Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Second Edition
Madhukar Vable
Michigan Technological University
M. Vable II
Mechanics of Materials:
DEDICATED TO MY FATHER
Professor Krishna Rao Vable
(1911--2000)
AND MY MOTHER
Saudamini Gautam Vable
(1921--2006)
Printed from: http://www.me.mtu.edu/~mavable/MoM2nd.htm
August, 2009
M. Vable III
Mechanics of Materials: Contents
CONTENTS
PREFACE XI
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS XII
A NOTE TO STUDENTS XIV
A NOTE TO THE INSTRUCTOR XVI
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M. Vable IV
Mechanics of Materials: Contents
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M. Vable V
Mechanics of Materials: Contents
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M. Vable VI
Mechanics of Materials: Contents
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M. Vable VII
Mechanics of Materials: Contents
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M. Vable VIII
Mechanics of Materials: Contents
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M. Vable IX
Mechanics of Materials: Contents
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M. Vable X
Mechanics of Materials: Contents
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M. Vable XI
Mechanics of Materials: Preface
PREFACE
Mechanics is the body of knowledge that deals with the relationships between forces and the motion of points through
space, including the material space. Material science is the body of knowledge that deals with the properties of materials,
including their mechanical properties. Mechanics is very deductivehaving defined some variables and given some basic
premises, one can logically deduce relationships between the variables. Material science is very empiricalhaving defined
some variables one establishes the relationships between the variables experimentally. Mechanics of materials synthesizes
the empirical relationships of materials into the logical framework of mechanics, to produce formulas for use in the design
of structures and other solid bodies.
There has been, and continues to be, a tremendous growth in mechanics, material science, and in new applications of
mechanics of materials. Techniques such as the finite-element method and Moir interferometry were research topics in
mechanics, but today these techniques are used routinely in engineering design and analysis. Wood and metal were the pre-
ferred materials in engineering design, but today machine components and structures may be made of plastics, ceramics, poly-
mer composites, and metal-matrix composites. Mechanics of materials was primarily used for structural analysis in aerospace,
civil, and mechanical engineering, but today mechanics of materials is used in electronic packaging, medical implants, the
explanation of geological movements, and the manufacturing of wood products to meet specific strength requirements.
Though the principles in mechanics of materials have not changed in the past hundred years, the presentation of these princi-
ples must evolve to provide the students with a foundation that will permit them to readily incorporate the growing body of
knowledge as an extension of the fundamental principles and not as something added on, and vaguely connected to what they
already know. This has been my primary motivation for writing this book.
Often one hears arguments that seem to suggest that intuitive development comes at the cost of mathematical logic and
rigor, or the generalization of a mathematical approach comes at the expense of intuitive understanding. Yet the icons in the
field of mechanics of materials, such as Cauchy, Euler, and Saint-Venant, were individuals who successfully gave physical
meaning to the mathematics they used. Accounting of shear stress in the bending of beams is a beautiful demonstration of
how the combination of intuition and experimental observations can point the way when self-consistent logic does not. Intui-
tive understanding is a mustnot only for creative engineering design but also for choosing the marching path of a mathemat-
ical development. By the same token, it is not the heuristic-based arguments of the older books, but the logical development of
arguments and ideas that provides students with the skills and principles necessary to organize the deluge of information in
modern engineering. Building a complementary connection between intuition, experimental observations, and mathematical
generalization is central to the design of this book.
Learning the course content is not an end in itself, but a part of an educational process. Some of the serendipitous devel-
opment of theories in mechanics of materials, the mistakes made and the controversies that arose from these mistakes, are all
part of the human drama that has many educational values, including learning from others mistakes, the struggle in under-
standing difficult concepts, and the fruits of perseverance. The connection of ideas and concepts discussed in a chapter to
advanced modern techniques also has educational value, including continuity and integration of subject material, a starting
reference point in a literature search, an alternative perspective, and an application of the subject material. Triumphs and trag-
edies in engineering that arose from proper or improper applications of mechanics of materials concepts have emotive impact
Printed from: http://www.me.mtu.edu/~mavable/MoM2nd.htm
that helps in learning and retention of concepts according to neuroscience and education research. Incorporating educational
values from history, advanced topics, and mechanics of materials in action or inaction, without distracting the student from the
central ideas and concepts is an important complementary objective of this book.
