KOFORIDUA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

BUT 105
STRENGTH OF MATERIALS I

FACULTY BUILT AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT (FBNE)

Course STRENGTH OF MATERIALS I

Academic Year 2025

Session Morning

Semester 1 EXAMINATION

Date 2025
Duration 2 ½hours
Time (main cohort)
Time (special needs
student) Duration 3hours
No. of pages (including
cover sheet)
Instruction to Candidates
Write all your answers in blue ink; except sketches which must be in pencil
All writings must be visible
Do not write on the question paper; except for correction(s)
The paper consists of two (2) sections. Answer all questions in section A and All questions in
section B.
Special Stationery (if applicable)

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 QUESTIONS
SECTION A
Answer all questions in the section. All questions carry equal marks (40marks)

1. When a solid body is acted upon by two equal but opposite forces, the body tends to offer

an internal resistance to overcome any deformation due to external forces; the internal

forces set up in the body are referred to as.

A. Stresses B. Strains C. Shears D. Deformation

2. When the external forces acting on a body tend to stretch it, the body is said to be in A.

Compression B. Tension C. Share D. Deformation

3. Normal or direct stresses are stresses which are …………… to the plane on which they

act. A. Stresses B. Tangential C. Perpendicular D. Axial

4. …….. are stresses which are tangential to the plane over which they act. A. Direct

Stresses B. Indirect stresses C. Complementary shear D. Shear stress

5. Every stress is accompanied by equal and opposite shear stress acting on planes at right

angles to it. This equal and opposite balancing shear stress is referred to as the… A.

Indirect shear stress B. Direct Complementary Stress C. Balance shear stress D.

Complementary Shear Stress

6. A steel bar of rectangular cross-section 5cm x 2cm carries an axial load of 50kN.

Estimate the average tensile stress over the cross-section of the bar. A. 5x10 -6 N/m2 B.

5x106 kN/m2 C. 5x107N/m2 D. 5x10-7kN/m2

7. Calculate the magnitude of load that will induce a tensile stress of 100N/mm2 a steel rod

of diameter 10mm load. A. 0.3142N B. 7855N C. 1000N D. 10N

8. For normal stress to be induced in a member, the direction of the applied force must be

…….. to the plane over which it acts. A. Normal B. Tangential C. Rectangular D. Heavy

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 9. Whenever a body is subjected to both normal and shear stresses, the resultant stress

across any plane in such a member will neither be ……….. to the given plane. A. Straight

and Sharp B. Normal nor Tangential C. Normal and Direct D. Shear and Tangential

10. At which angle the maximum shear occurs away from the plane of the principal stress?

A.350 B. 450 C. 600 D900

11. Whenever a solid body is subjected to two equal and opposite external forces, there is a

change in the original size and shape of the body. This change in size and shape is

referred to as. A. Direct Change B. Deformation C. Indirect Change D. Change in length

12. A material which can regain its original size and shape after the load causing the

deformation is removed, is said to. A. elasticity deformation material B. Elastic material

C. Resistance to deformation D. Load Deformed Material

Use the information to answer questions 13-15

A circular rod of diameter 30mm and 600mm long is subjected to a tensile force of 55kN. If the

Modulus of Elasticity of steel is 300kN/mm 2, find the stress, strain and elongation of the bar due

to the applied load.

13. The value of the Stress is A. 0.0778 kN/mm 2 B. 7780 kN/mm2 C. 3.056 kN/mm2 D. 0.306

kN/mm2

14. The value of the Strain is A. 2.6x10-4 B. 2.6x104 C. 2.6x105 D. 2.6x10-5

15. The value of the Elongation is A 0.156mm B. 156mm C. 1.560mm D.15.60mm

16. A timber cube of side dimension 50mm failed in the compression test at a load of 85kN.

Determine the allowable stress for the timber in direct compression if the factor of safety

is 5 A. 6.8N/mm2 B. 34N/mm2 C. 68N/mm2 D. 3.4N/mm2

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 17. A concrete cube tested in compression showed an average strength of 22.7N/mm 2. If

concrete's allowable direct compressive stress is 5.5N/mm 2, calculate the factor of safety

required. A. 2.42 B. 0.242 C. 4.13 D.0.413

18. When a bar is subjected to longitudinal (axial) tensile stress, a direct strain occurs in the

direction of the applied stress. the strain that occurs at right angles to the direct strain is

known as A. Longitudinal Stress B. Applied Strain C. Lateral Strain. D. Lateral tensile

stress

Use this information to answer questions 19 and 20.

The principal stresses acting on an element of a material is 50N/mm2 and 110N/mm2 both tensile.

Determine the principal strain in each direction of stresses. [E=202kN/mm2, V=0.25]

19. Principal strain in the direction of major principal stress is A.50000 B. 5000 C. 0.00005

D. 0.0005

20. Principal strain in the direction of minor principal stress is A. 1000 B. 100 C. 0.0001 D.

0.001

(Any correct answer, 40x1) 40makrs

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 SECTION B
Answer TWO questions from this section. All questions carry equal marks

Q1 (a)A steel bar of 25mm diameter is subject to a direct tensile force of 150KN and a shearing
force of 100KN. Determine the intensities of the normal and shearing stresses across a plane
inclined at an angle of 600 to the longitudinal axis of the bar. Determine also the resultant stress.
20marks

Q1 (b) The stresses acting on two perpendicular planes in a material are 60N/mm 2 tension,
40N/mm2 compression and 30N/mm2 shear. Find the stress components and the resultant stress
on a plane inclined at 600 to the plane of tensile stress 10marks

Q2. (a) A cube of side 5m is subjected to triaxial stresses 100N/mm 2 tensile, 45N/mm2 tensile
and 60N/mm2. Calculate the strain induced in each direction of stress. Calculate also the change
in volume. [E =210kN/mm2, V =0.25]
20marks

Q2(b) A timber specimen of 100mm square section shortens by 0.052mm over a gauge length of
200mm when it was subjected to an axial compression of 21.2kN. Calculate Young's Modulus
for the timber.
10marks

3(a)A short reinforced concrete column is 450m square and contains 4 steel bars each of
diameter 25mm. (i) Determine the stresses in the steel and the concrete when the total load on the
column is 1.5MN.

(ii) Determine also the load carried by each material.

Q3b Steel rod of external diameter 50mm is subjected to a compressive force of 100KN. If the
maximum allowable compressive stress in steel is not to exceed 200N/mm 2, determine the
internal diameter of the steel
10maarks