Pilar Manzano, Natalia Pira, Building Construction Materials Group 201

Laura Toro

Objective
- Analyze the mechanical properties of a metal, in our case, a steel sample.
Parameters related to steel
- The ultimate compressive strength of mild steel is 4750 – 25200 kg/cm2
- It's ultimate tensile strength is 5510 – kg/cm2
Mechanical properties
- σ, working (tensile/compressive) stress
- τ, working (shear) stress
- σp, limit of proportional elasticity (proportionality limit)
- σy, yield strength (limit of elasticity or elastic limit)
- UTS, ultimate tensile strength
- UCS, ultimate compressive strength
- USS, ultimate shear strength
- σf, failure strength (breaking strength)
- E, modulus of elasticity (Young’s modulus)
- G, modulus of rigidity (shear modulus)
- K, bulk modulus of elasticity
- υ, Poisson’s ratio
- γ, safety factor
- Wf, flexural modulus
- Wt, torsional modulus
Description of steel
- Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon, which is one of the most important elements in
construction.

Findings obtained in the laboratory

Pressure Increment in
length (ΔL (10⁻²
mm)
1 0
1.4 3
1.6 4
1.8 4.5
2 5
2.4 5.5
2.8 6
3.4 8
4 10
5 11
5.6 13
6 14
6.4 15
6.8 15.5
7.4 16
8 17
8.4 20
9.2 21
10 24
10.2 27
10.6 38
Pilar Manzano, Natalia Pira, Building Construction Materials Group 201
Laura Toro

10.8 55
10.4 71
10 79
9.8 91
9.2 106
8.6 123

Procedure

1. From the pile of samples, choose either aluminum, brass or steel sample. We chose the
steel one.
2. Grab steel stick and place in Universal Testing Machine
a. Machine will be realizing a compression test
b. Begin by applying pressure to the sample
c. While one person applies pressure, the other person measures the pressure
applied, and a third person measures the change in length of the sample.
d. The machine will stop when the sample breaks.
3. Analyze the break of the sample.
a. Is it a ductile or brittle
b. Brittle will have unequal breaks, while ductile will have a concave and a convex
break.
c. Analyze if there is necking occurring

Equations for calculations

From pressure to force (KN)
16 kg/cm2 ≡7.5 kN
From KN to N
1 KN= 103N

Increment in length (mm)

From 10-2 mm to mm

Stress σ
Force/Area=Force/πR2

Strain ε
ε = Increment in length/Original length

Modulus of elasticity
Stress/strain

Final Table of Results

Force ΔL (10⁻² Modulus of

Pressure (kN) mm) Force (N) ΔL (mm) σ (MPa) Ε (%) Elasticity
σ/ ε (MPa)
1 0.46875 0 468.75 0 66.31459 0 -
Pilar Manzano, Natalia Pira, Building Construction Materials Group 201
Laura Toro

1.4 0.65625 3 656.25 0.03 92.84043 0.001579 5.88 x 10^4

1.6 0.75 4 750 0.04 106.1033 0.002105 5.04 x 10^4
1.8 0.84375 4.5 843.75 0.045 119.3663 0.002368 5.04 x 10^4
2 0.9375 5 937.5 0.05 132.6292 0.002632 5.04 x 10^4
2.4 1.125 5.5 1125 0.055 159.155 0.002895 5.50 x 10^4
2.8 1.3125 6 1312.5 0.06 185.6809 0.003158 5.88 x 10^4
3.4 1.59375 8 1593.75 0.08 225.4696 0.004211 5.35 x 10^4
4 1.875 10 1875 0.1 265.2584 0.005263 5.04 x 10^4
5 2.34375 11 2343.75 0.11 331.573 0.005789 5.73 x 10^4
5.6 2.625 13 2625 0.13 371.3617 0.006842 5.43 x 10^4
6 2.8125 14 2812.5 0.14 397.8876 0.007368 5.40 x 10^4
6.4 3 15 3000 0.15 424.4134 0.007895 5.38 x 10^4
6.8 3.1875 15.5 3187.5 0.155 450.9392 0.008158 5.53 x 10^4
7.4 3.46875 16 3468.75 0.16 490.728 0.008421 5.83 x 10^4
8 3.75 17 3750 0.17 530.5167 0.008947 5.93 x 10^4
8.4 3.9375 20 3937.5 0.2 557.0426 0.010526 5.29 x 10^4
9.2 4.3125 21 4312.5 0.21 610.0942 0.011053 5.52 x 10^4
10 4.6875 24 4687.5 0.24 663.1459 0.012632 5.25 x 10^4
10.2 4.78125 27 4781.25 0.27 676.4088 0.014211 4.76 x 10^4
10.6 4.96875 38 4968.75 0.38 702.9347 0.02 3.51 x 10^4
10.8 5.0625 55 5062.5 0.55 716.1976 0.028947 2.47 x 10^4
10.4 4.875 71 4875 0.71 689.6718 0.037368 1.85 x 10^4
10 4.6875 79 4687.5 0.79 663.1459 0.041579 1.59 x 10^4
9.8 4.59375 91 4593.75 0.91 649.883 0.047895 1.36 x 10^4
9.2 4.3125 106 4312.5 1.06 610.0942 0.055789 1.09 x 10^4
8.6 4.03125 123 4031.25 1.23 570.3055 0.064737 8.81 x 10^3
Pilar Manzano, Natalia Pira, Building Construction Materials Group 201
Laura Toro

Conclusions

As you apply pressure, the increment in length will go up (the material stretches), growing
almost exponentially in the elastic region. Once it enters the plastic region, the increment in
length will increase quite a bit without real changes in its tension. When it undergoes a maximum
plastic deformation it will decrease, until it fails and breaks.
The higher the pressure and increment in length, the higher the stress and strain.