ASEN 3112 - Structures

4
Strains

ASEN 3112 Lecture 4 – Slide 1

 ASEN 3112 - Structures

From Statics To Kinematics

Lectures 1-3 dealt with topics in Statics:

Applied Forces ⇒ Internal Forces ⇒ Stresses

This lecture takes us into Kinematics:

Stresses ⇒ Strains ⇒ Displacements ⇒ Size & Shape Changes

Specifically, we cover strains and their connections to displacements

ASEN 3112 Lecture 4 – Slide 2

 ASEN 3112 - Structures

What is Strain (in Mechanics)?

A measure of deformation of a flexible body

All real materials deform under the action of stresses

as well as temperature changes.

The connection between strains and stresses (and

temperature changes) is done through
constitutive equations that encode material properties.
These are covered in Lecture 5.

ASEN 3112 Lecture 4 – Slide 3

 ASEN 3112 - Structures
Strains and Displacements

Undeformed body
Displacement P'
vector

y Position P Deformed body

vector
z x
The displacement of a body particle (mathematically a
point P in a continuum model of the body) is a vector that
defines its motion, joining the initial position P to the final
position P'. Displacements of all particles form a vector field.

Point strains are connected to partial derivatives

of displacements with respect to the position coordinates {x,y,z}

These are called the strain-displacement equations

ASEN 3112 Lecture 4 – Slide 4

 ASEN 3112 - Structures

Strains Flavors (1)

Average vs. Point. Average strain is that taken over a finite

portion of the body, for example using a strain gage or rosette.
Point strain is obtained by a limit process in which the dimension(s)
of the gaged portion is made to approach zero.

Normal vs. Shear. Normal strain (a.k.a. extensional or

dimensional strain) measures changes in length along one specific
direction. Shear strain measures changes in angles with
respect to two specific directions.

Mechanical vs. Thermal. Mechanical strain is produced by

stresses. Thermal strain is produced by temperature changes.

ASEN 3112 Lecture 4 – Slide 5

 ASEN 3112 - Structures

Strains Flavors (2)

Finite vs. Infinitesimal. Finite strains are obtained using exact

measures of the changes in dimensions or angles.
Infinitesimal strains (a.k.a. linearized or small strains) are
obtained by linearizing a finite strain measure with respect to
displacement gradients.
Strain Measures. For finite strains, several mathematical
measures are in use, often identified with a person name in front.
For example Lagrangian strains, Eulerian strains, Hencky strains,
Almansi strains, Murnaghan strains, Biot strains, etc.
They have one common feature: as strains get small, meaning
<<1, all measures coalesce into the infinitesimal (linearized)
version. A brief discussion of Lagrangian versus Eulerian
in provided when defining 1D normal strains later.

ASEN 3112 Lecture 4 – Slide 6

 ASEN 3112 - Structures

Average Normal Strain in 1D

(a) Undeformed Bar
x

undeformed length L0
(b) Deformed Bar

deformed length L = L0 + δ

def L − L0 δ
av = =
Lre f Lre f

Two common choices for the reference length are

Lref = L 0 , the initial gage length: Lagrangian strain

L ref = L, the final gage length: Eulerian strain

ASEN 3112 Lecture 4 – Slide 7

 ASEN 3112 - Structures

Strain Measures: Lagrangian vs. Eulerian

Lagrangian strains are preferred in solid and structural mechanics

Eulerian strains are preferred in fluid mechanics

For large strains the difference between these two measures

can be huge, as will be seen in Problem 3 of Recitation #2.

If the strain is small, say <1%, the difference becomes

insignificant, as the example in the Notes shows.

ASEN 3112 Lecture 4 – Slide 8

 ASEN 3112 - Structures
Point Normal Strain in 1D
∆x
(a) Undeformed Bar
P Q x
uP =u uQ = uP +(uQ −uP) = u+∆u
(b) Deformed Bar
P' Q'

Take the limit as the distance between P and Q goes to zero:

εP def (u + ∆ u) − u ∆u du
= lim = lim = (*)
x→0 ∆x x→0 ∆ x dx
In 3D (*) generalizes to
∂u
εx x =
∂x
with involves three changes: (1) point label P is dropped as point becomes
"generic", (2) subscript xx is appended to identify normal component, and
(3) the ordinary derivative becomes a partial derivative.

