TORSION TEST OF STRUCTURAL

MATERIALS
Testing Laboratory – 4
André Gago Paz
Objectives:

The objectives of this experiment are to a) study, observe and conduct torsion test of structural
materials (steel, aluminum,composites) b) develop skills in performing test tests and c) to interpret
data and prepare a technical report.

Introduction:

Many products and components are subjected to torsional forces during their operation. Products
such as shaft, fasteners, and automotive steering columns are just a few devices subject to such
torsional stresses. By testing these products in torsion, manufacturers are able to simulate real life
service conditions, check product quality, verify designs, and ensure proper manufacturing
techniques.

A torsion test can be conducted on most materials to determine the torsional properties of the
material. These properties are modulus of elasticity in shear, yield shear strength, ultimate shear
strength, and modulus of rupture in shear and ductility. The torsion test generates the "torque
versus angle" diagram that looks very similar to a "stress versus strain" curve in a tensile test.

Theory:

In general, the test that demonstrates the effects of shearing forces and resulting stresses is the
torsion test of a solid circular bar or rod. As a matter of fact, this test generates a state of pure shear
stress in the torsional loaded rod. Such a test is used to ascertain all the major shear properties of
metal materials, i.e., the ultimate shear stress, the yield shear stress and the modulus of rigidity or
shear modulus.
The applied torque (T ) to the specimen and resulting deformation (angle of twist,φ) are measured
during the torsion test. These results are converted to shear stress, τ and shear strain, γ, by the
following respective equations:

𝑇𝑟
𝜏= (1)
𝐽

𝜑𝑟
𝛾= (2)
𝐿

where r is the radius of the solid circular rod, L is the length over which the relative angle of
twist is measured (this angle must be in radians) and J is the polar moment of inertia defined as
follows:

𝜋 4
𝐽= 𝑟 (3)
2

The shear modulus of elasticity is defined as the linear slope, of the shear stress-shear strain
relation, between zero shear stress and the proportional limit shear stress (defined below),

𝛥𝜏
𝐺= (4)
𝛥𝛾

This equation clearly states that the shear modulus, like Young’s modulus, is only valid for the
linear elastic range of the material.

Equipment: Torsion Testing Machine

Material: Aluminum Alloy,

Procedure:

1. Measure all the dimensions of the specimen needed to calculate,

a. Polar moment of inertia, J of rod.

𝟒
𝛑 · 𝐫 𝟒 𝛑 · 𝟐, 𝟑𝟖𝟒[𝐦𝐦 ]
𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫 = 𝟑, 𝟑𝟖𝐦𝐦 => 𝐈𝐨 = = = 𝟓𝟎, 𝟒[𝐦𝐦𝟒 ]
𝟐 𝟐
 b. Gage length, L, of the specimen.

Previous calculations have been made to the obtention of G just shown in point 3.

Calculations for short bar:

𝑻·𝑳 𝟏𝟏, 𝟓
𝝋= = = 𝟎, 𝟐[𝒓𝒂𝒅] (𝑻𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒉)
𝑮 · 𝑰𝒐 𝟓𝟕

𝑵 𝟒
𝟎, 𝟐[𝒓𝒂𝒅] · 𝑮 · 𝑰𝒐 𝟎, 𝟐[𝒓𝒂𝒅] · 𝟑𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎 [𝒎𝒎𝟐 ] · 𝟓𝟎, 𝟒[𝒎𝒎 ]
𝑳= =
𝑻 𝟏𝟓𝟎𝟎[𝑵 · 𝒎𝒎]

𝑳 = 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝒎𝒎

Calculations for long bar:

𝑻·𝑳 𝟐𝟐′ 𝟑
𝝋= = = 𝟎, 𝟑𝟗[𝒓𝒂𝒅] (𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒉𝒔)
𝑮 · 𝑰𝒐 𝟓𝟕

𝑵 𝟒
𝟎, 𝟑𝟗[𝒓𝒂𝒅] · 𝑮 · 𝑰𝒐 𝟎, 𝟑𝟗[𝒓𝒂𝒅] · 𝟑𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎 [𝒎𝒎𝟐 ] · 𝟓𝟎, 𝟒[𝒎𝒎 ]
𝑳= =
𝑻 𝟏𝟓𝟎𝟎[𝑵 · 𝒎𝒎]

𝑳 = 𝟑𝟗𝟒𝒎𝒎
 2. Record force and twist angle data from the device attached to the machine. i.e. Use force
at an interval of 5 N up to 40 N.

Data Analysis

1. Make a Table with Load, Torque , twist angle and shear strain (Use equ. 2) for L = 400
mm and L = 200 mm

The table will be performed using Excel software as shown:

2. Plot Torque vs. Twist angle

It is visible that as longer the bar is, the more it twists.

 3. Compute torsional stress from applied torque, polar moment of inertia and radius of the
bar.
In order to calculate torsional stress, first the polar moment of inertia will be
calculated:
𝟒
𝝅 · 𝒓𝟒 𝝅 · 𝟐, 𝟑𝟖𝟒[𝒎𝒎 ]
𝑰𝒐 = = = 𝟓𝟎, 𝟒[𝒎𝒎𝟒 ]
𝟐 𝟐

𝑻 · 𝒓 𝟏𝟓𝟎𝟎[𝑵 · 𝒎𝒎] · 𝟐, 𝟑𝟖[𝒎𝒎] 𝑵

𝝉= = = 𝟕𝟎, 𝟖𝟑 [ ]
𝑱 𝟓𝟎, 𝟒[𝒎𝒎𝟒 ] 𝒎𝒎𝟐

4. Plot torsional stress, τ vs. Shear strain, γ data:

Both torsional stress and shear strain will be computed in Excel for all the different torque
levels giving the following data table:
As the data given for both 400 and 200[mm] stress and strain values are equal, the graphs
will also be the sabe so, it will be shown the 400mm one:

