Fall 2009

MECH 411 Page 1

Test 3 solution

5 cm

10 cm

0.5 cm 0.5 cm

0.7 cm

Consider the open cross-section shown above.

If we make a steel bar with the cross-section shown and with:
L = 1.5 m (length)
G = 70 GPa (shear modulus),
tmax = 30 MPa (allowable stress)

a) Determine the torsional rigidity (GJ/L) of the section.

b) Determine the total rotation in degrees of the bar across its ends (neglecting stress concentrations) when the applied torque
is 35 Nm.
c) What is the maximum allowable torque that can be applied. Your answer must be in Nm (units).
Useful formulas:

1
Jopen thin-wall = ‚ 3
Li ti3

tmax = G tmax q

T
q = GJ

where: ti is the thickness of the i'th section

Li is the length of the i'th section
sum is taken over all sections

a) Determine the torsional rigidity (GJ/L) of the section.

1
Jopen thin-wall = ‚ 3
Li ti3

1 1
We get: Jsection = 3
p 5 Centi Meter µ H0.5 Centi MeterL3 + 3
10 Centi Meter µ H0.7 Centi MeterL3
fl Jsection = 1.79783 cm4 = 1.79783 µ 10-8 m4
fl GJ ê L º 839 Nm ê rd

b) Determine the total rotation in degrees of the bar across its ends (neglecting stress concentrations) when the applied torque
is 85 Nm.

TL 85 Nm µ 1.5 m 180 °
qL= = = 0.04172 rd = 0.04172 × = 2.390°
GJ 70 GPa µ 839 Nm p
fl q L º 0.04172 rd º 2.390 °
 Fall 2009
MECH 411 Page 2
Test 3 solution

b) Determine the total rotation in degrees of the bar across its ends (neglecting stress concentrations) when the applied torque
is 85 Nm.

TL 85 Nm µ 1.5 m 180 °
qL= = = 0.04172 rd = 0.04172 × = 2.390°
GJ 70 GPa µ 839 Nm p
fl q L º 0.04172 rd º 2.390 °

c) What is the maximum allowable torque that can be applied. Your answer must be in Nm (units).

Tmax Tmax tmax

tmax = G tmax q = G tmax =
GJ J
0.7 cm
fl 30 MPa = Tmax ×
1.8 cm4

fl Tmax = 77.0 Nm
 Fall 2009
MECH 411 Page 3
Test 3 solution

2. (30 points)

E 1 E
EA = 2 0.7011
0 0 24
F F

EA
2

2.
EA = 20

10

05
200

G 10

20

0.84294
EA = 200
EA

35
G

3
0

-2.27034
-1
0

8
0
=

156
=

20

.27
20
EA

94
=
0

0.0

94
0

23
4
00
EA
EA

9
3

1.2
=2

-6
58
=2

.83
77
EA

00

8.5

23
A B C D

7
A B C D
EA = 200
0
4 4 4

Given the truss shown above with cross-sectional properties as shown in (a) above and a single horizontal load of 10 applied
horizontally at joint G as shown. Also you are given the solution to the member forces for those loads and these are shown
on the truss in figure (b) above. Using the principle of virtual forces, determine the horizontal displacement of joint G.

We consider the reduced truss (all other forces in truss members assumed zero; see figure below). Solving the truss below,
we get both member forces equal to 0.9014 (compression on the right and tension on left)

1
G
00

EA

3
=2

=2
EA

00

C D

Using the principle of virtual forces, we then get the horizontal displacement to be
-0.9014 µ -6.832 µ 13 0.9014 µ 8.5776 µ 13
200
+ 200
º 0.2504
 Fall 2009
MECH 411 Page 4
Test 3 solution

3. (20 points) :

Which of the following principles is most general and which is least general: i) Principle of Virtual Work (PVW), ii)
Principle of Minimum Potential Energy (PMPE) and iii) Reciprocity Theorem (RT). Explain.
Note: A principle A is more general than a principle B if all cases where B may be applied then A is also applicable but
there are cases where A can be applied but B is not applicable.

The most general is the PVW, next is PMPE and next is RT. PMPE uses the same assumptions as PVW with an additional
assumption that there is a strain energy density function (ie. material is elastic). RT uses the same assumptions as PMPE
with an additional assumption the the material is linear as well as elastic.