Chapter 4

THE PHYSICAL ASPECT OF SOLICITATION

4.1 INITIAL NOTIONS ABOUT THE MATERIALS BEHAVIOR

To understand the materials behavior we have to establish a connection
between the member deformation and the internal stresses. This connection is
achieved experimentally by standardized tests made on construction materials
(steel, wood, concrete, etc.).
From these tests a very important connection between unit stresses and
specific deformations is established, connection which can be represented by the
graphs (Fig.4.1):

Fig.4.1
These graphs are called characteristic curves of the materials, because they
characterize the behavior of materials, under loads. They depend on many factors,
an essential factor being the physical nature of the deformation. Depending on the
nature of the deformations, they can be:
- elastic deformations
- plastic deformations
- viscous deformations
 4.1.1 Elastic deformation
For many construction elements it is a deformation with small values and it
is reversible (when unload the tested element it returns to the initial position).
The characteristic curve is represented by a straight line passing through
origin, which express the proportionality between unit stresses and specific
deformations (Fig.4.2).

Fig.4.2
The relations (4.1) and (4.2) express Hooke’s laws for simple deformations:
σ=E·ε (4.1)
τ=G·γ (4.2)

tg
= =



tg  = = 


Thomas Young (1773-1829)

In Hooke’s laws, E and G represent:
E: modulus of longitudinal elasticity or Young modulus
G: modulus of transverse elasticity or Shear modulus
Ex: for steel: E =2.1× 10 daN/cm2  = 0.3
G= 8.1× 10 daN/cm2
Between E and G the following relation exists:

G=
( )

In the above relation  represents the coefficient of transverse contraction, known

as Poisson’s coefficient (ratio).

Siméon Denis Poisson (1781-1840)

The elongation in x-direction εx is accompanied by a contraction εy and εz in the
other directions y and z. Assuming that the material is isotropic (no directional

 
 ೤
dependence): εy = εz ≠ 0. With these Poisson’s ratio is  = =− =

 ೣ
೥
−
ೣ

4.1.2 Plastic deformation

It is a permanent deformation, much bigger than the elastic deformation and
it takes place without generating any internal stresses.
 To illustrate the plastic deformation, we shall analyze the characteristic
curve of an ideal elastic-plastic material (mild steel), known as Prandtl’s curve
(Fig.4.3).

Ludwig Prandtl (1875-1953)

After the linear elastic zone, limited by the yield limit ( ), a perfect plastic zone
follows, where  is constant, zone called yield plateau.

O - A:
 =·
E = tg

A:
 = c

A - B:
 = c = constant
E=
0 = 0

Fig.4.3
 4.2. THE MECHANICAL TESTS OF THE CONSTRUCTION
MATERIALS
4.2.1 Generals
Any material used in construction should be rigorously checked by
mechanical tests. The tests should determine materials proprieties in direct
dependence on the external factors of influence, conditions of solicitation,
temperature. That’s why the mechanical proprieties are relative and we discuss for
any material about three main mechanical states:
a) The brittle or frail state: characterized by small resistance to rupture and
small deformations. Example of materials which present a brittle rupture:
hardened steel, iron, concrete, glass, plaster, stone.

The fractured brittle specimen has this shape:

The failure surface is perpendicular to the direction of the load. This indicates that
failure in brittle materials is produced mainly due to normal stress .
b) The ductile or tenacious state: characterized by big resistance and big
deformations. Example of materials which present a ductile rupture:
common steel, aluminum alloy, copper.

