Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Department of Mechanical Engineering

MEC3076F : Stress Analysis and Materials

Tutorial : Strain Beyond the Elastic limit

1. Determine the shape factors for the beam cross‐sections shown. Take Yield stress
= 240MPa.

20 100

10

150
210

10

80
20

20
20

10 50 10 150
60

(a) (b) (c)

(1.51, 1.46, 1.8)

2. A 305mm x 127mm British Standard I‐Beam has flanges 13mm and a web of 8.5mm.
Calculate the shape factor and the Moment of resistance in the fully plastic state.
Take yield stress = 220MPa.
(1.15, 142.5kNm)

3. The simply supported beam ABC is loaded by a central vertical force of 5kN and
made of steel having a yield point of 262MPa. The beam is of rectangular cross‐
section, with width b and depth 1.6b, and length L = 1.0m. Determine b for fully
plastic action. Also determine the width b when only the extreme fibers have
reached yield.
5kN
1.6b

A B C

0.5m 0.5m
b

(19.5mm, 22.3mm)
4. A horizontal beam of rectangular cross‐section 120mm x 50mm is 1.5m and hinged
at its left end A. The other end C is supported by a vertical bar of the same material,
of cross‐sectional area 3cm2. The yield point of each material is 200MPa. The beam
is subjected to a vertical force P applied at B. Determine the limit load P that would
cause yielding in the structure.

(45kN)
5. A member of uniform rectangular cross‐section 50mm by 120mm is subjected to a
bending moment M =36.8kNm. Assuming that the member is made of an
elastoplastic material with a yield strength of 240MPa and a modulus of elasticity
of 200GPa, determine the thickness of the elastic core had the member yielded.
(80mm)

6. A steel bar of rectangular cross‐section 30mm by 72mm is used as a simply

supported beam over a span of 1.2m with a central load. If the yield stress is
280MPa and the long edges of the section are vertical, find the load when yielding
first occurs.
Assuming that a further increase in load causes yielding to spread inwards towards
the neutral axis, with the stress in the yielded part remaining at 280MPa, find the
load required to cause yielding to a depth of 12mm at the top and bottom of the
section at mid span. Find also the length of the beam over which yielding has
occurred.
(24.2kN, 31kN, 0.264m)

7. A cantilever is to be constructed from a steel bar of rectangular section

40mm x 80mm. The cantilever is to carry a uniformly distributed load
over its entire length of 1.4m. Find the uniformly distributed load the 80

cantilever carries when yielding first occurs.

40
Assuming that a further increase in load causes yielding to spread
inwards towards the neutral axis. Determine the maximum uniformly distributed
load that the cantilever can carry if yielding is to occur at a depth of 12mm at the
top and bottom of the section. (σy = 225MPa)
(9.8kN/m, 12.3kN/m)
8. Consider the bent cantilever ABC. Point C is fully built‐in, AB is an arc of radius
250mm. A vertical point load F is applied at point A. Calculate all critical stresses
and show the stress distribution in the section at point C if:
a) F is 240 N
b) F is accidentally increased to 320N
Stress concentrations and end effects may be ignored. Yield Stress is 300MPa.

20
(Section still elastic, Section partially yielded by 3mm at top and bottom)

9. A 4.5m long beam of hollow rectangular cross section is simply supported at the
end points A and D. There is a point load W applied at 1.5m from the end D. The
beam material has a yield stress of 290MPa, an elastic modulus of 210GPa and
poisson’s ratio of 0.3.

