Prof. M. E.

Tuttle University of Washington

Stress Concentrations

• A “stress concentration” refers to an area in a

object where stress increases over a very short
distance (i.e., where a high stress gradient exists)
• Stress concentrations typically occur due to some
localized change in geometry (near holes, filets,
corners, grooves, cracks, etc)
• These changes in geometry are often called “stress
risers”
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Stress Concentration Near a Circular Hole

o
• In 1898 Ernst Kirsch (a German
engineer) published a solution for
the elastic stresses near a circular D

hole in an isotropic “infinitely

large” thin plate (the Kirsch 2a
solution is derived in Sec 3.13 of
the Shukla and Dally textbook)
• In practice, a thin plate can be
considered to be “infinitely large”
if the hole diameter is small
compared to the in-plane plate
dimensions (if a/D < ~0.005, say)
o
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Stress Concentration Near a Circular Hole

• Stresses along the x-axis in an infinite plate predicted by the

Kirsch solution:

σ o  a 2  3a 3
σ rr = σ xx = 1−

2  x 2  x 2

σ o  a2 3a 4 
σ θθ = σ yy = 
2+ +
2  x 2
x 4 

τ rθ = τ xy = 0

Figure 3.6: Distribution of σxx/σo and σyy/σo

along the x-axis
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Stress Concentration Near a Circular Hole

• Stresses at the edge of the hole (at x = a):

σ rr = σ xx = 0
σ θθ = σ yy = 3σ o

τ rθ = τ xy = 0

• The stress concentration

factor for a circular hole in
an infinite plate:
σ yy
Kt = =3 Figure 3.6: Distribution of σxx/σo and σyy/σo
σo
along the x-axis
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Stress Concentration Near a Circular Hole

o
• If a/D > 0.005 then the plate
is “finite” and the Kirsch
solution is no longer valid D

• Stress concentration
factors for a circular holes in 2a

finite plates have been measured

experimentally for a range of
a/D ratios (usually using
photoelasticity), and tabulated in
the form of curve-fits in reference
handbooks …required several years
and many contributors
o
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Stress Concentration Near a Circular Hole

• Example: Wahl, A.M., and Beeuwkes, R.,

“Stress Concentration Produced by Holes and
Notches”, Transaction of the ASME; Applied
Mechanics, Vol 56 (11) , 1930
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Stress Concentration Near a Circular Hole

P
• Two different definitions of the
stress concentration factors are
in common use: D

-based on the gross stress :

σ max
yy P 2a
g
Kt = where σ g =
σg t*D
(σg remains constant as a increases)

-based on the net stress:

σ yy
max
P
K tn = whe re σ n =
σn t * ( D − 2a )
(σn increases as a increases) P
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Stress Concentration Near a Circular Hole

o

• Example: from
Roark’s Formulas for Stress
D
and Strain (2002):

2
K tn  2a   2a 
= 3.00 − 3.14  + 3.67 
2a

D D
 2a  3
− 1.53 
D

o
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Stress Concentration Near an Elliptical Hole

• In 1913 Charles Inglis (a British

mathematician) published a
solution for the elastic stresses near
an elliptical hole in an isotropic
infinitely large thin plate (the Inglis
solution is discussed in Sec 4.2)

• In this case the stress concentration

depends on both the aspect ratio of
the hole (a/b) and on the size of the
plate
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Stress Concentration Near an Elliptical Hole

• For an infinite plate the stresses

along the x-axis
(i.e., for x ≥ a, y = 0) are given by:
σ xx ( x) = F1( s ) − F2( s )

σ yy ( x) = F1( s ) + F2( s )

τ xy ( x) = 0

where:

σ 2(1 + m)  σ  m 2 − 1   m − 1  3s 2 − m  

F1( s ) = 1 +  F2( s ) = 1 + 1 +  2  
2 s2 − m  2  s − m   s − m  s 2 − m  
2

x  x 2 1 a−b
s= +   −m B= ( a + b) m=
2B  2B  2 a+b
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Stress Concentration Near an Elliptical Hole

• For a finite plate:

2 3
 2a   2a   2a 
K tn = C1 + C2   + C3   + C4  
D D D

C1 = 1.000 + 0.000 a / b + 2.000a / b

C2 = −0.351 − 0.021 a / b − 2.483a / b

C3 = 3.621 − 5.183 a / b + 4.494a / b

C4 = −2.270 + 5.204 a / b − 4.011a / b

 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Measuring Stress Concentrations Using Strain

