Normal and shear stresses on a plane 2

sz sn
tnsinq tn q sncosq
tzx
D C q
F sx tncosq snsinq

sn tn F
E q txz
A B sx

q txz
E tzx B

EB  EF cosq sz
FB  EF sin q
 Normal and shear stresses on a plane 3

sn tn F
tnsinq tn sn sncosq
q sx
q
q txz
tncosq snsinq E tzx B
Assume
Summing force components in horizontal dir. sz element
thickness is t
 t zx .EB.t  s x .FB.t  s n sin q .EF.t  t n cos q .EF.t  0
 t zx .EF cosq  s x .EF sin q  s n sin q .EF  t n cos q .EF  0
s n sin q  t n cosq  t zx cosq  s x sin q Eq. 1

Summing force components in vertical dir. and simplifying

s n cosq  t n sin q  s z cosq  t xz sin q Eq. 2

 Normal and shear stresses on a plane 4

Eliminating tn from Eq. 1 and 2. Multiply Eq. 1 with sinq and Eq.
2 with cosq and add
s n sin 2 q  t n cos q sin q  t zx cos q sin q  s x sin 2 q
s n cos 2 q  t n cos q sin q  s z cos 2 q  t xz cos q sin q
s n cos 2 q  sin 2 q   s z cos 2 q  s x sin 2 q  2t xz cos q sin q
s n  s z cos 2 q  s x sin 2 q  t xz sin 2q
1  cos 2q and sin 2 q  1  cos 2q
since cos q 
2

2 2
1  cos 2q 1  cos 2q
sn sz s x  t xz sin 2q
2 2
s z s x s z s x
sn   cos 2q  t xz sin 2q
2 2
 Normal and shear stresses on a plane 5

Eliminating σn from Eqs. 1 and 2. Multiply Eq. 1 with cosq and

Eq. 2 with sinq and subtract
s n cos q sin q  t n cos 2 q  t zx cos 2 q  s x cos q sin q
 s n cos q sin q  t n sin 2 q  s z cos q sin q  t xz sin 2 q

  
 t n cos 2 q  sin 2 q  s x  s z  cos q sin q  t zx cos 2 q  sin 2 q 
sin 2q
 t n  s x  s z   t zx cos 2q
2

 s z s x 
tn    sin 2q  t zx cos 2q
 2 
 Normal and shear stresses on a plane 6

Stresses on a plane oriented at angle q to horizontal plane

s z s x s z s x
sq   cos 2q  t zx sin 2q
2 2
s z s x
tq  sin 2q  t zx cos 2q
2
Stresses on a plane oriented at angle q to major principal stress
plane s  s 3 s1  s 3
sq  1  cos 2q
2 2
s s3 sz
tq  1 sin 2q
2
sq tzx
tq
sx
q
q txz
 Normal and shear stresses on a plane 7

s1  s 3 s1  s 3 s1  s 3 s1  s 3
sq   cos 2q sq   cos 2q
2 2 2 2
s1  s 3   s1  s 3 
2 2

Taking square s q     cos 2q (i)
2

 2   2 
s1  s 3
t q 2   s 1  s 3 
2
tq  sin 2q Taking square sin 2 2q (ii)
2  2 
Adding equations (i) and (ii)

s1  s 3   s1  s 3 
2 2

s q    t q  0   
2

 2   2 
The above is equation for a circle with a radius of (s1 – s3)/2 and its
center at [(s1 + s3)/2 , 0]. When this circle is plotted in ts space, it
is known as the Mohr circle of stress.
 Normal and shear stresses on a plane 8

s1  s 3 s1  s 3 s1  s 3
sq   cos 2q tq  sin 2q
2 2 2
sz

If we square and add these sq tzx

tq
equations, we will obtain the sx
equation for a circle with a radius q
of (s1 – s3)/2 and its center at q txz
[(s1 + s3)/2 , 0].

When this circle is plotted in ts

space, it is known as the Mohr
circle of stress.
 Mohr’s circle for stress states 9

B (sx,txz) sz
tzx
txz sx
O D (s3,0) C E (s1,0)
2y txz
txz A (sz,txz)
B (sx,-tzx)

(sx+sz)/2 A (sz,-tzx) Assumption

(sz  sx)/2 • s z > sx
• counterclock
s x s z   s z s x  wise shear is
2

OC    R  AC     t xz
2
+ive
 2   2 
 Mohr’s circle – principal stresses 10

B (sx,tzx) sz
tzx
txz sx
O D (s3,0) C E (s1,0) y
2y txz
txz  2t zx 
tan 2y    
 s z s x 
(sx+sz)/2 A (sz,-txz)
(sz  sx)/2
s z s x   s z s x 
2

s 1  OE  OC  CE        t zx
2

 2   2 
Principal stresses
s z s x   s z s x 
2

s 3  OE  OC  DC       t zx
2

 2   2 
 Mohr’s circle – Pole 11

B (sx,tzx) sz
tzx
sx
O D (s3,0) C E (s1,0) y
2y txz

 2t zx 
tan 2q    
Pole, P A (sz,-txz)  s z s x 

The stress sz acts on horizontal plane & the stress sx acts on the
vertical plane.
If we draw these planes in Mohr’s circle, they intersect at a point, P.
Point P is called the pole of the stress circle.
 Mohr’s circle – Pole 12

B (sx,tzx) sz
tzx
sx
O D (s3,0) C E (s1,0) y
2y txz

y
Pole, P A (sz,-txz)

It is a special point because any line passing through the pole will
intersect Mohr’s circle at a point that represents the stress on a
plane parallel to the line.
 Example 1 13

Stresses on an element are shown in the Figure below. Find the

normal stress s and the shear stress t on the plane inclined at
a = 35o from the horizontal reference plane.
14
 Example 2 15

The same element as shown in previous example is rotated 20o

from the horizontal, as shown below. Find the normal stress s and
the shear stress t on the plane inclined at a = 35o from the base of
the element.
16