1

Example 1.1 At a point in a solid the stress tensor is

⎡σ xx σ xy σ xz ⎤ ⎡10 30 10 ⎤
⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎢σ yx σ yy σ yz ⎥ = ⎢30 0 20⎥ (kPa)
⎢σ zx σ zy σ zz ⎥ ⎢⎣10 20 0 ⎥⎦
⎣ ⎦

Find (a) the principal stresses.

(b) the stress vector acting at the same point, but on
the plane whose normal makes angles of 50o with
the x axis and 60o with the y axis.
(c) the normal and shear stresses on plane defined in
(b).
(d) the plane on which the major principal stress acts.

Solution
(a) Calculate the stress invariants as follows:

J1 = σ xx + σ yy + σ zz = 10

J 2 = σ xxσ yy + σ yyσ zz + σ zzσ xx − σ yz

2
− σ xz
2
− σ xy
2
= −1400

J 3 = σ xxσ yyσ zz + 2σ xyσ yzσ zx − σ xxσ yz

2
− σ yyσ xz
2
− σ zzσ xy
2
= 8000

I1 = J12 − 3 J 2 = 100 − 3 × ( −1400 ) = 4300

I2 =
1
2
( )
2 J13 − 9 J1 J 2 + 27 J 3 = (2000 + 126000 + 216000 ) = 172000
1
2
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I 3 = I13 − I 22 = 43003 − 172000 2 = 223434.6

I 4 = I 1 = 65.57

1 ⎛I ⎞
θ = tan −1 ⎜⎜ 3 ⎟⎟ = 17.47 o = 0.305 rad
3 ⎝ I2 ⎠

The three principal stresses are then given as

S1 =
1
3
( 3
)
(J1 + 2 I 4 cosθ ) = 1 10 + 2 × 65.57 × cos17.47 o = 45.05 kPa

1⎛ ⎛
S 2 = ⎜⎜ J1 + 2 I 4 cos⎜θ −
3⎝ ⎝
2π ⎞ ⎞ 1
( (
⎟ ⎟⎟ = 10 + 2 × 65.57 × cos 17.47 − 120
3 ⎠⎠ 3
o o
))
= −6.15 kPa

1⎛ ⎛
S3 = ⎜⎜ J1 + 2 I 4 cos⎜θ −
3⎝ ⎝
4π ⎞ ⎞ 1
( (
⎟ ⎟⎟ = 10 + 2 × 65.57 × cos 17.47 − 240
3 ⎠⎠ 3
o o
))
= −28.90 kPa

We can check:

S1 + S 2 + S3 = 10 = σ xx + σ yy + σ zz

(b) The plane whose normal makes angles of 50o and 60o with
the x and y axes respectively has the following direction cosines:

l x = cos 50 o = 0.643

l y = cos 60o = 0.5

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l z = 1 − l x2 − l y2 = 1 − 0.413 − 0.25 = 0.337

Thus, the normal of the plane is

n = (l x ly l z ) = (0.643 0.5 0.337)

The stress vector on this plane is given by

⎡σ nx ⎤ ⎡σ xx σ xy σ xz ⎤ ⎡ l x ⎤ ⎡10 30 10 ⎤ ⎡ 0.643⎤ ⎡ 27.27 ⎤

⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥⎢ ⎥
σ n = ⎢σ ny ⎥ = ⎢σ yx σ yy σ yz ⎥ ⎢l y ⎥ = ⎢⎢30 0 20 ⎥⎥ ⎢⎢ 0.5 ⎥⎥ = ⎢⎢ 30.91⎥⎥
⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎣σ nz ⎦ ⎣⎢σ zx σ zy σ zz ⎦⎥ ⎣ l z ⎦ ⎣10 20 0 ⎦ ⎣0.337 ⎦ ⎣16.43 ⎦

(c) The normal stress acting on the plane defined in (b) is

⎡lx ⎤ ⎡0.643⎤
⎢ ⎥
σ = ⎣⎡σ nx σ ny σ nz ⎦⎤ ⎢l y ⎥ = [ 27.24 30.91 16.43] ⎢⎢ 0.5 ⎥⎥ = 42.52 kPa
⎢l ⎥ ⎢⎣ 0.581⎥⎦
⎣ z⎦

The shear stress on this plane is then:

τ = σn − σ 2 = ( 27.242 + 30.912 + 16.432 ) − 42.522 = 12.63 kPa

(d) Assume that the direction cosines of the plane on which the
major principal stress is acting are [lx, ly, lz]T. The objective here is
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to find the 3 cosines. We also know that the stress acting on this
plane is a purely normal stress of value 45.05 kPa, or the stress
vector is given by

⎡σ nx ⎤ ⎡l x ⎤ ⎡l x ⎤
σ n = ⎢⎢σ ny ⎥⎥ = S1 ⎢⎢l y ⎥⎥ = 45.05 ⎢⎢l y ⎥⎥
⎢⎣σ nz ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣l z ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣l z ⎥⎦