The achievement of these educational objectives is intricately tied to the degree to which the book satisfies the pedagogi-
cal needs of the students. The Note to Students describes some of the features that address their pedagogical needs. The Note
to the Instructor outlines the design and format of the book to meet the described objectives.
I welcome any comments, suggestions, concerns, or corrections you may have that will help me improve the book. My e-
mail address is mavable@mtu.edu.
August, 2009
M. Vable XII
Mechanics of Materials: Acknowledgments
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A book, online or on in print, is shaped by many ideas, events, and people who have influenced an author. The first edition
of this book was published by Oxford University Press. This second on-line edition was initially planned to be published
also on paper and several professionals of Oxford University Press helped in its development to whom I am indebted. I am
very grateful to Ms. Danielle Christensen who initiated this project, brought together lot of outstanding people, and contin-
ued to support and advise me even when it was no longer her responsibility. The tremendous effort of Mr. John Haber is
deeply appreciated who edited the entire book and oversaw reviews and checking of all the numerical examples. My thanks
to Ms. Lauren Mine for the preliminary research on the modules called MoM in Action used in this book and to Ms. Adri-
ana Hurtado for taking care of all the loose ends. I am also thankful to Mr. John Challice and Oxford University Press for
their permissions to use the rendered art from my first edition of the book and for the use of some of the material that over-
laps with my Intermediate Mechanics of Materials book (ISBN: 978-0-19-518855-4).
Thirty reviewers looked at my manuscript and checked the numerical examples. Thanks to the following and anonymous
reviewers whose constructive criticisms have significantly improved this book.
August, 2009
M. Vable XIII
Mechanics of Materials: Acknowledgments
The photographs on Wikimedia Commons is an invaluable resource in constructing this online version of the book. There
are variety of permissions that owners of photographs give for downloading, though there is no restriction for printing a copy
for personal use. Photographs can be obtained from the web addresses below.
Figure
Description Web Address
Number
1.1 S.S. Schenectady http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TankerSchenectady.jpg
1.36a Navier http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Claude-Louis_Navier.jpg
1.36b Augustin Cauchy http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Augustin_Louis_Cauchy.JPG
2.1a Belt Drives http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MG_0913_dreikrempelsatz.jpg
2.21a Challenger explosion http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Challenger_explosion.jpg
2.21b Shuttle Atlantis http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AtlantisLP39A_STS_125.jpg
3.51 Thomas Young http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Young_(scientist).jpg#filehistory
4.33a Kansas City Hyatt Regency walkway http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kansas_City_Hyatt_Regency_Walkways_Collapse_11.gif
5.42a Pierre Fauchard drill http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fauchard-drill.jpg
5.42b Tunnel boring machine http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Matilda_TBM.jpg
5.55 Charles-Augustin Coulomb http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coulomb.jpg
6.33a Golden Gate bridge http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GoldenGateBridge-001.jpg
6.33c Incas rope bridge. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Inca_bridge.jpg
6.128 Galileos beam experiment http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Discorsi_Festigkeitsdiskussion.jpg
6.73 Galileo Galilei. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Galileo_Galilei_3.jpg
7.1a Diving board. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diving.jpg
7.14a Cart leaf springs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Red_Brougham_Profile_view.jpg
7.14b Leaf spring in cars http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Leafs1.jpg
7.25a Empire State Building. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/EPS_in_NYC_2006.jpg
7.25b Taipei 101 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:31-January-2004-Taipei101-Complete.jpg
7.25c Joint construction. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_timer_structural_worker2.jpg
7.47 Daniel Bernoulli http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Daniel_Bernoulli_001.jpg
8.33a RMS Titanic http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RMS_Titanic_3.jpg
8.33b Titanic bow at bottom of ocean. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Titanic bow_seen_from_MIR_I_submersible.jpeg
8.33c Sliver Bridge. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Silver_Bridge_collapsed,_Ohio_side.jpg
10.42b Montreal bio-sphere. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Biosphere_montreal.JPG
11.20 World Trade Center Tower http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:National_Park_Service_9-
11_Statue_of_Liberty_and_WTC_fire.jpg
11.21 Leonard Euler. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leonhard_Euler_2.jpg
11.21 Joseph-Louis Lagrange. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joseph_Louis_Lagrange.jpg
Printed from: http://www.me.mtu.edu/~mavable/MoM2nd.htm
August, 2009
M. Vable XIV
Mechanics of Materials: A note to students
A NOTE TO STUDENTS
Some of the features that should help you meet the learning objectives of this book are summarized here briefly.
