1
Strength of materials is a branch of the major
discipline of solid mechanics. This subject is
concerned with the calculation of the response of
a structure that is subjected to external load. A
structure’s response is the stress, strain,
displacement and related induced variables.
External load encompasses the mechanical load,
the thermal load and the load that is induced
because of the movement of the structure’s
foundation.
1.1 Introduction
When an external force acts on a body, the body
tends to undergo some deformation. Due to
cohesion between the molecules, the body resists
deformation. This resistance by which material
of the body opposes the deformation is known as
strength of material. Within a certain limit (in
the elastic stage) the resistance offered by the
material is proportional to the deformation
brought out on the material by the external force.
Also within this limit the resistance is equal to
the external force (applied force). But beyond the
elastic stage, the resistance offered by the
material is less than the applied load. In such
case, the deformation continues, until failure
takes place.
Each member of a structure is made up of certain
materials, which could be a rigid material or a
deformable material.
The behaviour of a member subjected to forces
depends not only the fundamental law of
Newtonian mechanics that govern the
equilibrium of the forces but also on the
mechanical characteristics of materials of which
the member is fabricated, sometimes to predict the
behaviour of material some necessary information
regarding the characteristics of material comes from the
laboratory test.
Rigid and Deformable Material:
A rigid material is one which does not undergo any change in
its geometry, size or shape. On the other hand, a deformable
material is the one in which change in size, shape or both will
occur when it is subjected to a force / moment. The
geometric changes produced are called deformations and
hence the name deformable material. All materials are
actually deformable and the idea of rigid material in only a
conceptual idealization. A rigid material term has been used
just for the simplification in the analysis.
1.2 Stress (  )
When a material is subjected to an external force, a
resisting force is set up within the component. The
internal resistance force per unit area acting on a material
or intensity of the forces distributed over a given section
is called the stress at a point.
P
Mathematically stress is written as,  
A
Where,  = stress (also called intensity of stress),
P = External force or load, and
A = Cross-sectional area
1.2.1. Units of Stress: