10/2/2024

Torsion
by
Tadele Y. (MSc)
Strength of Materials/Mechanics of Materials
Faculty of Civil and Water Resources Engineering
Bahir Dar Institute of Technology
Bahir Dar University

September, 2024
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Contents
 Introduction

 Torsion of Circular Shaft

 Non-uniform Torsion

 Statically indeterminate Circular Section

under Torsion

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Introduction
• Stresses also can occur within a structural element due to
torsional or twisting effect
• Torsion refers to the loading of a member that tends to
cause it to rotate or twist
• Such a load is called a torque, rotational moment, twisting
moment or couple
• Torsional deformation created when a torque is applied to a
member, shearing stress is developed

Introduction
• Torsion – Applications more to mechanical engineering:
machineries, shaft transmitting power, turbine, motor e.t.c.
• Applications due to civil engineering : certain structures are
considered to torsion (some cases torsion is unnoticed)
 Examples:
• Secondary beam
• Column for signboard
• Beam supported gutter
• Beam carrying a cantilever slab
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Introduction

Introduction
• We will now consider the problem of applied torsion

• It is considered forth fundamental component of stress which

comes after normal stresses of axially loaded members
(Chapter two & four) 6

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Introduction
• In this course we will be interested only on circular cross-
sections under an action of torsional moment
• Non-circular cross-sections tend to undergo warping (i.e. in
addition to rotation they deform out of plane)

Torsion of Circular Shaft

• A relationship between the twisting moment, shear
stress, angular twist, length of the shaft and polar
moment of inertia of shaft will be derived

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Torsion of Circular Shaft

• For driving relations the assumptions considered are:
• Material is elastic, homogeneous and isotropic
• Circular section remains circular after loading
• Plane cross-section remains plane after loading
• Each cross-section rotates as if rigid i.e. each diameter of
the cross-section rotates through the same angle
• Displacement at a point in the shaft is proportional to its
distance from center of the shaft, that is, shear strain at
any point is proportional to its distance from the center of
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the shaft

Torsion of Circular Shaft

• After torsion is applied, it is clear that the shaft deforms in a
“shear-like” mode:
• Our target is to find the change in angle, which is the
shearing strain.

Before Loading After Loading 10

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Torsion of Circular Shaft

• Let’s cut out a small disk of the shaft and investigate:
• We’ll define our “x” coordinate system starting at the
beginning of the shaft. (Along the length of the shaft)
• We’ll also investigate a small segment of the disk in order
to define the deformation of the shaft

ρ = [0,r], where r is radius

x= [0,L], where L is the

total length of the shaft
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Torsion of Circular Shaft

• Considering the little wedge which is taken out from the little
slice (small disk) and ZOOMING IN
• Before and after deformation
• We can see the angle after deformation (i.e. the shearing
strain, γ) shown:

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Torsion of Circular Shaft

• Investigating the deformed section
• We can define the arc length of the deformed shape, “s”,
as shown:

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Torsion of Circular Shaft

• The previous shearing strain equation tell us the following
things:
• The strain, γ , is proportional to the distance from the
center of the shaft, ρ
• Considering Hooke’s law, stress will be proportional from
the center (ZERO at center and MAXIMUM at periphery)

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Torsion of Circular Shaft

• Therefore, if we solve for , we can solve for the stresses
in the cross-section:
• Let’s consider a small slice of the cross-section:
• The area of this “ring” of the cross-section (dA), the force
on this ring (dF) and subsequent moment (dT), is:

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Torsion of Circular Shaft

• Substituting:

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Torsion of Circular Shaft

• Using integration over the entire cross-section
• From ρ = 0 to ρ = r

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Torsion of Circular Shaft

• The polar moment of inertia, J, for solid circular cross-section
and for pipes are shown below:

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Torsion of Circular Shaft

• Recall that
• Therefore, if we are interested in determining the
shearing strain at a point:

• Similarly, we can also determine the maximum shearing

strain:

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Torsion of Circular Shaft

• If we want to determine the total angle of twist:
• In other words, the total deformation:

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Torsion of Circular Shaft

• Therefore, for the total angle of twist:

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Torsion of Circular Shaft

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Torsion of Circular Shaft

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Non-uniform Torsion
• Pure torsion refers to torsion of prismatic bar subjected to
torques acting only at the ends
• Non-uniform torsion differs from pure torsion in that the bar
need not be prismatic and the applied torques may vary
along the length

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Non-uniform Torsion
• Each region of the bar between applied loads or between
changes in cross-section is in pure torsion, and therefore the
formulas derived in the preceding section may be applied to
each part separately
• It is necessary to determine the magnitude and direction of
the internal torque in each region
• The total angle of twist of one end of the bar with respect to
the other is obtained by summation, using the general
formula:
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Non-uniform Torsion
• Another case of nonuniform torsion occurs when either the
torque or the cross section changes continuously along the
axis of the bar as shown below:

• The differential angle of rotation dø for an element of length

dx is:

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Statically Indeterminate Circular

Section Bars under Torsion
• In many instances bars subjected to torsion are supported in
such a way that the support reactions are statically
indeterminate
• These reactions must be determined, however, before values
of maximum stress and angle of twist can be obtained

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Statically Indeterminate Circular

Section Bars under Torsion
• From equilibrium we have:

• A second equation is obtained by considering the compatibility of

displacement at B of the two lengths AB and BC. Thus the angle of
twist at B in AB must equal the angle of twist at B in BC, i.e.

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Statically Indeterminate Circular

Section Bars under Torsion

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Examples

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Example 1
A high strength drill rod of G = 80GPa with a diameter of 12mm
is subjected to torque T. what is the maximum length L of the
rod so that the cross-section at one end can be rotated 180o
with respect to the other end without exceeding an allowable
stress of 300MPa.

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Example 2
What torque applied to a hollow circular shaft of 25cm outside
diameter and 17.5cm inside diameter will produce a maximum
shearing stress of 75MPa in the material

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Example 3
A solid circular shaft of 25cm diameter is to be replaced by a
hollow shaft, the ratio of the external to internal diameter being
2 to 1. Find the size of the hollow shaft if the maximum
shearing stress is to be the same as for the solid shaft. What
percentage economy in mass will this change produces.

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Example 4
Show that the hollow circular shaft whose inner diameter is half
the outer diameter has a torsional strength equal to ⁄ of
that of a solid shaft of the same outer diameter.

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Example 5
A hollow circular shaft and a solid shaft of the same material to
be designed to transmit the same torque F with the same
maximum shear stress. If the inner radius of the hollow shaft is
85% of outer radius. Find:
a) The ratio of the outer diameter of the hollow shaft to
that of the diameter of the solid shaft
b) The ratio of the weight of hollow shaft to the weight of
the solid shaft
c) Their related efficiency of the sections

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Example 6
A stepped shaft is subjected to three torque as shown below. The
length of sections is 0.5m and the diameters are 80mm, 60mm &
40mm from left to right. The shaft is made of steel having shear
modulus of elasticity , G = 80GPa. Calculate:
a) The maximum shearing stress in the shaft
b) Angle of twist at the free end
c) Angle of twist at point B and C

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Example 7
A solid shaft is formed of two material on outer sleeve of steel (Gs =
80GPa) and an inner rod of brass (Gb = 36GPa) as shown in the
figure. The outer side diameter of the two parts are 75mm and
60mm. Assuming that the allowable shear stress are τs = 80MPa and
τb = 48MPa in steel and brass respectively. Determine the maximum
permissible torque T that may be applied to shaft and angle of
rotation Φ for length, L = 2m.

60mm
75mm
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Example 8
The compound shaft shown in the following figure is attached to rigid
supports. For the bronze segment AB: the length L = 2m, the
diameter d = 75mm, τallow = 60MPa, shear modulus G = 35GPa. For
the steel segment BC: the length L = 1.5m, the diameter d = 50mm,
τallow = 80MPa, shear modulus G = 83GPa. Compute the maximum
torque T that can be applied.
Segments
Bronze Steel
L 2000mm 1500mm
d 75mm 50mm
τallowable 60MPa 80MPa
G 35GPa 83GPa
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Example 9
A shaft composed of segments AC, CD, and DB is fastened to rigid
supports and loaded as shown in figure below. For bronze, G = 35
GPa; aluminum, G = 28 GPa, and for steel, G = 83 GPa. Determine
the maximum shearing stress developed in each segment.

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Example 10
A compound shaft consisting of a steel segment and an aluminum
segment is acted upon by two torques as shown in figure below.
Determine the maximum permissible value of T subject to the
following conditions: τst ≤ 83 MPa, τal ≤ 55 MPa, and the angle of
rotation of the free end is limited to 6°. For steel, G = 83 GPa and for
aluminum, G = 28 GPa.

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Example 11
A solid steel shaft is loaded as shown in figure below. Using shear
modulus G = 83GPa, determine the required diameter of the shaft if
the shearing stress is limited to 60 MPa and the angle of rotation at
the free end is not to exceed 4o.

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