A course in statics is a prerequisite for this course. Appendix A reviews the concepts of statics from the perspective of
this course. If you had statics a few terms ago, then you may need to review your statics textbook before the brevity of
presentation in Appendix A serves you adequately. If you feel comfortable with your knowledge of statics, then you
can assess for yourself what you need to review by using the Statics Review Exams given in Appendix A.
All internal forces and moments are printed in bold italics. This is to emphasize that the internal forces and moments
must be determined by making an imaginary cut, drawing a free-body diagram, and using equilibrium equations or by
using methods that are derived from this approach.
Every chapter starts by listing the major learning objective(s) and a brief description of the motivation for studying the
chapter.
Every chapter ends with Points and Formulas to Remember, a one-page synopsis of non-optional topics. This brings
greater focus to the material that must be learned.
Every Example problem starts with a Plan and ends with Comments, both of which are specially set off to emphasize
the importance of these two features. Developing a plan before solving a problem is essential for the development of
analysis skills. Comments are observations deduced from the example, highlighting concepts discussed in the text pre-
ceding the example, or observations that suggest the direction of development of concepts in the text following the
example.
Quick Tests with solutions are designed to help you diagnose your understanding of the text material. To get the maxi-
mum benefit from these tests, take them only after you feel comfortable with your understanding of the text material.
After a major topic you will see a box called Consolidate Your Knowledge. It will suggest that you either write a
synopsis or derive a formula. Consolidate Your Knowledge is a learning device that is based on the observation that
it is easy to follow someone elses reasoning but significantly more difficult to develop ones own reasoning. By
deriving a formula with the book closed or by writing a synopsis of the text, you force yourself to think of details
you would not otherwise. When you know your material well, writing will be easy and will not take much time.
Every chapter has at least one module called MoM in Action, describing a triumph or a tragedy in engineering or
nature. These modules describe briefly the social impact and the phenomenological explanation of the triumph or trag-
edy using mechanics of materials concept.
Every chapter has a section called Concept Connector, where connections of the chapter material to historical develop-
ment and advanced topics are made. History shows that concepts are not an outcome of linear logical thinking, but
rather a struggle in the dark in which mistakes were often made but the perseverance of pioneers has left us with a rich
inheritance. Connection to advanced topics is an extrapolation of the concepts studied. Other reference material that
may be helpful in the future can be found in problems labeled Stretch yourself.
Every chapter ends with Chapter Connector, which serves as a connecting link to the topics in subsequent chapters. Of
Printed from: http://www.me.mtu.edu/~mavable/MoM2nd.htm
particular importance are chapter connector sections in Chapters 3 and 7, as these are the two links connecting together
three major parts of the book.
A glossary of all the important concepts is given in Appendix C.7 for easy reference.Chapters number are identified
and in the chapter the corresponding word is highlighted in bold.
At the end is a Formula Sheet for easy reference. Only equations of non-optional topics are listed. There are no expla-
nations of the variables or the equations in order to give your instructor the option of permitting the use of the formula
sheet in an exam.
August, 2009
M. Vable XV
Mechanics of Materials: A note to the instructor
graphs showing nondeformed and deformed grids due to axial, torsion, and bending loads. Seeing is believing is better than
accepting on faith that a drawn deformed geometry represents an actual situation. In this manner the complementary connec-
tion between intuition, observations, and mathematical generalization is achieved in the context of one-dimensional structural
elements.
