CHAPTER 4 – BDA 20402

Materials selection
chart
4.5 MATERIALS SELECTION WITH
SHAPE
4.6 MULTIPLE CONSTRAINTS AND
COMPOUND OBJECTIVES
 4.5 Material Selection
With Shape

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 Shape in Selection

Function
SHAPE
• Shape Factors:
Characteristic values
Material
for bending and twisting;
Indices which
include shape
Process

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Modes of Loading (without shape)

(a) Tension : Tie

(b) Bending : Beam

(c) Twisting : Shaft

(d) Compression : Column

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Modes of Loading (with shape)

(a) Tension : Tie

(b) Bending : Beam

(c) Twisting : Shaft

(d) Compression : Column

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 Shape factor, 

❑ Component / structure
– material made into shape

❑ Shape factor
– Dimensionless number
– Characterizes the efficiency of shape, regardless of its
scale, in a given mode of loading

❑ Symbol
–  eB → elastic bending
–  eT → elastic twisting
–  fB → failure bending
–  fT → failure twisting

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 Mechanical efficiency is obtained by combining
material with macroscopic shape

+ =

Material Macroshape Shaped Material, 

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Moments of areas of selection for common shapes

Ref.:

•M.F. Ashby (p. 164)

http://www.grantadesign.com
/ resources / shapes /
solutions / moments.htm

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Values for the four shape factors

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 Elastic extension

• Depends on the area, A of its section, but

not on its shape.

• No shape factor is needed.

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 Elastic Bending and Twisting

•  eB = 4πI I = second moment of area

A2

•  eT = 2πK K = torsional moment of area

A2

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 Failure in Bending and Twisting

•  fB = 4√π.Z Z = section modulus = I/ym

A2

•  fT = 2√π.Q Q = same character as Z

A3/2

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 Microscopic or Micro-structural
Shape Factor, 

Micro Shape Macro Shape Efficient Structures

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 Microscopic or Micro-structural
Shape Factor, 

•  eB = S/Ss = s/;  fB = (s/)½

•  eT = s/;  fT = (s/)½

• S – stiffness (original)
• Ss – stiffness (extended)
•  - density (original)
• s – density (extended)

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 A taxonomy of prismatic shapes, illustrating the attributes
of a shaped section.

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 Example of empirical upper limits for shape factors for steel sections
: (a) log (I) plotted against log (A).

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 Co-selection

lower limit

upper limit

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 PROBLEM :
• My father is upset with the poor quality of household cleaning tools and
has asked me to help him redesign the handle of the common household
mop. The mop handle should be as inexpensive as possible.

• But there are two severe constraints:

First, the deflection of the handle should be small Second, the handle
shouldn’t break under ordinary use. I think we can model the mop
handle as a simply supported beam in bending. It also seems as if the
SHAPE of the mop’s cross section should make a difference in its
performance, so I want to include the shape factor in the materials
selection performance indices. Assuming the cross-sectional area, A, of
the mop handle is free, the length is fixed, and C has units of $/kg, the
operative equations are:

Cost of material = CV

FL3 A2
Deflection =  = Shape Factor =  e
=I
4
B
48EI
1/ 2
 I f  f A3  I
Maximum Load = F = 4  Shape Factor = B  =
 ym  L  16  ym

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Solution:
Function Beam

Objective Minimize cost

Constraint (a) the deflection of the handle should be small

(b) the handle shouldn’t break under applied load

1) What is the measure of performance for this design?

Minimum COST, so that p = 1 / (CV) = 1/(CAL)

2) Derive the performance index for the deflection constraint, M1, including
the shape factor.

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 3) Derive the performance index for the strength constraint, M2,
including the shape factor.

4) How much will the deflection constrained design improve if, instead
of using a solid circular cross section, I use a cross section with a
shape factor of 4?
Since the performance depends on the square root of
the shape factor, using a shape factor of 4 results in a
factor of 2 increase in the performance.