5. Determine Shear modulus, G from the slope.

The slope is obtained by the initial data table:

𝟐𝟐, 𝟑
𝒎= = 𝟎, 𝟎𝟏𝟒𝟖
(𝑮 · 𝑰𝒐)
The G can be obtained:
𝟒𝟎𝟎 · 𝟓𝟕[𝒓𝒂𝒅] 𝟒𝟎𝟎 · 𝟓𝟕[𝒓𝒂𝒅]
𝑮= =
𝟎, 𝟎𝟏𝟒𝟖 · 𝑰𝒐 𝝅 · 𝟐, 𝟑𝟖𝟒
𝟎, 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟐𝟔 ·
𝟐

𝑵
𝑮 = 𝟑𝟎, 𝟒𝟐𝟗 [ ] 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 [𝑴𝑷𝒂]
𝒎𝒎𝟐
 6. Compare with manufacturer data of G (27 GPa) and torsional strength.

As the manufacture state a lower G, the slope would be lower, so it means that the material
is more ductile than we have measured.

7. Check G calculated using L = 400 mm and L = 200 mm

L=400mm:
𝟐𝟐, 𝟑
𝒎= = 𝟎, 𝟎𝟏𝟒𝟖
(𝑮 · 𝑰𝒐)

𝟒𝟎𝟎 · 𝟓𝟕[𝒓𝒂𝒅] 𝟒𝟎𝟎 · 𝟓𝟕[𝒓𝒂𝒅]

𝑮= =
𝟎, 𝟎𝟏𝟒𝟖 · 𝑰𝒐 𝝅 · 𝟐, 𝟑𝟖𝟒
𝟎, 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟐𝟔 · 𝟐

𝑵
𝑮 = 𝟑𝟎, 𝟒𝟐𝟗 [ ] 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 [𝑴𝑷𝒂]
𝒎𝒎𝟐

L=200mm:
𝟏𝟏, 𝟓
𝒎= = 𝟎, 𝟎𝟎𝟕𝟔
(𝑮 · 𝑰𝒐)

𝟐𝟎𝟎 · 𝟓𝟕[𝒓𝒂𝒅] 𝟐𝟎𝟎 · 𝟓𝟕[𝒓𝒂𝒅]

𝑮= =
𝟎, 𝟎𝟎𝟕𝟔 · 𝑰𝒐 𝝅 · 𝟐, 𝟑𝟖𝟒
𝟎, 𝟎𝟎𝟕𝟔 · 𝟐

𝑵
𝑮 = 𝟐𝟗, 𝟓𝟎𝟑 [ ] 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 [𝑴𝑷𝒂]
𝒎𝒎𝟐

8. Identify margin of error.

30/27 = 1,111 is the relation between the obtained G and the real G from manufacturer, so
the data obtains could be around 11,1% higher than real one.
Results and Discussion :

Question:

Aluminum Alloy, L = 400 mm, d = 60 mm, G= 260 GPa, T = 13.2 Nm (Cylindrical rod)
Calculate : Twist angle in degree

𝑻·𝑳 𝟏𝟑𝟐𝟎𝟎[𝑵𝒎𝒎] · 𝟒𝟎𝟎[𝒎𝒎]

𝝋= =
𝑮 · 𝑰𝒐 𝑵 (𝝅 · 𝟑𝟎𝟒 )[𝒎𝒎𝟒 ]
𝟐𝟔𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎 [ 𝟐 ] ·
𝒎𝒎 𝟐

𝝋 = 𝟏, 𝟓𝟖−𝟓 [𝒓𝒂𝒅] · 𝟓𝟕 => 𝝋 = 𝟗, 𝟎𝟗−𝟒 [𝒅𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒔]

If you have a square member having same cross-section area of cylindrical rod, calculate twist
angle. Comments on results.

Now it is needed to obtain the equivalent length of the square cross section.
So, first it is needed to calculate the area of the cylindrical rod:
𝐀(𝐫𝐨𝐝) = 𝛑 · 𝐫 𝟐 = 𝛑 · 𝟑𝟎𝟐 [𝐦𝐦𝟐 ] = 𝟐𝟖𝟐𝟕[𝐦𝐦𝟐 ]
Knowing this, the equivalent length for the square member can be calculated:
𝐋 = 𝟐𝟖𝟐𝟕 𝐬𝐨 𝐋 = 𝟓𝟑, 𝟐𝐦𝐦

Then the twist angle can be recalculated:

𝐓·𝐋 𝟏𝟑𝟐𝟎𝟎[𝐍𝐦𝐦] · 𝟒𝟎𝟎[𝐦𝐦]
𝛗= =
𝐆 · 𝐈𝐨 𝐍 (𝟓𝟑, 𝟐𝟒 )[𝐦𝐦𝟒 ]
𝟐𝟔𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎 [ ] ·
𝐦𝐦𝟐 𝟔

𝛗 = 𝟏, 𝟓𝟐−𝟓 [𝐫𝐚𝐝] · 𝟓𝟕 => 𝛗 = 𝟖, 𝟔𝟕−𝟒 [𝐝𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬]

Then, with this result it can be ensured that the squared section member the twist
have been reduced by the increase of the inertia value of the new member shape.

Test Data Table

L = rod length = 37.5 mm, d = rod dimeter = 4.75 mm, 1 rad = 57.3