MACHINE DESIGN: STATIC

FAILURE THEORIES
Dr. Himanshu Chaudhary
Associate Professor
Dept. of Mech. Eng.
MNIT Jaipur
Static failure theories
• Why do parts fail?
• You may say “Parts fail because their stresses exceed their
strength”
• Then what kind of stresses cause the failure: Tensile?
Compressive? Shear?
• Answer may be: It depends.
• It depends on the material and its relative strength in
compressive, tension, and shear.
• It also depends on the type loading (Static, Fatigue, Impact) and
• presence of the cracks in the material
Static failure theories
• The failure may be elastic or fracture
• Elastic failure results in excessive
deformation, which makes the machine
component unfit to perform its function
satisfactorily
• Fracture results in breaking the component
into two parts
Static failure theories
• Question: How do one compare stresses
induced to the material properties?
– Generally machine parts are subjected to combined
loading and to find material properties under real
loading condition is practically not economical
– Thus, material properties are obtained from simple
tension/torsion test
– These data like Syt, Sut etc are available in form of
table (Design Data Book)
 Static failure theories
• Theories of failure provide a relationship between the
strength of machine component subjected to complex state
of stress with the material properties obtained from simple
test (Tensile)

Strength of machine Strength of

component subjected standard component
to complex state of subjected to
stress uniaxial state of
stress
Static failure theories
• Loads are assumed to not vary over time
• Failure theories that apply to:
– Ductile materials
– Brittle materials
• Why do we need different theories ??

Stress-strain curve of a ductile material Stress-strain curve of a brittle material

 Static failure theories: Tension test

Failure along
principal shear stress
plane

Cast iron has C

between 2.1% to 4%
Failure along and Si between 1%
principal normal and 3% C contents
stress plane less than 2.1% are
steels.

Why nearly 0o ??
Static failure theories:
Compression test

Does not
“fail”
Shear failure

Why doesn’t it fail ?? Why does it fail ??

Why nearly 45o ??
Failure along principal shear stress plane Failure along principal normal stress plane
Static failure theories
• In general, ductile, isotropic materials are limited by their
shear strengths.
• Brittle materials are limited by their tensile strengths.
• If cracks are present in a ductile material, it can suddenly
fracture at nominal stress levels well below its yield
strength, even under static loads.
• Static loads are slowly applied and remain constant with
time.
• Dynamic loads are suddenly applied (impact), or
repeatedly varied with time (fatigue), or both.
Static failure theories
• In dynamic loading, the distinction between
failure mechanisms of ductile and brittle
materials blurs.
• Ductile materials often fail like brittle
materials in dynamic loading.
Static failure theories
Accepted failure theories that apply to ductile materials:
• Total strain energy theory
• Distortion energy theory
• Pure shear-stress theory
• Maximum shear-stress theory
• Maximum normal stress theory (limited application)

Accepted failure theories that apply to brittle materials:

• Maximum normal stress theory (even material)

• Maximum normal stress theory (uneven material)
• Coulomb-Mohr theory
• Modified Mohr theory
Maximum Normal Stress Theory

• Credited to the English scientist and educator

W. J. M. Rankine (1802–1872)
 Maximum Normal Stress Theory
• This predicts that failure of machine component, subjected to complex loading, occurs
if the maximum normal principal stress tends to exceeds the uniaxial tensile yield
(ductile) or the ultimate tensile strength (brittle) of the material
• Providing a square failure boundary with S y as the principal stress for ductile materials
• Note: not a safe theory for ductile materials

Exercise: Draw
failure envelop
for two
dimension
case?
 Maximum Normal Stress Theory

• Let 1, 2, 3 are the principal stresses at the

critical point in component due to applied
loading, and let 1> 2> 3
• Then failure occurs when
 
