Introduction to
Strength of Materials
Roneh Glenn D. Libre Jr., Ph.D., Msc.,
M.IABSE, M.ACI, M. RILEM
Engineering Mechanics - The study of forces that act on bodies
and the resultant motion that those bodies experience.
1. Statics
2. Dynamics P
3. Strength of Materials
A B
*Statics – assumes that the material (bar and cable) supporting the load is rigid. Hence, the
only concern here is the magnitude of the reaction (P) that shall maintain the system in
equilibrium.
*Strength of Materials – assumes that the supporting materials are deformable bodies.
Hence, the concern is on the maximum load that the whole assembly can carry without
allowing the supporting materials break or bend.
*Free Body Diagram – Sketch of the isolated body showing all the forces on it.
STRENGTH
• The strength of a material is its ability to withstand applied stress
without failure
• Two categories -> Yield Strength and Ultimate Strength
• Yield strength refers to the point on the engineering stress-strain curve
beyond which the material begins deformation that cannot be reversed
upon removal of the loading
• Ultimate strength refers to the point on the engineering stress-strain
curve corresponding to the maximum stress.
• A material's strength is dependent on its microstructure.
STRENGTH
• Yield Strength-> the stress level at which a material
begins to deform plastically
• Ultimate Strength -> It is the maxima of the stress-
strain curve. It is the point at which necking will start
• Fracture Strength-> The stress calculated immediately
before the fracture.
STRESS
• By setting up the equilibrium conditions, the inner forces of a member
subjected to an external load situation can be determined. So far
neither the material nor the type of cross section applied for the
member are being taken into account. But both material and type of
cross section obviously have an impact on the behavior of the member
subjected to load.
• To design the member therefore a closer look on how the internal
forces act along its cross section needs to be taken.
Simple Stresses
Stress - The measure of strength of a material per unit
area usually expressed in N/mm2 or MPa.
1. Normal Stress
2. Shear Stress
3. Bearing Stress
DIRECT OR NORMAL STRESS
• When a force is transmitted through a body, the body tends to change
its shape or deform. The body is said to be strained.
• Direct Stress = Applied Force (F)
Cross Sectional Area (A)
• Units: Usually N/m2 (Pa), N/mm2, MN/m2, GN/m2 or N/cm2
• Note: 1 N/mm2 = 1 MN/m2 = 1 MPa
DIRECT STRESS CONTD.
• Direct stress may be tensile, t or compressive, c and result
from forces acting perpendicular to the plane of the cross-
section
Tension
Compression
Normal Stress
AXIAL STRESS
Normal stress develops when a force is applied
perpendicular to the resisting area.
P
__
δ= A where P┴ A
TENSION
δ Normal stress
P Internal Axial Force
A Cross – Sectional Area
COMPRESSION
EXAMPLE no. 01
Which bar is stronger A or B?
Assume that the given loads are the maximum loads each can
carry.
BAR 1 BAR 2
A1=50 mm2 A2=20 mm2
1000 N 500 N
Bar 2 with max. Normal
answer : Stress of 25 N/mm2
EXAMPLE no. 02
A hollow steel tube with an inside diameter of 100 mm must
carry a tensile load of 400 kN. Determine the outside diameter of
the tube if the stress is limited to 120 MN/m2.
answer : D= 119.325 mm
EXAMPLE no. 03
A homogeneous 800 kg bar AB is supported at either end by a
cable as shown in Figure. Calculate the smallest area of each
cable if the stress is not to exceed 90 Mpa in bronze and 120
MPa in steel.
Abr = 43.6 mm2
answer : Asteel = 32.70 mm2
Other Samples:
The homogeneous bar shown in Fig. P-106 is supported by
a smooth pin at C and a cable that runs from A to B
around the smooth peg at D. Find the stress in the cable if
its diameter is 0.6 inch and the bar weighs 6000 lb.
Other Samples:
A rod is composed of an aluminum section rigidly
attached between steel and bronze sections, as shown in
Fig. P-107. Axial loads are applied at the positions
indicated. If P = 3000 lb and the cross sectional area of
the rod is 0.5 in2, determine the stress in each section.
Other Samples:
An aluminum rod is rigidly attached between a steel rod
and a bronze rod as shown in Fig. P-108. Axial loads are
applied at the positions indicated. Find the maximum
value of P that will not exceed a stress in steel of 140 MPa,
in aluminum of 90 MPa, or in bronze of 100 MPa.
Other Samples:
Determine the largest weight W that can be supported by
two wires shown in Fig. P-109. The stress in either wire is
not to exceed 30 ksi. The cross-sectional areas of wires AB
and AC are 0.4 sq.in. and 0.5 sq.in., respectively.
Other Samples:
Other Samples:
SHEARING STRESS
• Shear Stresses are produced by equal and
opposite parallel forces not in line. Area
• The forces tend to make one part of the
Resisting
Shear
material slide over the other part.
• Shear Stress is tangential to the area over Shear Force
which it acts.
• Shear Stress is a measure of the internal
resistance of a material to an externally Shear Force
applied shear load.
load W
shear stress =
area resisting shear A
P=30KN
P
b
30o
c
a) b)
c) d)
