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A good understanding of theories of failure are imperative in the design of civil structures or
types of mechanical equipment.
The Weight Lifter Analogy
Consider a weight lifter problem.
A weight lifter analogy
In the first case he is able to lift maximum up to 50 kg in a relatively simple fashion. Now
consider a second case, here he is lifting the same amount of weight in a different manner. Is
it true to say here also his maximum lifting ability is 50 kg?. Answer to this question could
be Yes or No. If you assume that, his lifting ability is same in the second case also, then
this can be considered as a failure theory for a weight lifter.
The Backbone of Failure Theories
In materials also we can apply the same concept of weight lifter failure theory. Here material
will undergo a simple force test (simple tension test), so one can determine what's the
maximum load capability the material has. Now, we will assume that in a complex loading
condition also, the material has the same capability. This assumption forms the backbone of
Failure theories. Concepts of Simple tension test and Principal stresses are the main
prerequisites to understand the Failure theories effectively.
Simple Tension Test
In Simple tension test material is pulled from both the ends, the elongation of material
(strain) with respect to the load is noted. From such an observation one can easily determine
maximum strength of the material. For ductile material upper yield point is considered to be
maximum strength of material, while for brittle material it is taken as ultimate strength of the
material. From the maximum strength value of the material, values of various other
parameters can easily be calculated. Simple tension graph and upper yield point value for a
ductile material case is shown in the figure below.
Simple tension test
Principal Stress
Principal stress is the maximum normal stress occurring at a given point. In order to find out
this value easy way is to do a Mohr circle analysis. Once you know Principal stress values
you can go ahead with failure theories. Figure below shows principal stress values induced at
point in a 3 dimensional complex loading case.
Principal stresses and planes
Von Mises stress is widely used by designers to check whether their design will withstand a
given load condition. Now we will understand Von Mises stress in a logical way.
Use of Von Mises stress
Von Mises stress is considered to be a safe haven for design engineers. Using this
information an engineer can say his design will fail, if the maximum value of Von Mises
stress induced in the material is more than strength of the material. It works well for most
cases, especially when the material is ductile in nature.
When does a material fail?
One of the easiest ways to check when a material fails is a simple tension test. Here the
material is pulled from both ends. When the material reaches the yield point (for ductile
material) the material can be considered as failed. The simple tension test is a unidirectional
test, this is shown in the first part of Fig.
The left hand side of the above equation is denoted as Von Mises stress.
So as a failure criterion, the engineer can check whether Von Mises stress induced in the
material exceeds yield strength (for ductile material) of the material.So the failure condition
can be simplified as
Industrial Application of Von Mises Stress
Distortion energy theory is the most preferred failure theory used in industry. It is clear from
above discussions that whenever an engineer resorts to distortion energy theory he can use
Von Mises stress as a failure criterion.Let's see one example:
Suppose an engineer has to design a cantilever beam using mild steel as the material, with a
load capacity of 10000 N. The materials properties of mild steel are also shown in the figure.
The yield stress value of mild steel is 2.5x108 Pa. He wants to check whether his design will
withstand the design load.
A design problem, the cantilever should be able to withstand design load
The following figure shows the Von Mises stress distribution obtained by FEA analysis of
the beam.
Fig. Distribution of Von Mises stress in the beam obtained from FEA analysis
One can note that Von Mises stress is at maximum towards the fixed end of the beam, and
the value is 1.32x108 Pa. This is less than the yield point value of mild steel. So the design is
safe. In short an engineer's duty is to keep the maximum value of Von Mises stress induced
in the material less than its strength.