𝜎 1 ≥ 𝑆 𝑦𝑡 𝑜𝑟 𝜎 1 ≥ 𝑆 𝑢𝑡
If we want to include uncertainty of data available and loads
acting on the component, i.e., factor of safety, then to avoid
failure:
  𝑆 𝑦𝑡 𝑆𝑢𝑡
𝜎1= 𝑜𝑟 𝜎 1 =
𝐹𝑆 𝐹𝑆
Maximum Shear-Stress Theory

• The oldest failure theory, originally proposed

by the great French scientist C. A. Coulomb
(1736–1806)
• Tresca modified it in 1864, and J. J. Guest
• Validated by experiments around 1900
• For these reasons the maximum-shear-stress
theory is sometimes called the Tresca-Guest
theory
 Maximum Shear-Stress Theory
This theory states that a material subjected to any combination of loads will fail (by
yielding or fracturing) whenever the maximum shear stress exceeds the shear strength
(yield or ultimate) of the material. The shear strength, in turn, is usually assumed to be
determined from the standard uniaxial tension test.
Exercise: Draw
hexagonal
failure envelop
for two
dimesion case?
 Static failure theories
Ductile materials: maximum shear-stress theory

This theory states that failure occurs when:

𝑆 𝑦𝑠 =0.5 𝑆 𝑦
 
Mohr’s circle:
pure tension
(Failure occurs when maximum
shear stress
exceeds the shear stress at
yield in pure tension)

  𝑆𝑦𝑠
𝜏 𝑚𝑎𝑥 ≤ 𝑆 𝑦𝑠
  𝑆𝐹 =
𝜏 𝑚𝑎𝑥
Static failure theories
Ductile materials: maximum shear-stress theory
Providing a hexagonal failure envelope that is more conservative than
the distortion energy theory
Maximum Shear Stress Theory
Maximum Shear Stress Theory
 Static failure theories
Ductile materials
Total strain energy U:

  1
𝑈 = 𝜎𝜀
2
Elastic range
assuming stress strain
curve is linear upto
yield point

  1 1
𝑈 = 𝜎𝜀= (𝜎 1 𝜀 1 +𝜎 2 𝜀 2+ 𝜎 3 𝜀 3 )
2 2  
where

Principal stresses and

strains
 Static failure theories
Ductile materials: total strain energy
Using previous expressions, total energy is:
  1 1
𝑈 = 𝜎𝜀 = ¿
2 2 𝐸

which can be expressed as 𝑈

  =𝑈 h +𝑈 𝑑

Hydrostatic energy Deformation energy

  3 (1 −2 𝜐) ❑  
𝑈 h= 𝜎h 2
2 𝐸
  = 𝜎 1 +𝜎 2 +𝜎 3
𝜎 h
3 Obtained by setting:
Obtained by setting:
𝑈
  𝑑 =𝑈 − 𝑈 h
𝑈
  h =𝑈 (𝜎 1=𝜎 2=𝜎 3=𝜎 h )
Static failure theories
Ductile materials: distortion energy theory
  1 +𝜐
𝑈 𝑑 = ¿
3 𝐸

If uniaxial yield stress state (failure state):

 

Therefore:   1+𝜐 2 Using uniaxial yield

𝑈𝑑= 𝑆 𝑦❑
3𝐸 stress state (failure
state)
Static failure theories
Ductile materials: distortion energy theory

For any other state of stresses:

  1+𝜐 2 2 2
𝑈𝑑= [𝜎 1❑ +𝜎 2❑ +𝜎 3❑ − ( 𝜎 1 𝜎 2 +𝜎 2 𝜎 3 +𝜎 3 𝜎 1 ) ]
3𝐸

Failure criterion is obtained by setting:

