Lecture 2

Deformation: Displacements and

strains
Another main players
Print version Lecture on Theory of Elasticity and Plasticity

Dr. D. Dinev, Department of Structural Mechanics, UACEG

2.1

Contents
1 Displacement field 1

2 Strain field 2

3 Geometric representation of the small deformations 5

4 Strain transformation 6

5 Principal strains and principal planes 7

6 Compatibility equations 7 2.2

1 Displacement field
Displacement field

General deformations
• As a result of applied loads the elastic solid will change shape or deform and these de-
formations can be quantified by knowing the displacements of the material points of the
body
• The body is a continuum solid and this established a displacement field at all points within
the elastic body
2.3

1
Displacement field

Position vector
• The material point P in the undeformed configuration is specified by a position vector

x = xi ei
2.4

Displacement field
Position vector
• In deformed configuration the same material point P0 is specified by another position vector

x0 = xi0 ei
2.5

Displacement field
Displacement vector
• The displacement of the particle P is given by

u = x0 − x
2.6

2 Strain field
Strain field

Rigid-body motion
• The displacement field u(x) does not necessarily lead to ”deformation”
2.7

Strain field
Rigid-body motion
• Rigid-body translation- constant vector

u(x) = u0
2.8

2
Strain field

Rigid-body motion
• Rigid-body rotation

∂u
du = − dy,
∂y
∂v
dv = dx
∂x
2.9

Strain field
Small increment
• The small increment of the displacement field is

∂ ui
ui = u0i + dx j
∂xj

Note
• Small increment → Taylor expansion up to 1-st order
2.10

Strain field
Displacement gradient tensor
∂ ui
• The tensor ∂xj is called displacement gradient tensor and may be written as

∂u ∂u ∂u
 
∂x ∂y ∂z
∂ ui ∂v ∂v ∂v
= ui, j = 
 
∂xj ∂x ∂y ∂z 
∂w ∂w ∂w
∂x ∂y ∂z

• The displacement gradient tensor in general is a non-symmetric tensor and can be decom-
posed into symmetric and antisymmetric part. Hence the displacement is
1 1
ui = u0i + (ui, j + u j,i ) dx j + (ui, j − u j,i ) dx j
|{z} 2
| {z } |2 {z }
translation vector
strain tensor rotation tensor
= u0i + εi j dx j + ωi j dx j
2.11

3
Strain field
Strain and rotation tensors
• Strain tensor
1
εi j = (ui, j + u j,i )
2
• In matrix form
1 
ε= ∇u + (∇u)T
2
• The above strain tensor is called Cauchy strain tensor
2.12

Strain field
Strain and rotation tensors
• Rotation tensor
1
ωi j = (ui, j − u j,i )
2
• In matrix form
1 
ω= ∇u − (∇u)T
2
2.13

Strain field
Strain and rotation tensors
• Matrix expression of the strain tensor
 
εxx εxy εxz
ε =  εxy εyy εyz 
εxz εyz εzz
• Matrix expression of the rotation tensor
 
0 ωxy ωxz
ω =  −ωxy 0 ωyz 
−ωxz −ωyz 0
2.14

Strain field
Strain tensor components
• Normal strains
∂u ∂v ∂w
εxx = , εyy = , εzz =
∂x ∂y ∂z
• Shear strains
 
1 ∂u ∂v
εxy = +
2 ∂y ∂x
 
1 ∂u ∂w
εxz = +
2 ∂z ∂x
 
1 ∂v ∂w
εyz = +
2 ∂z ∂y

• Engineering shear strains

γxy = 2εxy , γxz = 2εxz , γyz = 2εyz
2.15

4
Strain field
Example
• The displacement field is given by

u = 2xyze1 + 3x2 e2 + y2 e3

• Determine the strain and rotation tensors

• Verify the obtained results by using the definitions of the strain components
2.16

3 Geometric representation of the small deformations

Geometric representation of the small deformations

Rigid-body motion
• The deformation behavior of an elastic solid includes rigid-body motion + extensional and
shearing deformations
• The rigid-body motion does not contribute to the strain field
• We will focus on the extensional and shearing deformations
2.17

Geometric representation of the small deformations

Small deformations
• Small displacements

∂u
u(x + dx, y) = u0 (x, y) + dx
∂x
∂v
u(x, y + dy) = v0 (x, y) + dy
∂y

2.18

5
Geometric representation of the small deformations
Small deformations
• The normal strain component is

A0 B0 − AB
εxx =
AB
2.19

Geometric representation of the small deformations

Small deformations
• The extended part A0 B0 is
s 2  2  
0 0 ∂u ∂v ∂u
AB = dx + dx + dx ≈ 1+ dx
∂x ∂x ∂x
2.20