A B C D

2.7m 1.5m
0.3m

a) Calculate W such that there is one fully plastic section on the beam.
b) Calculate the length (along a section of AD) of the plastic hinge (i.e. the
length of the beam where part or all of the section has a plastic section).
c) Measured from point A, determine where on the beam is yielding occurring
at a depth of 10mm at the top and bottom of the section.
(15.37kN, 1.119m, 2.66m–3.17m)
10. A beam having the T cross section shown is made of 100
elasto‐plastic steel (E = 200GPa) with a proportional

25
limit (equal to the yield point) of 240MPa. Determine
(a) The bending moment that will produce a
longitudinal strain of 0.0012m/m at point B on

200
the lower face of the flange.
(b) The bending moment required to produce
completely plastic action in the beam.
(107.5kNm, 112.5kNm) 25

11. A 7m long beam of T cross‐section is simply supported at points A and C. The beam
carries a uniformly distributed load of 2kN/m over its entire length and is subjected
to a concentrated load of 12kN at its centre. The beam material has a yield stress
of 200MPa, and elastic modulus of 210GPa and Poisson’s ratio of 0.3.
12kN

2kN/m C

D
A
B
3.5m 1.5m 2m

a) Calculate the length (along a section of AD) of the plastic hinge

(i.e. the length of the beam where part or all of the section has
a plastic section).

b) Consider point x, 3m from A. What is the ratio of the moment

supported by elastic stresses to plastic stresses assuming plastic
deformation to a depth of 20mm from the bottom?
(1.28m, 3.1)

12. Calculate the maximum elastic moment and the plastic moment for the inverted
channel section, take yield stress = 235.5MPa. What is the shape factor of the
section? To what depth has the plastic zone penetrated the vertical webs when the
flange surface first yields? Find the corresponding moment in this case.

(1.73, 50.92mm, 89.4kNm)

13. A mild steel rectangular bar section of 80 x30mm is loaded beyond its elastic limit.
Assume that the material is elastic perfectly plastic and has a yield strength of
280MPa.
(a) Show that for a bending moment of 12.32kNm, the plastic region extends
20mm inwards towards the neutral axis from the outer surface
(b) Sketch the residual stress distribution expected if the load is removed
completely
(c) Calculate the values of any critical residual stresses that would remain in the
section after the load is removed and mark their positions on your sketch
(105MPa at outer surface, 87.5MPa @ y = 20mm)

14. A steel beam of rectangular section, 30mm wide x 80mm deep, is simply supported
over a span of 1.4m and carries a uniformly distributed load w. If the yield stress of
the material is 240MPa, determine the value w when yielding of the beam material
has penetrated to a depth of 20mm from each surface of the beam.
What will be the magnitudes of the residual stresses which remain when the load
is removed?
(43.1kN/m, 90MPa at the outer surface, 75MPa @ y= 20mm)

15. A 500mm long steel shaft has a diameter of 60mm. The shaft is subjected to an
increasing torque. Find
a) the torque and angle of twist at the first yield.
b) The torque when the angle of twist is double that at first yield.
Assume yield shear stress to be 125MPa, Shear Modulus = 80GPa.
(5.3kNm, 0.026rad, 6.87kNm)

16. A solid steel shaft, 76mm in diameter and 1.53m long, is subjected to pure torsion.
a) Calculate the applied torque necessary to cause initial yielding if the material
has a yield stress in pure tension of 310MNm‐2. Adopt the Tresca criterion of
elastic failure.
b) If the torque is increased 10% above that at first yield, determine the radial
depth of plastic penetration. Also calculate the angle of twist of the shaft at this
increased torque. Up to the yield point in shear, G = 83GNm‐2.
c) Calculate the torque to be applied to cause the cross section to become fully
plastic.
(13.36kNm, 4.26mm, 0.085rad, 17.8kNm)

17. A hollow circular shaft with an 80mm outer diameter and 60mm inner diameter is
subjected to a torque T. Determine the value of the torque
a) To cause yielding on the outer surface of the shaft
b) To cause the plastic zone to extend to a depth of 5mm into the shaft
c) To cause the section of the shaft to be fully plastic.
What is the shape factor of the shaft? Assume yield shear stress to be 125MPa.

(8.6kNm, 9.4kNm, 9.7kNm, 1.13)