MACHINE DESIGN - An Integrated Approach, 4th Ed.

Example 4-3-1

EXAMPLE 4-3
Determining 3-D Stresses Using Analytical Methods
Problem: A triaxial stress element as shown in Figure 4-1 has the stress components given below. Find
the principal stresses using a numerical method and draw the resulting Mohr's circles.
Units: All stresses are in units of ksi (10 3 psi).

Given: Normal stresses σx  40 σy  20 σz  10

Shear stress τxy  5 τyz  1.5 τzx  2.5
Solution: See Figures 4-2 and 4-7, and Mathcad file EX0403.
1. Calculate the tensor invariants C0, C1, and C2 from equation 4.4c.

C2  σx  σy  σz C2  10 (a)

 σx τxy   σx τzx   σy τyz 

C1          C1  1033.5 (b)
 τxy σy   τzx σz   τyz σz 

 σx τxy τzx 
 
C0   τxy σy τyz  C0  8247.5 (c)
τ τ σ 
 zx yz z 
2. Substitute the invariants into equation 4.4c and solve for its three roots using the Mathcad polyroots
function. Define a vector C that consists of the coefficients of the polynomial, taking C1 as positive,
starting with the constant term. Thus,

 C0 
   20.687 
C   C1 
r  polyroots ( C) r   9.838  (d)
 C2   
   40.525 
 1 
The principal stresses are contained in the vector r that is returned by the polyroots function. Setting the largest
to 1 and the smallest to 3, we have
σ1  r σ1  40.525
3
σ2  r σ2  9.838 (e)
2
σ3  r σ3  20.687
1
3. The principal shear stresses can now be found from equation 4.5.
σ1  σ3
τ13  τ13  30.606
2
σ1  σ2
τ12  τ12  25.181 (f)
2
σ2  σ3
τ23  τ23  5.424
2

Note that units were not used in this example because the polyroot function requires that the elements of the
coefficient vector (C is this case) all have the same units. In equation 4.4c the units of C2 are [stress], C1 are
[stress]2, C0 are [stress]3, and the coefficient of 3 is dimensionless.

EX0403.xmcd