Stress Concentration Factor

Stress Concentration (Reference: Roark’s Formulas for Stress and Strain by Warren C. Young
Richard G. Budynas Ali M. Sadegh)

When a large stress gradient occurs in a small, localized area of a structure, the high stress is
referred to as a stress concentration. Near changes in geometry of a loaded structure, the flow of
stress is interfered with, causing high stress gradients where the maximum stress and strain may
greatly exceed the average or nominal values based on simple calculations. Contact stresses also
exhibit, near the point of contact, high stress gradients, which subside quickly as one moves away
from the contact area. Thus, the two most common occurrences of stress concentrations are due
to (1) discontinuities in continuum and (2) contact forces.

Discontinuities in continuum include changes in geometry and material properties. This chapter is
devoted to geometric changes. Rapid geometry changes disrupt the smooth flow of stresses
through the structure between load application areas. Plates in tension or bending with holes,
notches, steps, etc., are simple examples involving direct normal stresses. Shafts in tension,
bending, and torsion, with holes, notches, steps, keyways, etc., are simple examples involving
direct and bending normal stresses and torsional shear stresses. More complicated geometries
must be analyzed either by experimental or numerical techniques such as the finite element
method. Other, less obvious, geometry changes include rough surface finishes and external and
internal cracks. Changes in material properties (modulus of elasticity) drastically changes the
stress distribution. Changes in material properties can occur both at macroscopic and microscopic
levels which include alloy formulation, grain size and orientation, foreign materials, etc.

Static Stress and Strain Concentration Factors

Consider the plate shown in Fig. 1, loaded in tension by a force per unit area, σ. Although not
drawn to scale, consider that the outer dimensions of the plate are infinite compared with the
diameter of the hole, 2a. It can be shown, from linear elasticity, that the tangential stress
throughout the plate is given by

The maximum stress is σθ = 3σ at r = a and θ = ±90°. Figure 2 shows how the tangential stress
varies along the x and y axes of the plate. For the top (and bottom) of the hole, we see the stress
gradient is extremely large compared with the nominal stress, and hence the term stress
concentration applies. Along the surface of the hole, the tangential stress is -σ at θ = 0° and 180°,
and increases, as θ increases, to 3σ at θ = 90° and 270°.
 Figure 1: Circular hole in a plate loaded in tension.

Figure 2: Tangential stress distribution for θ = 0° and 90°.

Figure 3: Stress distribution for a plate in tension containing a centrally located hole.
The static stress concentration factor in the elastic range, Kt , is defined as the ratio of the
maximum stress, σmax , to the nominal stress, σnom. That is,

For the infinite plate containing a hole and loaded in tension, σ nom = σ, σmax = 3σ, and thus Kt = 3
(for infinite plate)

The analysis of the plate in tension with a hole just given is for a very wide plate (infinite in the
limit). As the width of the plate decreases, the maximum stress becomes less than three times the
nominal stress at the zone containing the hole. Figure 3(a) shows a plate of thickness t = 0.125 in,
width D = 1.50 in, with a hole of diameter 2r = 0.50 in, and an applied uniform stress of σ0 = 320
psi.

A photoelastic† model is shown in Fig. 3(b). From a photoelastic analysis, the stresses at points a,
b, and c are found to be

The nominal stress in zone B–B is

..

If the stress was uniform from b to c, the stress would be 480 psi. However, the photoelastic
analysis shows the stress to be nonuniform, ranging from 280 psi at b to a maximum stress at c of
1130 psi. Thus, for this example, the stress concentration factor is found to be

The static stress concentration factor for a plate containing a centrally located hole in which the
plate is loaded in tension depends on the ratio 2r/D.

For example, 2r/D = 0.5/1.5 = 1/3. The equation for Kt (Table 1)

which is within 2% of the results from the photoelastic model.

Note: Convert psi to MPa, inch to mm for your convenience.