Unit 9.

Material and shape

Materials for efficient structures
Mike Ashby
Department of Engineering,
University of Cambridge

Created with Ansys Granta EduPack 2024R1 ©2024 ANSYS, Inc.

Learning objectives for this lecture unit

Intended Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and
Understanding of the concept of shape efficiency
Understanding

Skills and Abilities Ability to select efficient material-shape combinations

Values and Attitudes Awareness of how materials and shape interact

Resources
 Text: “Materials Selection in Mechanical Design”, 5th edition by M.F. Ashby, Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford, 2016, Chapters 10-11

2 ©2024 ANSYS, Inc.

Outline of lecture unit 9

 Efficient shapes: tubes, I-beams etc

 The shape factor and shape limits

 Material indices that include shape
 Graphical ways of dealing with shape
 The Ansys Granta EduPack Structural Sections data-table

3 ©2024 ANSYS, Inc.

Shape efficiency

• When materials are loaded in bending, in torsion, or are used as slender columns, section shape
becomes important

• ”Shape” = cross section formed to a

tubes
I-sections
tubes
hollow box-section
sandwich panels
ribbed panels

• “Efficient” = use least material for given stiffness or strength

• Shapes to which a material can be formed are limited by the material itself

• Goals: understand the limits to shape develop methods for co-selecting material and shape

4 ©2024 ANSYS, Inc.

Shape and mode of loading
Standard structural members

Area A matters,
Tie
not shape

Beam Area A and shape IXX, IYY

matter

Torsion bar Area A and shape J

matter

Column Area A and shape Imin

matter

Certain materials can be made to certain shapes: what is the best combination?

5 ©2024 ANSYS, Inc.

Shape efficiency: bending stiffness
 Take ratio of bending stiffness S of shaped section to that (S o) of a neutral reference section of the same cross-
section area
 Define a standard reference section: a solid square with area A = b 2
 Second moment of area is I; stiffness scales as EI.

b4 A2 Area A is I  y 2 b( y ) dy
Io   constant
12 12
Area A and
Area A = b2 modulus E
unchanged
b

Define shape factor for elastic bending, measuring efficiency, as

S EI I
e    12 2
So E Io A

6 ©2024 ANSYS, Inc.

Properties of the shape factor

 The shape factor is dimensionless – a pure number.

 It characterizes shape.

I-sections,
e 10

Circular tubes,
e 10

Increasing size at constant shape

• Each of these is roughly 10 times stiffer in bending than a

solid square section of the same cross-sectional area

7 ©2024 ANSYS, Inc.

Shape efficiency: bending strength
 Take ratio of bending strength Ff of shaped section to that (Ff,o) of a neutral reference section of the
same cross-section area
 Section modulus of area is Z; strength scales as  y Z

b3 A3 / 2 Area A is I
Zo   constant Z
6 6 ymax

Area A = b2
Area A and
yield strength
b  y unchanged
b

Define shape factor for onset of plasticity (failure), measuring efficiency, as

Ff y Z Z
f    6 3/2
Ffo  y Zo A

8 ©2024 ANSYS, Inc.

Tabulation of shape factors
Section shape Area A Second Elastic shape
m moment I, m 4 factor

h
h b h3
bh b
12
b

 3 3 a
2a ab a b  b
4
2b
t

 ( ro2  ri2 )  4 4 3 r

2ri
( ro  ri )  
2ro 4  t
2  r t
  r3 t (r  t )

t
1 h (1  3b / h )
h 2 t (h  b) 1 3 b 2 t (1  b / h ) 2
h t (1  3 )
( h , b  t ) 6 h
( h , b  t
b

t
b (h o  h i ) b 3
( h o  h 3i ) 3 h o2
hi ho 12
 2bt 2 bt
1
( h , b  t )  b t h o2 ( h , b  t )
b 2

t
1 h (1  3b / h )
h 1 3 b 2 t (1  b / h ) 2
2t 2 t (h  b) h t (1  3 )
6 h
( h , b  t ) ( h , b  t )
b

9 ©2024 ANSYS, Inc.

What values of e exist in reality?
12 I e
e   log (I) 2 log ( A )  log e 100
A2 12 e 1

10 ©2024 ANSYS, Inc.

