Measurements of Stress and Strain

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Relationship between force and body
Stress
Strain
Application of Stress-Strain Curve
Measurements of Stress and Strain

  1. Frankel V.H. & Nordin M (2001): Biomechanics of Bone. In Nordin M. & Frankel VH (eds): Basic Biomechanics of the Musculoskeletal System. Philadelphia, PS, USA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. pp.26-58.
  2. Chaffin & Andersson, 1999: 101-124, 146-158, 167-170

 


Relationship Between Force and Body

 

Force

  • definition: an action that changes the state of rest or motion to which it is applied
  • external force vs. internal force
  • strength: maximum force that a body can be loaded
  • stress: load per unit

 

Body

 

Effect of forces on a body

 

Mechanics of Materials

  • a branch of applied mechanics that develops relationship between the external loads applied to a deformable body and the internal forces acting within the body
    • deformation of the body
    • body's stability when it is subjected to external loads

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Stress

 

Definition of stress

  • definition: the intensity of force per unit area of the tissue
    • normal stress: the intensity of internal force acting perpendicular to a plane
      s = DF / DA
      assumptions
      1. the material is homogeneous
      2. the cross-sectional area at each point is the same
      3. the strain is even
      4. the resultant load is passing through its centroid
    • shear stress: the intensity of internal force acting tangent to a plane
      t = DV / DA
  • SI unit:  Pa (Pascal) = N/m2
  • USCS unit: psi = lb/in2
  • tensile stress is positive while compressive stress is negative

 

Types of stress

  • tensile stress (tension)
    • one kind of normal stress that is applied perpendicular to the body and takes it apart
    • the body tends to be elongated in the direction of the applied forces
  • compressive stress (compression)
    • one kind of normal stress that is applied perpendicular to the body and puts it together
    • the body tends to be shrink in the direction of the applied forces
  • shear stress
    • the force acting in directions tangent to the area resisting the force
    • also named as tangential force
  • bending stress
    • failure under bending stress
      • three point bending: failure at the point of the middle force
      • four point bending: failure at the weakest point
  • torsion stress: loads parallel to the surface of the structure and in the same direction, resulting in the tensile stresses and strains at one side and compressive stresses and strains at the other side of the structure; there are no stresses and strains along the neutral axis
  • combined stress

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Strain

Definition of stain

  • the extent of deformation relative to its initial condition
  • unit: normal strain = % (dimensionless quantity) or   mm/m
               shear strain = rad
  • tensile strain is positive while compressive strain is negative

 

Factors affecting the extent of deformation

  • mechanical properties
  • size of the body
  • shape of the body
  • temperature
  • humidity
  • magnitude, direction, and duration of applied forces

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Application of Stress-Strain Curve

 

Stress-Strain curve

  • elastic region: When the magnitude of the stress is small, the elastic force can be represented by the relation for an ideal spring (Hooke's law), i.e., the elastic force exerted by the viscoelastic material is proportional to the amount of deformation
    • F = k x
      where F = elastic force
                  k = spring stiffness which is a constant
                  x = amount of deformation
  • plastic region
  • yield point  
  • failure point

 

Strength

  • maximum stress that a body can be loaded (ultimate stress)
  • maximum strain that a body can be deformed (ultimate strain)
  • maximum energy stored

 

Stiffness

  • modulus of elasticity (Young's modulus): for both tensile and compression stress
    • the ratio of the stress to strain in the elastic region of the stress-strain curve
      E = s / e
    • named after Thomas Young (1773-1829, English scientist)
    • SI unit: Pascal
    • USCS: psi
  • Hooke's law : only for tensile stress
    • for an elastic material, the strain is a linear function of the stress applied
    • named after Robert Hooke (1653-1703, English scientist)
  • modulus of rigidity (shear modulus of elasticity)
    G = t / g      where g = d / h
  • SI unit: Pascal
  • USCS: psi

 

Poisson's ratio

  • When a material is under a tensile stress, the tensile strain and the lateral contraction is proportional.
    n = elateral / elongitudinal
    • assumptions:
      • the material is homogeneous
      • the material is isotropic
    • named after Simeon Denis Poisson (1781-1840)
  • unit: dimensionless
  • 0 £ n £ ½
  • relationship between the modulus of elasticity and that of rigidity
    G = E / 2(1 + n)

 

Brittle vs. Ductile materials

  • brittle material: the material whose failure occurs at a very low strain, e.g. ceramic or glass
  • ductile material: the material that is able to resist a very high strain before failure, e.g. aluminum alloys
  •  

    Creep Phenomenon (潛變現象)

  • progressive deformation of a material with time as the amount of load remains constant
  •  

    Load Relaxation Phenomenon (鬆弛現象)

  • progressive decrease in load with time as the deformation of the structure remains constant
  •  

    Hysteresis (遲滯現象)

  • Energy stored in a viscoelastic material when a load is given and then relaxed.
  • aged heel pad: poor ability to absorb the shock
  •  

    Elastic vs. Plastic materials

  • elasticity: the ability of a body to resume its original size and shape on removal of the applied loads
    NOTE: the elastic material is not necessary to have a linear relationship on the stress-strain curve
  • plasticity: When a tissue is stretched to the plastic region and then released, the tissue will assume a new resting length that is longer than the initial length because of plastic changes in its structure.
  • clinical application: flexibility exercise or joint mobilization 
  •  

    Allowable stress

  • When a structural member or mechanical element is designed, the stress must be restricted in a material to a level that will be safe. This is the allowable stress.
  • factor of safety (F.S.): the ratio of a theoretical maximum load that can be carried by the member until it fails in a particular manner divided by an allowable load
    F.S. = Ffail / Fallow
  • the factor of safety is chosen to be greater than 1 to 10 in order to avoid the potential for failure
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    Measurements of Stress and Strain

     

    Tension test

  • to apply a tensile load on the material to be tested and measure the strain using extensometer
  • nominal strain: DL / initial L
  • natural strain: DL / final L
  •  

    Compression test

  • to apply a compressive load on the material to be tested and measure the strain using extensometer
  •  

    ASTM

  • American Society for Testing and Materials
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    Established on 02/27/2004 and Last Updated 04/05/2005
    © 2002-2007 Huei-Ming Chai    All Right Reserved