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 4.6 Multiple Constraints
and Compound Objectives

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 The procedures for dealing with multiple constraints and compound objectives

Function

One objective Compound objective

Constraints = Constrains > Constraints = Constraints >

free variables free variables Free variables Free variables
→ 1 index → n indices → m indices → nm indices

Successive use Successive use Successive use

Single selection
of charts of charts of charts
Using charts
Weight function Weight function Weight function

Coupling-equation t
Value function plus
Coupling equation to give equivalent M’s
Currency-exchange
Give equivalent M’s Value function to
Method
couple objectives

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p1 = f1(F1).f2(G1).f3(M1)

p2 = g1(F2).g2(G2).g3(M2)

p = p 1 = p2

f1(F1).f2(G1).f3(M1) = g1(F2).g2(G2).g3(M2)

f3(M1)/g3(M2) = g1(F2).g2(G2)/f1(F1).f2(G1) = M1/M2

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 Summary & Conclusion

• Most design are over constraint – must

simultaneously meet several conflicting
requirements.

• Optimum selection is still possible

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Problem 1 :
• A cantilever beam is to be elastically loaded on one end. The
beam has length L, and width, b, that are fixed by the design, and
a height h that is free. The minimum weight beam must support a
load F (ignoring self-weight) without failing or deflecting elastically
by more than δ.

• Derive for each constraint, the performance equation and the

performance index for materials selection. Then establish a
coupling equation for the design.
F
L
4 FL3  y bh2
= F= h
Ebh3 L 6
b

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 Solution
• First, analyze the performance using each constraint independently.
• For minimum mass beam, the measure of performance will be
p = 1/m = 1/(Lbh).

• The first constraint is that the maximum stress must be less than
the failure strength of the beam material

1
bh  f
2
 6 FL  2
F= h= 
 
6L  b f 
substitute into performance equation
1
p= =
1
=
(b f ) 2
=
1
1 1
f 2
m Lbh Lb(6 FL ) 12 6 FbL3 ( )
1
2 
1
f 2
 M1 =


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• The second constraint is that the deflection must be less than δ

1
4 FL 3
 4 FL 3 3
=  h =  
 Eb
3
Ebh 
substitute into performance equation
( Eb )
1 1 1
1  3 3
E 3
p= = =
Lbh L b(4 F ) 3 L2 4b 2 F
2 1
( )
1
3 
1
E 3
 M2 =


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• Since there is only one beam, and only one mass for that beam, we
can equate the two equation for mass that we developed.

• By rewriting this equation in terms of the two performance indices

derived above, we find the coupling equation:

1
f
1 1
1 2
 E 3 3
p= = , or
(6FbL )3
1
2  L (4b F ) 3 
2 2
1

  12 
 f 
   M

1
 = 1 =  6 FbL
3 3 2
1 1
( 1
6  F 6
2
= 1 1 1
3
1
)
 E 3  M2

1
 L2
4b 2
1
F 3 (
4 3b 6L 2 )
  
 

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 Problem 2:
• For a particular design problem with two constraints and one free
parameter, the performance indices and the coupling equation for them
are found to be
M1 = E/; M2 = σ/ → (E/) / (σ/) = L/u;
where L and u are fixed geometrical design parameters with L = 10 cm
and u = 0.01 cm.

i. What would be the axes of the selection chart you would set up to
make a materials selection based on this analysis?

ii. What slope selection line would you draw on this chart?

iii. Give the x-y coordinates of any point through which your selection
line will pass.

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 Solution
i. What would be the axes of the selection chart you would set up to
make a materials selection based on this analysis?

• The axes for a

selection problem
involving a coupling
equation will be the
two performance
indices.

• You should make up a

selection chart with
log(E/) at one axis
and log(σ/) on the
other

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ii. What slope selection line would you draw on this chart?

E 
   E  − log  
M =   log ( M ) = log
      
 
Y = mX + c  log E  = log   + log(M )
   

• The line will have a slope of one(1)

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iii. Give the x-y coordinates of any point through which your selection
line will pass.

M1 = L = 10 cm = 1000
M2 u 0.01 cm
 M 1 = 1000M 2
 Pada M 2 = 1 MPa ; M 1 = 1 GPa

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