Therefore, we have

⎡σ xx σ xy σ xz ⎤ ⎡l x ⎤ ⎡10 30 10 ⎤ ⎡l x ⎤ ⎡l x ⎤
⎢ ⎥⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎢σ yx σ yy σ yz ⎥ ⎢l y ⎥ = ⎢30 0 20⎥ ⎢l y ⎥ = 45.05 ⎢l y ⎥
⎢σ zx σ zy σ zz ⎥ ⎢⎣l z ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣10 20 0 ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣l z ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣ l z ⎥⎦
⎣ ⎦

The equation above is equivalent to:

10l x + 30l y + 10l z − 45.05l x = 0

30l x + 20l z − 45.05l y = 0
10l x + 20l y − 45.05l z = 0

One of the 3 equations can be derived from the other two. Thus
there are only two independent equations. Solving them gives
l x = 1.551l z
l y = 1.477l z

Noting that l x + l y + l z = 1 , we have

2 2 2

⎡l x ⎤ ⎡1.551⎤ ⎡1.551⎤ ⎡0.656⎤

⎢l ⎥ = 1 ⎢1.477⎥ = 1 ⎢1.477⎥ = ⎢0.625⎥
⎢ ⎥ y ⎢ ⎥ 2.364 ⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎢⎣l z ⎥⎦ 1.5512 + 1.477 2 + 12 ⎢⎣ 1 ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣ 1 ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣0.423⎥⎦
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In angles, the plane where the major principal stress acts has a
normal which makes an angle of 49.0o, 51.3o and 65.0o to the x, y
and z axis, respectively.
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Example 1.2 The state of stress at a point in a body is given by

the following equations:

σ xx = ax + by 2 + cz 3 σ xy = l + mz

σ yy = dx + ey 2 + fz 3 σ yz = ny + pz

σ zz = gx + hy 2 + kz 3 σ zx = qx 2 + sz 2

If equilibrium is to be achieved, what equations must the body

forces (per unit volume) X, Y and Z satisfy?

Solution
The equilibrium equations including body forces are

∂σ xx ∂σ xy ∂σ xz
+ + +X =0
∂x ∂y ∂z

∂σ yx ∂σ yy ∂σ yz
+ + +Y = 0
∂x ∂y ∂z

∂σ zx ∂σ zy ∂σ zz
+ + +Z =0
∂x ∂y ∂z

Substituting the given stresses into the above equations leads to

⎛ ∂σ ∂σ xy ∂σ xz ⎞
X = −⎜⎜ xx + + ⎟⎟ = −( a + 2 sz )
⎝ ∂x ∂y ∂z ⎠
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⎛ ∂σ yx ∂σ yy ∂σ yz ⎞
Y = −⎜⎜ + + ⎟⎟ = −( p + 2ey )
⎝ ∂x ∂ y ∂z ⎠

⎛ ∂σ ∂σ zy ∂σ zz ⎞
Z = −⎜⎜ zx + + ⎟⎟ = −( n + 2qx + 3kz 2 )
⎝ ∂x ∂y ∂z ⎠
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Example 1.3 Determine whether the following strain fields are

compatible

(a) ε xx = 2 x + 3 y + z + 1 (b) ε xx = 3 y + xy
2 2 2

ε xx = 2 x 2 + 3 y 2 + z + 1 ε xx = 3 y 2 + xy

ε yy = x 2 + 2 y 2 + 3z + 2 ε yy = 2 y + 4 z + 3

ε zz = 3 x + 2 y + z 2 + 1 ε zz = 3 zx + 2 xy + 3 yz + 2

γ xy = 8 xy γ xy = 6 xy

γ yz = 0 γ yz = 2 x

γ zx = 0 γ zx = 2 y

Solution
To check if the given strain fields are compatible, we need to
check if the six (6) compatibility equations are satisfied:

∂ 2ε xx ∂ 2ε yy ∂ 2γ xy ∂ 2ε xx ∂ ⎛ ∂γ xy ∂γ xz ∂γ yz ⎞
+ = 2 = ⎜⎜ + − ⎟
⎟
∂y 2 ∂x 2 ∂x∂y ∂y∂z ∂x ⎝ ∂z ∂y ∂x ⎠

∂ 2ε yy ∂ 2ε zz ∂ 2γ yz ∂ 2ε yy ∂ ⎛ ∂γ xy ∂γ yz ∂γ xz ⎞
+ = 2 = ⎜ + − ⎟
∂z 2 ∂y 2 ∂y∂z ∂x∂z ∂y ⎜⎝ ∂z ∂x ∂y ⎟
⎠

∂ 2ε zz ∂ 2 ε xx ∂ 2γ xz ∂ 2ε zz ∂ ⎛ ∂γ ∂γ yz ∂γ xy ⎞
+ = 2 = ⎜⎜ xz + − ⎟
⎟
∂x 2 ∂z 2 ∂x∂z ∂x∂y ∂z ⎝ ∂y ∂x ∂z ⎠
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Substituting the given strain fields into the above equation reveals
that the strain field (a) satisfies all six equation and hence is
compatible, but the strain field (b) is not compatible.