  1 +𝜐
¿
3 𝐸

Distortion energy: Distortion energy:

any other state of uniaxial stress at
stresses yield

𝜎  12❑+𝜎 22❑ +𝜎 32❑ −𝜎 1 𝜎 2 − 𝜎 2 𝜎 3 −𝜎 3 𝜎 1 ≤ 𝑆 𝑦2❑

 Static failure theories
Ductile materials: distortion energy theory

𝑆  𝑦2❑ =𝜎 12❑ +𝜎 22❑ +𝜎 3❑2 − 𝜎 1 𝜎 2 − 𝜎 2 𝜎 3 −𝜎 3 𝜎 1

For a 2D stress where 𝜎2= 0, 𝑆  𝑦2❑ =𝜎 12❑+𝜎 32❑ − 𝜎 1 𝜎 3

• The 2D distortion
energy equation is
described in an ellipse
• The interior of the
ellipse show the biaxial
safe stress sage against
yielding under static
loads
 Static failure theories
Ductile materials: distortion energy theory

𝑆  𝑦2❑ =𝜎 12❑ +𝜎 22❑ +𝜎 3❑2 − 𝜎 1 𝜎 2 − 𝜎 2 𝜎 3 −𝜎 3 𝜎 1

•The 3D distortion
energy equation is
described in cylinder
inclined to principal
stress axes
•The interior of the
cylinder show the
region safe against
yielding for combined
stresses 1, 2, & 3
stress sage under
static loads
 Static failure theories
Ductile materials: distortion energy theory

𝑆  𝑦2❑ =𝜎 12❑ +𝜎 22❑ +𝜎 3❑2 − 𝜎 1 𝜎 2 − 𝜎 2 𝜎 3 −𝜎 3 𝜎 1

Intersection of
the cylinder
with each of
the principal
planes are
ellipses similar
to the 2D
stresses
Static failure theories
Ductile materials: distortion energy theory
Von Mises effective stress
  𝑦2 =[𝜎 12 +𝜎 22 + 𝜎 3 2 − 𝜎 𝜎 −𝜎 𝜎 − 𝜎 𝜎 ] ≡ ( 𝜎 ′ ) 2
𝑆 ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ 1 2 2 3 3 1

Definition:
′ 2 2 2
 
𝜎 √
= [ 𝜎 1❑ +𝜎 2❑ +𝜎 3❑ −𝜎 1 𝜎 2 − 𝜎 2 𝜎 3 −𝜎 3 𝜎 1] (Yield surface)

von Mises effective stress

von Mises effective stress: uniaxial stress that would create the
same distortion energy as is created by actual combination of
applied stresses
 Distortion Energy Theory (DET)
• The failure theory based on distortion
energy is also known as von Mises-Hencky
Yield strength of
′
𝜎 ≤𝑆𝑦
 
the material

  𝑆𝑦
𝑆𝐹 = ′
𝜎
von Mises
effective
stress
 Static failure theories
Ductile materials: distortion energy theory

Example: pure shear load

as in case of torsional failure Mohr’s circle:
𝜎1= max : 𝜎3 =- max and 𝜎2 = 0 pure shear

Using:
2 2 2 2
𝑆 𝑦 =𝜎1 +𝜎2 +𝜎3 −𝜎 𝜎 −𝜎 𝜎 −𝜎 𝜎
 

❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ 1 2 2 3 3 1
 𝑆 𝑦2
❑ =3 𝜏 2𝑚𝑎𝑥
  1
𝑆 𝑦𝑠 ≡ 𝜏 𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝑆 𝑦 = 0.577 𝑆 𝑦
√3
 Maximum stress before failure, in this case, is:
Static failure theories: experimental verifications
Ductile & brittle materials
Applicable examples
• A circular rod is subjected to combined loading
consisting of a tensile load P = 10 kN and a
torque T = 5 kN-m. Rod is 50 mm in diameter.
– 1) Draw stress element (cube) at the most highly stressed
location on the rod, and
– 2) draw corresponding Mohr’s circle(s).
Example: Failure of ductile material under
static loading
Problem: Determine the safety factors for the bracket rod based on the both
the distortion-energy theory and the maximum shear theory and compare
Given: Yield strengthSy=324 MPa Rod length L=150 mm
Arm length a=200 mm Rod diameter d=38 mm
Load F=4450 N
• Limiting to bending of cantilever and in
torsion
• The shear and moment diagrams will be
similar to a cantilever beam loaded at its end