Failure Criteria 14/03/2011
PART IV. FAILURE CRITERIA
Types of Failure
Failure Theories for
Ductile Materials
Failure Theories for
1
Brittle Materials
TYPES OF FAILURE THEORIES
For an homogeneous isotropic material, the characteristic failure stress is either
the yield stress or the ultimate stress, usually obtained from the uni-axial tensile
test.
However, in the uni-axial tension test there is only one nonzero component,
and structures are mostly subjected to multiple load effects. How do we relate
stress components in 2- and 3-D to the failure stress obtained in a uni-
axial test? Through a failure theory, which is a statement on relationship of
the stress components (i.e., principal stresses in the structure) to material
2
failure characteristics values.
Theory of Elasticity and Plasticity 1
Failure Criteria 14/03/2011
TYPES OF FAILURE THEORIES
Ductile material, such as aluminum and copper, can undergo large plastic
deformations before fracture. Glass, on the other hand, is brittle: it exhibits
little or no plastic deformation.
A ductile material usually yields by slippage of crystal planes along the
maximum shear stress surface, i.e., when the maximum shear stress (τmax)
exceeds the yield shear stress (τyield).
Ductile
Failure of Ductile Failure
timber in due to yielding
compression of a bar in
tension
Ductile Failure of Cast Iron due to a
twisting moment
Brittle
A brittle material usually ruptures by tearing apart of Failure of
two crystal planes when the maximum tensile normal Pottery
3
stress (σmax) exceeds the ultimate tensile stress (σult) .
TYPES OF FAILURE THEORIES
Ductile Material Brittle Material
Characteristic Yield Stress (τyield, σyield) Ultimate Stress (σult)
Failure Stress
Theories 1. Maximum Shear Stress 1. Maximum Normal
(Tresca) Stress
2. Maximum Octahedral Shear 2. Mohr
Stress (Von Mises)
How to recognize ductile and brittle
material in order to characterize failure
Difference between ductile or brittle is often subjective and depends on
temperature, strain levels, environmental conditions. Materials with a larger
elongation can be considered ductile.
A material’s ductility is usually described as percent elongation before rupture
(5% elongation at failure can be used as reference to divide brittle and ductile
materials).
4 Another feature to distinguish brittle and ductile is that the compression
strength of a brittle material is usually significantly larger than its tensile strength.
Theory of Elasticity and Plasticity 2
Failure Criteria 14/03/2011
FAILURE THEORIES FOR DUCTILE MATERIALS
Maximum Shear Stress Theory
The maximum shear stress theory (or Tresca’s yield criterion) predicts a
ductile material will fail when the maximum shear stress (τmax) exceeds the
shear stress at yield that is obtained from uni-axial tensile test (τyield).
The failure criterion is: τ
τ max ≤ τ yield τyield=σyield/2
σ yield
τ max ≤
2 σ
Maximum shear stress (τmax) is given by half the σyield
maximum difference between two principal
stresses.
If the principal stresses are σ1, σ2 and σ3: max(σ 1 − σ 2 , σ 2 − σ 3 , σ 3 − σ 1 ) ≤ σ yield
In addition to the difference in principal stresses to be less than the yield shear
stress, the criterion also requires the principal stress themselves to be less than the
yield stress (σyield). I.e., if plane stress:
5
σ 1 − σ 2 ≤ σ yield σ 1 ≤ σ yield σ 2 ≤ σ yield
FAILURE THEORIES FOR DUCTILE MATERIALS
Maximum Octahedral Shear Stress Theory
The maximum octahedral shear stress theory (or maximum distortion
strain energy theory or Von Mises criterion) predicts a ductile material will
fail when the maximum octahedral shear stress (τoct) exceeds the octahedral
shear stress at yield that is obtained from uni-axial tensile test (τyield) .
1
The failure criterion is: τ oct ≤ τ yield (σ 1 − σ 2 ) 2 + (σ 2 − σ 3 ) 2 + (σ 3 − σ 1 ) 2 ≤ σ yield
2
If we call, Equivalent Von Mises Stress
(σvonmises) : 1
σ vonmises = (σ 1 − σ 2 ) 2 + (σ 2 − σ 3 ) 2 + (σ 3 − σ 1 ) 2
2
σ vonmises ≤ σ yield
In plane stress, σ3=0, and the Von Mises criterion
is given by:
σ 12 − σ 1σ 2 + σ 2 2 ≤ σ yield 2
6
Theory of Elasticity and Plasticity 3
Failure Criteria 14/03/2011
FAILURE THEORIES FOR DUCTILE MATERIALS
Failure σ2
Envelopes in Von Mises
Plane Stress (Maximum Octahedral Shear)
σyield σ vonmises ≤ σ yield
- σyield σ1
σyield
- σyield
Tresca is more conservative
Tresca (Maximum Shear) than Von Mises
7 max(σ 1 − σ 2 , σ 2 − σ 3 , σ 3 − σ 1 ) ≤ σ yield
FAILURE THEORIES FOR BRITTLE MATERIALS
Maximum Normal Stress Theory
The maximum normal stress theory (also known as Coulomb or Rankine
criterion) predicts a brittle material will fail when the maximum normal stress at
a point (σmax=max(σ1,σ2, σ3)) exceed the ultimate normal tensile stress
obtained from uni-axial tension test (σult = σT) or the ultimate normal
compressive stress from a compression strength test (σult = σC) .
The failure criterion is:
max(σ 1 , σ 2 , σ 3 ) ≤ σ ult −σ C ≤ σ 1 , σ 2 ≤ σ T
In plane stress
σult in tension = σT
σult in compression = σC
This theory gives good results
provided that principal stress
σ1 is tensile and the dominant
8
principal stress.
Theory of Elasticity and Plasticity 4
Failure Criteria 14/03/2011
FAILURE THEORIES FOR BRITTLE MATERIALS
Mohr’s Theory
Mohr’s theory (also known as Coulomb-Mohr’s criterion) predicts a brittle
material will fail if a stress state is on the envelope that is tangent to the three
Mohr’s circles corresponding to: uni-axial ultimate stress in tension (σT), to uni-
axial ultimate stress in compression (σC), and to pure shear (τS).
FAILURE THEORIES FOR BRITTLE MATERIALS
Mohr’s Theory
Plane
stress
σ1 in compression
and σ2 in tension
•If both principal stresses are tensile, then
the maximum normal stress
σmax(=max(σ1,σ2)) has to be less than the σ1 in tension
ultimate tensile strength (σT ). and σ2 in
•If both principal stresses are negative, then the maximum compression
normal stress (σmax(=max(Iσ1I,Iσ2I)) must be less than the
ultimate compressive strength (IσCI).
•If the principal stresses are of different signs then for Mohr’s σ 2 σ1
Theory the failure is governed by − ≤1
10 σ C σT
Theory of Elasticity and Plasticity 5
Failure Criteria 14/03/2011
FAILURE THEORIES FOR BRITTLE MATERIALS
Failure Maximum Normal Stress −σ C ≤ σ 1 , σ 2 ≤ σ T
Envelopes in
Plane Stress Mohr’s theory is more conservative
than the Maximum Normal Stress
theory
σ2
σ 2 σ1
− =1 σT
σ C σT Mohr’s theory
- σC σ1
σT
σ1 σ 2
− =1
11 σT σC
- σC
Theory of Elasticity and Plasticity 6
