Lecture 6 – Mohr Circle

Geology 2B – Wednesday 2nd August 2023

 Mohr Circle
What are the values of
normal and shear
stresses on this plane

General triaxial stress hydrostatic stress

(isotropic state of stress)
 It is not easy to determine normal stress σn and shear stress τ directly
from an ellipse (or ellipsoid).

The Mohr circle is a graphic representation of the normal (x-axis) and shear stresses (y-axis).
2𝜽: angle between the principal stress σ1 in the Mohr diagram and the plane of action
The difference between σ1 and σ3 determines the position of the circle.
τ

τ
2𝜽

σn
σ3 σn σ1

Physical space Mohr space

Biaxial stress

• = = atmospheric pressure
• We only consider the (, ) plane
• AB plane (plane of action) = 1
• AC = sinθ and BC = cosθ

• Force on side BC = . cosθ

• Force on side AC = . sinθ
• Force on side AB:
• .1
• .1
 Considering static equilibrium and normal force on AB

• Force perpendicular to AB =
force perpendicular to BC resolved on CD
force perpendicular to AC resolved on CD
+ =0
• . 1 = cosθ.cosθ + sinθ.sinθ
θ
sinθ
• σn = σ1cos2θ + σ3sin2θ

θ
cosθ
• Knowing trigo. relationships
• = = atmospheric pressure • cos2θ = 1⁄2(1 + cos2θ)
• We only consider (, ) plane • sin2θ = 1⁄2(1 – cos2θ)
• AB plane (plane of action) = 1
• AC = sinθ and BC = cosθ
• σn = σ11⁄2(1 + cos2θ) + σ31⁄2(1 – cos2θ)
• Force on side BC = . cosθ • σn = σ1⁄2+ σ1cos2θ/2 + σ3⁄2 – σ3cos2θ/2
• Force on side AC = . sinθ
• Force on side AB:
• .1
• .1
 Considering static equilibrium and parallel force on AB

• Force parallel to AB =
force perpendicular to BC resolved on
θ
+ =0 AB -
sinθ force perpendicular to AC resolved on
AB.
• . 1 = cosθ.sinθ - sinθ.cosθ
θ
cosθ
• = = atmospheric pressure • σs = (σ1-σ3)cosθ.sinθ
• We only consider (, ) plane
• AB plane (plane of action) = 1
• AC = sinθ and BC = cosθ
• Knowing that sinθ⋅cosθ = 1⁄2sin2θ

• Force on side BC = . cosθ

• Force on side AC = . sinθ
• Force on side AB:
• .1
• .1
• Plane of maximum normal stress is at an angle of 0° with σ3 (cos 0° = 1)

• Plane of maximum shear stress is at an angle of 45° (sin 90° = 1)

 5. Evolution of stress with respect to ϴ
𝜽

100% σn
𝝈𝒏 =𝝈𝟏 𝒄𝒐𝒔 𝜽
𝟐
𝐹 𝑛= 𝐹 cos 𝜃
𝝉=𝝈 𝟏 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝜽 𝒄𝒐𝒔 𝜽 𝐹 𝑠 =𝐹 sin 𝜃
σn
σs

e 3
tu r
e c
L
0 Evolution of normal (σn) and shear stress (τ) as a function of
the angle 𝜃 between the orientation of the stress (σ1) and the
100%
σs
plane (= dip of the plane)

0
 It is not easy to determined normal stress σn and shear stress τ
directly from an ellipse (or ellipsoid).

The Mohr circle is a graphic representation of the normal (x-axis) and shear stresses (y-axis).
2𝜽: angle between the principal stress σ1 in the Mohr diagram and the plane of action
The difference between σ1 and σ3 determines the position of the circle.
τ

τ
2𝜽

σn
σ3 σn σ1

Physical space Mohr space

 Where does the Mohr circle come from?

1) We square the two equations on the left:

[σn – 1⁄2(σ1 + σ3)]2 = 1⁄2(σ1 – σ3)2 cos2 2θ

σs2 = 1⁄2(σ1 – σ3)2 sin22θ

2) Then we add the two equations:

[σn – 1⁄2(σ1 + σ3)]2 + σs2 = 1⁄2(σ1 – σ3)2 . (cos2 2θ + sin22θ)

Using trigo. relationship (cos22θ + sin22θ) = 1

[σn – 1⁄2(σ1 + σ3)]2 + σs2 = 1⁄2(σ1 – σ3)2 (x – a)2 + y2 = r2

[σn – 1⁄2(σ1 + σ3) ]2 + σs2 = [1⁄2(σ1 – σ3)]2 (x – a)2 + y2 = r2

a r x
Christian Otto Mohr (October 8, 1835 – October 2,
1918) was a German civil engineer. In 1882, he famously
developed the graphical method for analysing stress
known as Mohr's circle and used it to propose an early
theory of strength based on shear stress.
How to construct the Mohr Diagram? (x – a)2 + y2 = r2

[σn – 1⁄2(σ1 + σ3) ]2 + σs2 = [1⁄2(σ1 – σ3)]2

• Two axes, σn and σs
• Plot σ1 and σ3 on the σn-axis (remember principal stresses
are parallel to planes with zero shear stresses)
• Construct a circle through σ1 and σ3 with midpoint 0 at
1⁄2(σ1 + σ3), and a radius of 1⁄2(σ1 - σ3)
• Draw the line OP with angle OPσ1 = 2θ
• Two planes, oriented at angle θ and its complement (90 - θ) with equal shear stresses but different
normal stresses (P1 and P2).
• Two planes with equal normal stress, but with shear stresses of opposite sign (P2 and P3).
• For any value of σ1 and σ3, we can determine we can determine σn and σs graphically.
Characteristic states of stress are illustrated in the Mohr diagram for 3-D stress.
The 3-D state of stress is illustrated by means of three circles connecting the three
principal stresses. The largest circle contains 1 and 3. The three circles reduce to
two or one for special states of stress.