Mohr’s Circle Calculator and Plotter

Air University,
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Mechanics of Materials II
Semester Project

Submitted by
Muhammad Zeeshan Hameed 150524
Abdul Waheed 150542
Muhammad Bilal 150527
Ameer Hamza 150565

Submitted to
Dr. Malik Nazir Ahmed

Dated: 19th March, 2018

Abstract
This report presents the design Software has been developed for stresses and Mohr’s circle
computation, transformation and safety analysis. It is developed to help students visualize the
state of stress at a point and to understand the nature and effects of stress transformation
which is one of the leading importance phenomena in the field of engineering materials. The
software shows the effect of stresses on materials inclined at different angles and subjected to
axial and compressive loading. The software is developed in Microsoft Excel, because it is
simple, object oriented and user friendly. The developed software calculates normal stress,
tangential stress, resultant stress as well as obliquity of resultant stress with changing
orientation while Mohr circle is used to support the graphics. It also shows the behavior of
stresses on materials as the angle of inclination varies. There is safety criterion imbedded in
the program both for brittle as well as ductile materials.

ii
Mohr’s Circle Project Report

Table of content:

Abstract ii

1. Introduction 1

2. Mohr’s Circle 2

3. Software 3

4. Analysis and calculations 4

5. Conclusions 6

6. References 7

iii
 Introduction
The computation and transformation of normal stress, tangential stress, resultant stress, maximum
shear stress and obliquity of the resultant stress among coordinate systems is important in static and
structural analysis for engineering students. Late in the last century, Mohr introduced a graphical
construction to assist in the process. At Mohr’s time, the technology for graphical construction was
drafting and any technology for computation was quite tedious compared with modern tools. His
graphical approach to constructing his circle could be used to find approximate values for transformed
stresses and thereby save what, at the time, would have been great computational effort. Indeed, as
recently as 1972, the construction of Mohr’s circle was couched in drafting terminology The
computation and transformation of normal stress, tangential stress, resultant stress, maximum shear
stress, obliquity of the resultant stress and Mohr’s circle have been a burden to students. They found it
difficult in obtaining accurate results. Also they spend a lot of time in calculating for different values
of stresses. Mohr’s circle is among the most difficult topics for students to comprehend, based on
survey of their examination results. This was in spite of having spent extra time in receiving lectures
many of them still find it difficult in solving problems on stresses and Mohr circle. Students also find
it difficult to know the relationship between stress and angle of inclination of a body using a straight
line or curve line graph. In support of the above Mohr’s circle is among the most difficult topics for
students to comprehend, based on survey of their examination results. In his study, students in the
engineering department’s strength of materials and mechanics of materials courses were surveyed in
at the end of both the first and second semester. This was in spite of having spent extra time in
receiving lectures many of them still find it difficult in solving problems on stresses and Mohr circle.
Similarly, has noted that it is not clear at first learning why one would want what is fundamentally the
same information in a different coordinate system. The above informed the development of the
software.

MOHR’S CIRCLE:

“A useful graphical technique for finding principal stresses and strains in materials. Mohr’s circle also
tells you the principal angles (orientations) of the principal stresses without your having to plug an
angle into stress transformation equations.”

EXPLANATION:

Starting with a stress or strain element in the XY plane, construct a grid with a normal stress on the

horizontal axis and a shear stress on the vertical. (Positive shear stress plots at the bottom.) Then just

follow these steps:

1. Plot the vertical face coordinates V(σxx , τxy).

2. Plot the horizontal coordinates H(σyy, –τxy).

You use the opposite sign of the shear stress from Step 1 because the shear stresses on the horizontal
faces are creating a couple that balances (or acts in the opposite direction of) the shear stresses on the
vertical faces.

3. Draw a diameter line connecting Points V (from Step 1) and H (from Step 2).

1
 Mohr’s Circle Project Report

4. Sketch the circle around the diameter from Step 3.

The circle should pass through Points V and H as shown here.

5. Compute the normal stress position for the circle’s center point (C).

6. Calculate the radius (R) for the circle.

7. Determine the principal stresses σP1 and σP2.

8. Compute the principal angles ΘP1 and ΘP2.

2
Mohr’s Circle Project Report

For strain Mohr’s circle

To construct a Mohr’s circle for strain or to use the transformation equations, substitute εxx for σxx,

εyy for σyy, and (0.5)γxy for τxy in the preceding equations.

ABOUT SOFTWARE:

MICROSOFT ECXEL:
Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet developed by Microsoft for Windows, macOS, android and iOS. It
features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual
Basic for Applications. It has been a very widely applied spreadsheet for these platforms, especially
since version 5 in 1993, and it has replaced Lotus 1-2-3 as the industry standard for spreadsheets.
Excel forms part of Microsoft Office.

Basic operation:

Microsoft Excel has the basic features of all spreadsheets, using a grid of cells arranged in
numbered rows and letter-named columns to organize data manipulations like arithmetic operations. It
has a battery of supplied functions to answer statistical, engineering and financial needs. In addition, it
can display data as line graphs, histograms and charts, and with a very limited three-dimensional
graphical display. It allows sectioning of data to view its dependencies on various factors for different
perspectives (using pivot tables and the scenario manager) It has a programming aspect, Visual Basic
for Applications, allowing the user to employ a wide variety of numerical methods, for example, for
solving differential equations of mathematical physics, and then reporting the results back to the
spreadsheet. It also has a variety of interactive features allowing user interfaces that can completely
hide the spreadsheet from the user, so the spreadsheet presents itself as a so-called application,
or decision support system (DSS), via a custom-designed user interface, for example, a stock
analyzer or in general, as a design tool that asks the user questions and provides answers and
reports. In a more elaborate realization, an Excel application can automatically poll external databases
and measuring instruments using an update schedule, analyze the results, make a Word report
or PowerPoint slide show, and e-mail these presentations on a regular basis to a list of participants.
Excel was not designed to be used as a database.

3
Mohr’s Circle Project Report

CONCLUSION:

Software for stress and Mohr’s circle computation and transformation has been developed. Now
everyone will be able to use this software very easily understanding each of the parts of the software
with the theoretical background. The software can showcase to a student how stresses exerted on a
material can undergo changes as the angle of inclination changes. The normal and resultant stress
exerted on a material is equal when the angle of its inclination is 900. The normal and resultant
stresses exerted on a material are always greater than the tangential stress. A material will not
experience tangential stress when the angle of inclination is 900, even when subjected to axial or
compressive loading. A material can undergo failure when stresses exerted on it exceed its ultimate
strength. Also, the Mohr Circle can be drawn within seconds.