Gages
• In general, even the smallest
of commercial resistance
strain gages are too large to
measure strain concentrations
near stress risers:
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Measuring Stress Concentrations Using Strain

Gages
o

• In general, even the smallest

of commercial resistance
strain gages are too large to
measure strain concentrations
near stress risers:

…a poor experimental
approach

o
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Measuring Stress Concentrations Using Strain

Gages
• Instead, use a commercial
“strip gage” and extrapolate
experimental measurements to
edge of stress riser
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Lab #5: Stress and Strain Concentrations

 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Lab #5: Stress and Strain Concentrations

 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Corrections for Biaxial Rosettes With Differing

Transverse Sensitivity Coefficients

(1 − ν o K tx )ε mx − (1 − ν o K ty ) K tx ε my
εx =
1 − K tx K ty
(1 − ν o K ty )ε my − (1 − ν o K tx ) K ty ε mx
εy =
1 − K tx K ty

ε mx , ε my = strains measured in the x- and y- directions

K tx , K ty = Transverse sensitivity coefficients for gages
in the x- and y- directions

MM Tech-Note 509 “Errors Due to Transverse Sensitivity in Strain Gages”

 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Lab #5: Stress and Strain Concentrations

Goals:

•To compare stress distributions measured near an

elliptical hole in a finite thin plate to those predicted
for an infinite thin plate, and

•To compare the stress concentration factor measured

for an elliptical hole in a finite thin plate to the value
expected from a reference handbook.
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Lab #5: Stress and Strain Concentrations

“Official Data” – Axial Strains
1200
Axial Strains
1000

800 Gage 1A
Gage 2A
Gage 3A
Strain (µε)

600 Gage 4A
Gage 5A
Gage 6A
400
Gage 7A
Gage 8A
200 Gage 9A
Gage 10A

0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000

-200
Applied Load (lbf)
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Lab #5: Stress and Strain Concentrations

“Official Data” – Transverse Strains

60
Transverse Strains
40

20 Gage 1T
Gage 2T
Gage 3T
Strain (µε)

0 Gage 4T
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000
Gage 5T
Gage 6T
-20
Gage 7T
Gage 8T
-40 Gage 9T
Gage 10T

-60

-80
Applied Load (lbf)
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Lab #5: Stress and Strain Concentrations

Goal 1: Compare stress distributions measured near an elliptical
hole in a finite thin plate to those predicted for an infinite thin plate
(Suggestion: compare normalized stresses)
6

5
Inglis Solution Measured Note: as
4 mentioned
σyy /σnet

during class
3 lecture, the
2
measured
values shown
1 here are
fictitious
0
0.75 0.85 0.95 1.05 1.15 1.25 1.35 1.45
Position along x-axis (in)
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Lab #5: Stress and Strain Concentrations

Goal 2: To compare the stress concentration factor measured for an

elliptical hole in a finite thin plate to the value expected from a
reference handbook.
(Suggestion: extrapolate a curve fit)

Normalized axial stress

5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Lab #5: Stress and Strain Concentrations

Goal 2: To compare the stress concentration factor measured for an

elliptical hole in a finite thin plate to the value expected from a
reference handbook.
….fit using a 2nd-order polynomial:
Normalized axial stress
5
4.5
4
3.5
y = 4.84x2 - 13.269x + 10.148
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Lab #5: Stress and Strain Concentrations

Goal 2: To compare the stress concentration factor measured for an

elliptical hole in a finite thin plate to the value expected from a
reference handbook.
….fit using an exponential:
Normalized axial stress
5
4.5
4
3.5
y = 5.2287e -1.103x
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Lab #5: Stress and Strain Concentrations

Goal 2: To compare the stress concentration factor measured for an

elliptical hole in a finite thin plate to the value expected from a
reference handbook.
.…fit using a power law

Normalized Axial Stress

5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5 y = 1.7238x-1.317

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2
 Prof. M. E. Tuttle University of Washington

Lab #5: Stress and Strain Concentrations

Goal 2: To compare the stress concentration factor measured for an

elliptical hole in a finite thin plate to the value expected from a
reference handbook.
….fit using an polynomial and (1/normalized stress)
1/Normalized Axial Stress
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
y = 1.2864x3 - 5.6909x2 + 8.6649x - 3.6261
0.1
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2