Geometric representation of the small deformations

Small deformations
• An engineering shear strain is defined as the change in angle between originally orthog-
onal directions in the elastic solid. The shear strain is positive if the right angle decreases

∂v ∂u
∂ x dx ∂ y dy
γxy = α + β = +
dx + ∂∂ ux dx dy + ∂∂ vy dy

2.21

Geometric representation of the small deformations

Small deformations
• Neglecting the higher-order terms we get

∂u ∂v
γxy = +
∂y ∂x
2.22

4 Strain transformation
Strain transformation
Tensor transformation
• Because the strains are components of the second-order tensor we can apply the same
transformation rules as for the stress tensor

ε 0 = NεNT

where the transformation matrix is

 
nxx nxy nxz
N =  nyx nyy nyz 
nzx nzy nzz

and ni j = cos(xi0 , x j )
• The prime coordinates belong to the new coordinate system
2.23

6
5 Principal strains and principal planes
Principal strains and principal planes
Principal strains
• The strain tensor is a symmetric second order tensor and can be determine its principal
values and axes. Derivation similar to the stress tensor lead to
det (ε − ηI) = 0
The characteristic equation is
η 3 − J1 η 2 + J2 η − J3 = 0
where the roots ηi are the values of the principal strains
2.24

Principal strains and principal planes

Principal strains
• The strain invariants are
J1 =εxx + εyy + εzz
     
 εxx εxy   εxx εxz   εyy εyz 
J2 =  + +
εyx εyy   εzx εzz   εzy εzz 
 
 εxx εxy εxz 
 
J3 =  εyx εyy εyz 

 εzx εzy εzz 
• The principal axes can be found by
(ε − ηI) n = 0
2.25

6 Compatibility equations
Compatibility equations
Displacements → Strains
• The task of computing strains from a given displacement field is a simple exercise- just fill
the strain-displacement relationships
1 
ε= ∇u + (∇u)T
2
2.26

Compatibility equations

Strains → Displacements
• Can we find the displacements from a given strain field?
• There are 6 independent PDE for only 3 unknown displacements! The solution is overde-
termined.
• We will find so called St. Venant compatibility equations that will ensure the computa-
tion of an unique displacement field from a given strain field
2.27

7
Compatibility equations

Strains → Displacements
• Suppose that the body is cut into pieces and then each of the piece is strained
• If the strain of each piece is compatible with the strain of the neighboring pieces they can
be fitted together (no gaps between them).
2.28

Compatibility equations
Strains → Displacements
• It is mean the 6 equations that connect the strain components with 3 displacements should
be consistent
• Consider a 2D-case with 2 displacements u and v and 3 strain-displacement equations
∂u ∂v ∂u ∂v
εxx = , εyy = , 2εxy = +
∂x ∂y ∂y ∂x
• If the given strains are compatible any two of these equations should yield same displace-
ment components
2.29

Compatibility equations
Strains → Displacements
• The compatibility equations can be established by differentiating twice with respect of x
and y the above equations and replacing we obtain

∂ 2 εxx ∂ 2 εyy ∂ 2 εxy

2
+ 2
=2
∂y ∂x ∂ x∂ y
• For a 3D-case we have 5 more equations
• The 6 compatibility equations are

εmn,i j + εi j,mn = εim, jn + ε jn,im

or

∇ × (∇ × ε)T = 0
2.30

Compatibility equations
Strains → Displacements
• Saint-Venant compatibility equations

εxx,yy + εyy,xx = 2εxy,xy

εyy,zz + εzz,yy = 2εyz,yz
εzz,xx + εxx,zz = 2εzx,zx
εxy,xz + εxz,xy = εxx,yz + εyz,xx
εyz,yx + εyx,yz = εyy,zx + εzx,yy
εzx,zy + εzy,zx = εzz,xy + εxy,zz
2.31

8
Compatibility equations

Strains → Displacements
• Jean Claude Saint-Venant (1797- 1886)
2.32

Compatibility equations

Example
• The state of a plane strain of a square disc (length of `) is given by

εxx = a(x2 − y2 )
εyy = a(xy)

• Determine the components of the displacement vector

• Find the shear strain εxy
• Check the strain compatibility
2.33

Compatibility equations

The End
• Any questions, opinions, discussions?
2.34