Limits for shape factors e and f
 There is an upper limit to shape factor for each material
Material Max e
Max f

Steels 65
13
Aluminum alloys 44
10
GFRP and CFRP 39 9
Unreinforced polymers 12 5
Woods 8 3
Elastomers <6 -
 Limit
Other set by: (a) manufacturing
materials ...can constraints
calculate
(b) local buckling Modulus

E
 Theoretical limit: e  2
y
Yield strength

11 ©2024 ANSYS, Inc.

Indices that include shape
F
Area A
Function Beam (shaped section).

Constraint Bending stiffness = S:

CEI
S L
3
L
I is the second moment of area: m = mass
 12 I 
1/ 2 A = area
I
e  12 A    L = length
A2 
 e   = density
b = edge length
Objective Minimise mass, m, where: S = stiffness
m AL I = second moment of area
E = Youngs Modulus

1/ 2
 12 S L5       
m     Chose materials with smallest  
 C    E  
1 / 2   E  
1 / 2
   e   e 

12 ©2024 ANSYS, Inc.

Selecting material-shape combinations
 Materials for stiff, shaped beams of minimum weight

 Fixed shape (e fixed): choose materials with low E1/ 2

 Shape e a variable: choose materials with low
eE 1/ 2
Material , Mg/m3 E, GPa e,max  / E1/ 2  / e,max E 1/ 2

1020 Steel 7.85 205 65 0.55 0.068

6061 T4 Al 2.70 70 44 0.32 0.049

GFRP 1.75 28 39 0.35 0.053
Wood (oak) 0.9 13 8 0.25 0.088
 Commentary: Fixed shape (up to e = 8): wood is best
Maximum shape (e = e,max): Al-alloy is best
Steel recovers some performance through high e,max

13 ©2024 ANSYS, Inc.

Shape on selection charts
  / e *  / e
 Note that 
e E 1/ 2 E / e 1/ 2 New material with E* E / e
Al: e = 1

Al: e = 44


C
E1/ 2

14 ©2024 ANSYS, Inc.

Summary

 When materials carry bending, torsion or axial compression, the section

shape becomes important.

 The “shape efficiency” is the amount of material needed to carry the

load. It is measured by the shape factor, .

 If two materials have the same shape, the standard indices for bending
(e.g.  / E1/ 2 ) guide the choice.

 If materials can be made -- or are available -- in different shapes, then

indices which include the shape (e.g.  / E 
1/ 2
) guide the choice.

15 ©2024 ANSYS, Inc.

 Lecture unit series
PowerPoint lecture units, as well as many other types of resources, can be found in the Ansys Education Resources webpage.
Finding and Displaying Information Sustainability
Unit 1 The materials of engineering What is a sustainable development? A materials perspective
Unit 2 Material property charts: mapping materials Exploring Critical Materials using Ansys Granta EduPack
Unit 3 The Elements database: properties, relationships and resources Special Topics
Material Properties The Built Environment: materials for construction
Unit 4 Manipulating properties: composition, microstructure, Structural sections: shape in action
architecture
Materials in industrial design: Why do consumers buy products?
Unit 5 Designing new materials: filling the materials-property space
Unit 6 Materials Science and Engineering The Design database for Products

Selection The Medical Devices database

Unit 7 Material selection: translation, screening, ranking, documentation The Battery Designer tool

Unit 8 Objectives in conflict: trade off methods and penalty functions Advanced Teaching and Research

Unit 9 Material and shape: materials for efficient structures Advanced databases: a lightning tour

Unit 10 Manufacturing processes and cost modeling The Aerospace edition

Unit 11 Eco-informed material selection The Polymer edition

Unit 12 Eco design and the Eco Audit tool The Synthesizer tool: hybrids and other models
Materials for Bioengineering
www.ansys.com/education-resources
16 ©2024 ANSYS, Inc.
© 2024 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2018 Mike Ashby

Use and Reproduction

The content in this resource may only be used or reproduced for teaching purposes; and any commercial use is strictly prohibited.

Document Information
This lecture unit is part of a set of teaching resources to help introduce students to materials, processes and rational selections.

Ansys Education Resources

To access more undergraduate education resources, including lecture presentations with notes, exercises with worked solutions, microprojects, real
life examples and more, visit www.ansys.com/education-resources.

17 ©2024 ANSYS, Inc.