Skip to main content

Principal stresses, max shear: 80, 60, 20 MPa

Short answer

Principal stresses are 92.36 MPa and 47.64 MPa, acting on planes at 31.72° and 121.72° from x. Maximum shear stress is 22.36 MPa on planes with 70.00 MPa normal stress.

The state of stress in a two dimensional stress system is shown in figure. Determine the principal stresses and their direction, maximum shear and associated normal stress. [Figure: element with 60 MPa60\ \text{MPa} vertical stress on the top and bottom faces, 80 MPa80\ \text{MPa} horizontal stress on the left and right faces, and shear stress 20 MPa20\ \text{MPa}.]

Reading of the figure: σx=80\sigma_x = 80 MPa (horizontal, on left/right faces), σy=60\sigma_y = 60 MPa (vertical, on top/bottom faces), shear τxy=20\tau_{xy} = 20 MPa; all tensile.

Principal stresses

σ1,2=σx+σy2±(σx−σy2)2+τxy2=70.00±(10.00)2+(20.00)2=70.00±22.36\sigma_{1,2} = \frac{\sigma_x+\sigma_y}{2} \pm \sqrt{\left(\frac{\sigma_x-\sigma_y}{2}\right)^2+\tau_{xy}^2} = 70.00 \pm \sqrt{(10.00)^2+(20.00)^2} = 70.00 \pm 22.36

σ1=92.36 MPa\sigma_1 = 92.36\ \text{MPa} and σ2=47.64 MPa\sigma_2 = 47.64\ \text{MPa}.

Principal planes

tan⁡2θp=2τxyσx−σy=2(20.00)20.00⇒2θp=63.43∘\tan 2\theta_p = \frac{2\tau_{xy}}{\sigma_x-\sigma_y} = \frac{2(20.00)}{20.00} \Rightarrow 2\theta_p = 63.43^\circ

So θp=31.72∘\theta_p = 31.72^\circ (normal of the plane carrying σ1\sigma_1) and 121.72∘121.72^\circ (normal of the plane carrying σ2\sigma_2), both measured anticlockwise from the xx-axis. There is no shear stress on these planes.

Maximum shear stress

τmax=σ1−σ22=(σx−σy2)2+τxy2=22.36 MPa\tau_{max} = \frac{\sigma_1-\sigma_2}{2} = \sqrt{\left(\frac{\sigma_x-\sigma_y}{2}\right)^2+\tau_{xy}^2} = 22.36\ \text{MPa}

It acts on planes at 45∘45^\circ to the principal planes, i.e. at θs=76.72∘\theta_s = 76.72^\circ and 166.72∘166.72^\circ. The normal stress on these planes is σx+σy2=70.00 MPa\frac{\sigma_x+\sigma_y}{2} = 70.00\ \text{MPa}.

Answer: σ1=92.36\sigma_1 = 92.36, σ2=47.64\sigma_2 = 47.64 at θp=31.72∘\theta_p = 31.72^\circ and 121.72∘121.72^\circ; τmax=22.36\tau_{max} = 22.36 with normal stress 70.0070.00 (MPa).

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

All Strength of Materials chapter 4 questions →