ASEN 3112 Lecture 4 – Slide 9

 ASEN 3112 - Structures
Normal Strains in 3D (1)

(b) Deformed configuration

(a) Undeformed configuration

∆y+∆v

P'
∆y ∆z+∆w
y ∆x+∆u

x P ∆x ∆z Displacement vector PP' has components

z u,v,w along x,y,z, respectively

ASEN 3112 Lecture 4 – Slide 10

 ASEN 3112 - Structures
Normal Strains in 3D (2)
(b) Deformed configuration

(a) Undeformed configuration

∆y+∆v

P'
∆y ∆z+∆w
y ∆x+∆u

x P ∆x ∆z
z

Average normal strains:

def u + u − u u def v + v − v v
x x,av = =  yy,av = =
x x y y
def w + w − w w
zz ,av = =
z z
Point strains at P:
u ∂u def v ∂v
def
x x = lim =  yy = lim =
x→0 x ∂x y→0 y ∂y
def w ∂w
 zz = lim =
z→0 z ∂z

ASEN 3112 Lecture 4 – Slide 11

 ASEN 3112 - Structures
Average Shear Strain in x,y Plane

(a) 3D view (b) 2D view of shearing (c) 2D shear deformation

in x-y plane (grossly exaggerated
for visibility)
τyx = τ τ R'
R γ
τ
y τxy = τ y
τ 90 − γ
P Q P' Q'
τ
x γ measured in radians,
z x positive as shown

The average shear strain is

def
γx y,av = γ .

Positive if original right angle decreases by γ, as shown

ASEN 3112 Lecture 4 – Slide 12

 ASEN 3112 - Structures
Average Shear Strain in x,y Plane in
Terms of Corner Displacements
γ2
D'
C' Shear-Deformed
vD γ= γ1+ γ2
90 − γ
vC B'
γ1
C ∆x D A'
vB
Undeformed vA ∆y
90 = π2
y
B
A uA
uC
uB
x uD

v B A u C A v u
γx y,av = γ = γ1 + γ2 ≈ + = + .
x y x y
See Notes for derivation details

ASEN 3112 Lecture 4 – Slide 13

 ASEN 3112 - Structures

Arbitrary Body in 3D - see Notes

S'(x+u+ 6 u dx+6 u dy,y+v+ 6 v dx+6 v dy)

6x 6y 6x 6y
R'(x+u+6 u dy,y+v+6 v dy)
6y 6y

Q'(x+u+6 u dx,y+v+6 v dx)

P'(x+u,y+v) 6x 6x

R(x,y+dy) dx S(x+dx,y+dy) zoom

dy
P(x,y) Q(x+dx,y) (b) Deformed
zoom body
(a) Undeformed Displacement P'
body vector
dx vP = v
dy
y Position P
vector

z x uP = u

ASEN 3112 Lecture 4 – Slide 14

 ASEN 3112 - Structures

3D (Point) Strain-Displacement Equations

∂v  zz = ∂w
x x = ∂u  yy = ∂z
∂x ∂y
∂u ∂v ∂u ∂w ∂v ∂w
γx y = + γx z = + γ yz = +
∂y ∂x ∂z ∂x ∂z ∂y

 
Strain matrix: x x γx y γx z
γ yx  yy γ yz
γzx γzy zz

in which the shear strain components verify reciprocity:

γxy = γ yx γ yz = γzy γzx = γx z

ASEN 3112 Lecture 4 – Slide 15

 ASEN 3112 - Structures

Displacement Calculations for Truss

(a)

q
B
LAB

E, Ab
;
;
A

q LBC
(b) B

FAB =
q LBC
2sinθ
E, Ab

;;
L BC sin θ

θ LBC LBC /2
C

;;
C
RCx
RCy

;;
FBC LBC
δBC =
(d) E Ab
FAB LAB B A
δAB =
E Ab
(c)
q LBC /2 q LBC
FAB =
B 2sinθ

;;
B' (e)
δB
δBC

;;
q LBC δAB θ
FBC = C
2tanθ θ B

q LBC (LBC +LAB ) cos θ

δB = − LAB
2 E Ab sinθ sin θ

See Section 4.5 of Notes for the worked out example

ASEN 3112 Lecture 4 – Slide 16

 ASEN 3112 - Structures

Displacement Vector Composition

Differs From That of Force Vectors

(a) force (b) displacement

composition composition
(assuming small
deformations)

The physical significance of the diagram on the right will

be illustrated with Problem 1 of Recitation #2

ASEN 3112 Lecture 4 – Slide 17