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Dec 27, 2025

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5 pages

Understanding Normal, Shearing, and Bearing Stresses

Ezjo

@ez.jo

Stress is a fundamental concept in engineering that describes how... Show more

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NORMAL STRESS, SHEARING STRESS AND BEARING STRESS

SIMPLE STRESSES

Simple stresses are expressed as the ratio of the applied force divided

Normal Stress Basics

When force acts perpendicular to a surface, it creates normal stress. Think of normal stress like pushing or pulling directly on a material. It's calculated using a simple formula: σ = Force/Area.

There are two types you need to know. Tensile stress happens when forces pull on an object, trying to make it longer (like stretching a rubber band). Compressive stress occurs when forces push inward, trying to make an object shorter (like squeezing a spring).

For both types, the stress formula remains the same: σ = P/A, where P is the load in Newtons and A is the cross-sectional area in square millimeters.

💡 The maximum stress always occurs on a section perpendicular to the applied load - this is critical to remember when analyzing structures!

Analyzing Forces in Wires and Rods

When analyzing structures with multiple elements, you'll need to determine how force distributes through each component. This helps ensure no part exceeds its maximum allowable stress.

For problems with angled wires, use trigonometry and the sine law to find the tension in each wire. Remember that stress equals force divided by area $σ = F/A$ , so you can determine the maximum allowable load by solving for each component.

When working with connected rods of different materials (like steel, aluminum, and bronze), analyze each material separately. The material with the lowest calculated maximum load will determine the safe limit for the entire system.

💡 When different materials are connected in a structure, the weakest link determines the overall strength - just like a chain is only as strong as its weakest link!

Shearing Stress

Shearing stress happens when forces act parallel to a surface rather than perpendicular to it. Picture pushing sideways on a stack of cards - they slide against each other instead of compressing.

The formula is similar to normal stress: τ = V/A, where V is the shearing force passing through the centroid of area A. Shearing stress is also called tangential stress since it acts along the surface.

There are two common shearing configurations you should know. In single shear, the force cuts across the material at one location. In double shear, the force cuts across the material at two locations, effectively doubling the resisting area and distributing the stress.

💡 Understanding whether a connection is in single or double shear is crucial - double shear connections can handle twice the load with the same size fastener!

Calculating Shearing Forces

Shearing stress appears in many practical applications like punching holes in metal or using bolts in connections. For these problems, identifying the correct shearing area is key.

When punching a hole, the shearing area is the perimeter of the hole multiplied by the material thickness. For a circular punch, that's π × diameter × thickness. The force required equals this area times the material's shear strength.

For bolts in connections, determine whether single or double shear applies. In double shear (where the bolt passes through multiple plates), the effective shearing area doubles. This means a double-shear connection can handle twice the load of the same bolt in single shear.

💡 Bolt failures often occur due to shear, so correctly calculating the required bolt diameter can prevent catastrophic structural failures!

Bearing Stress

Bearing stress is the contact pressure between separate bodies, like where a bolt presses against a plate hole. It differs from compressive stress because it occurs at the contact interface between different components.

When designing connections like rivets joining plates, you must check multiple failure modes: the shear strength of the fastener and the bearing strength of the connected materials. The design is limited by whichever failure mode occurs first.

For riveted or bolted connections, you'll also need to account for the reduced cross-sectional area of the plate (due to the hole). This "net section" determines the maximum tensile stress the plate can handle.

💡 In real-world designs, you must check all possible failure modes (bearing, shear, tension) and use the most conservative result to ensure safety!

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Arithmetic

•

Dec 27, 2025

•

5 pages

Understanding Normal, Shearing, and Bearing Stresses

Ezjo

💡 In real-world designs, you must check all possible failure modes (bearing, shear, tension) and use the most conservative result to ensure safety!