Double subscripts1 are used with all stresses and strains. The use of double subscripts has three distinct benefits. (i) It pro-
vides students with a procedural way to compute the direction of a stress component which they calculate from a stress for-
mula. The procedure of using subscripts is explained in Section 1.3 and elaborated in Example 1.8. This procedural
determination of the direction of a stress component on a surface can help many students overcome any shortcomings in intu-
1
Many authors use double subscripts with shear stress but not for normal stress. Hence they do not adequately elaborate the use of these sub-
scripts when determining the direction of stress on a surface from the sign of the stress components.
August, 2009
M. Vable XVI
Mechanics of Materials: A note to the instructor
itive ability. (ii) Computer programs, such as the finite-element method or those that reduce full-field experimental data, pro-
duce stress and strain values in a specific coordinate system that must be properly interpreted, which is possible if students
know how to use subscripts in determining the direction of stress on a surface. (iii) It is consistent with what the student will
see in more advanced courses such as those on composites, where the material behavior can challenge many intuitive expecta-
tions.
But it must be emphasized that the use of subscripts is to complement not substitute an intuitive determination of stress
direction. Procedures for determining the direction of a stress component by inspection and by subscripts are briefly described
at the end of each theory section of structural elements. Examples such as 4.3 on axial members, 5.6 and 5.9 on torsional shear
stress, and 6.8 on bending normal stress emphasize both approaches. Similarly there are sets of problems in which the stress
direction must be determined by inspection as there are no numbers givenproblems such as 5.23 through 5.26 on the direc-
tion of torsional shear stress; 6.35 through 6.40 on the tensile and compressive nature of bending normal stress; and 8.1
through 8.9 on the direction of normal and shear stresses on an inclined plane. If subscripts are to be used successfully in
determining the direction of a stress component obtained from a formula, then the sign conventions for drawing internal
forces and moments on free-body diagrams must be followed. Hence there are examples (such as 6.6) and problems (such as
6.32 to 6.34) in which the signs of internal quantities are to be determined by sign conventions. Thus, once more, the comple-
mentary connection between intuition and mathematical generalization is enhanced by using double subscripts for stresses
and strains.
Other features that you may find useful are described briefly.
All optional topics and examples are marked by an asterisk (*) to account for instructor interest and pace. Skipping these
topics can at most affect the students ability to solve some post-text problems in subsequent chapters, and these problems are
easily identifiable.
Concept Connector is an optional section in all chapters. In some examples and post-text problems, reference is made to
a topic that is described under concept connector. The only purpose of this reference is to draw attention to the topic, but
knowledge about the topic is not needed for solving the problem.
The topics of stress and strain transformation can be moved before the discussion of structural elements (Chapter 4). I
strived to eliminate confusion regarding maximum normal and shear stress at a point with the maximum values of stress com-
ponents calculated from the formulas developed for structural elements.
The post-text problems are categorized for ease of selection for discussion and assignments. Generally speaking, the
starting problems in each problem set are single-concept problems. This is particularly true in the later chapters, where prob-
lems are designed to be solved by inspection to encourage the development of intuitive ability. Design problems involve the
sizing of members, selection of materials (later chapters) to minimize weight, determination of maximum allowable load to
fulfill one or more limitations on stress or deformation, and construction and use of failure envelopes in optimum design
(Chapter 10)and are in color. Stretch yourself problems are optional problems for motivating and challenging students
who have spent time and effort understanding the theory. These problems often involve an extension of the theory to include
added complexities. Computer problems are also optional problems and require a knowledge of spreadsheets, or of simple
numerical methods such as numerical integration, roots of a nonlinear equation in some design variable, or use of the least-
squares method. Additional categories such as Stress concentration factor, Fatigue, and Transmission of power prob-
lems are chapter-specific optional problems associated with optional text sections.
Printed from: http://www.me.mtu.edu/~mavable/MoM2nd.htm
August, 2009