The fractured ductile specimen has this shape:

We observe a cone-shaped failure surface, in which the sides of the cone make an
angle of approximately 45°. This shape indicates that failure in ductile materials
takes place mainly by shear stress .
 c) The plastic state: characterized by small resistance and big deformations.
Example: the plastics.
The mechanical state of a material is influenced by:
- Geometrical factors: the specimens dimension
- Physical factors: the temperature, humidity. Example: at high temperatures
the common (mild) steel passes from the ductile state to a plastic state,
respectively at very low temperature it passes to a brittle state
- Mechanical factors: the type and the speed of loading, the nature of loading:
statics or dynamics, the duration of loading
4.2.2 The tensile test of mild steel (Stress-strain test)
The test is realized applying to a specimen a gradually and slowly increasing
tensile load F. Due to the increasing tensile load, the specimen is continuously
stretched. Tensile load and specimen elongation are continuously recorded by
the operator (Fig.4.5). This process is made until the specimen is fractured.
The specimen has a standard shape of circular section (Fig.4.4), with known
dimensions, like length and cross-sectional area.

Fig.4.4
During the test, the ends of the specimen are fixed in the grips of a usually
hydraulic machine (Fig.4.5), which applies a tensile force to the specimen at a
prescribed loading speed.
The lengthening of the specimen, between the final marks, is measured
mechanically and recorded simultaneously with the force.
 Fig.4.5
If ∆ = −  is the elongation in any moment of the test, the force-
displacement diagram (Fig.4.6) will be:

Two distinctive points can be

identified on the curve (Fig.4.6):
Fy: the yield force
Fu: the ultimate (rupture) or maximum
force

Fig.4.6
If we divide the quantities from the diagram ordinates by the initial
geometrical characteristics of the specimen l0 and A0, we obtain the elongation ε
and the unit stress σ:
 ∆

= =

బ బ

With these a new curve may be represented (Fig.4.7), named: the

characteristic curve of the structural steel (the stress-strain diagram).
Zone OA (Fig.4.7) present a linear variation, what shows that is this zone the
normal stresses  are proportional to the elongations . This shows that the
material obeys Hooke’s law ( =  · ). Slope of this straight line OA provides
information on the Young’s modulus of the material. Point A corresponds to the
proportionality limit  .
In zone AB (Fig.4.7)  and  are no longer proportional, but the material has
still an elastic behaviour (if downloaded from point B the specimen fully recovers
to the initial length  ). Point B, an elastic limit point very close to point A,
corresponds to the elasticity limit  . The material is said to behave elastically.
Zone BC (Fig.4.7) is an elasto-plastic zone. Point C, upper yield point of the
౯
material, corresponds to the yield strength (limit)  : σ = , which is the load
బ
at upper yield point over the cross-sectional area.

Fig.4.7
 Zone CD (Fig.4.7) is called yield plateau, when the specimen presents an
appreciable increase in strain, with practically no increase in stress. We say the
material behave plastically, the material yield.
Zone DE (Fig.4.7) corresponds to a hardening zone. Both  and  grow.
Point E, point of strain hardening, corresponds to the tensile strength  !" which

is the rupture strength # : $ =  = ೘ೌೣ .
బ
To explain the specimen rupture, during the test it can be observed that in the
vicinity of the ultimate load (Fmax) the specimen no longer deforms uniformly
along its length, but rather the deformation is concentrated on a certain region
along the length, the phenomenon (Fig.4.8) being called necking (weaker section
of the bar, the diameter being heavily reduced) .
The cross section presents in this portion a significant reduction, the
breaking (rupture) occurring (Fig.4.8) where the specimen is weakened. In point F
(Fig.4.7) the specimen breaks.
In this point F, the curve presents an apparent (Fig.4.7) decreasing of the
normal stress , but only because the stress  is still related to the initial area A0

(max = ೘ೌೣ). In reality, the final area of the broken specimen (Fig.4.8) is Au, and
బ
the curve presents the dotted position (point F’).

Fig.4.8
If, after rupture we join the two broken pieces we may measure the ultimate
length lu and the diameter at the neck du. With these, other two important
mechanical properties may be determined:
- Percentage elongation:

%

 = ೠ బ × 100 (%) & =  + ∆

బ
- Percentage reduction in area:
బ %ೠ మ
'(ೠ
= × 100 (%) Au: the ultimate area & =
బ )

These two properties  and  indicate ductility of the material.