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Practice #5

1. Use a uniaxial stress-strain curve to distinguish between elastic strain energy density and the
complementary energy density. What is the relationship between the two forms of energy for a
linear elastic material?

2. The material data for a foamed polymer, solid rubber and epoxy resin are given below :

E (GPa)
0.01
0.50
0.03

Foamed polymer
Epoxy resin
Solid rubber

0
0.3
0.495

(i) Each material is loaded elastically to z = 1 MPa in uniaxial free compression. How
much energy is stored in a unit volume of each material?
(ii) In a different set of tests, each material is now constrained so that it cannot expand
sideways when compressed with a uniaxial strain in the same direction as in the first tests
(i.e. all other components of strain except z are zero). Recalculate the energy absorbed per
unit volume when the materials are compressed uniaxially in displacement control until
z = 1 MPa. Comment on the implications for packaging and protective padding.
[Note that when a thin sheet of padding is glued to a rigid base it may be constrained in this
way, e.g. rubber floor tiles]

3. A kitchen floor is to be covered with rubber tiles. Each tile is 2 mm thick and has a

Youngs modulus E = 0.03 GPa and Poissons ratio = 0.495. The tiles are glued firmly to
the rigid floor, thus preventing lateral expansion of the tiles. Obtain the normal deflection
of the tiles and the elastic energy stored by each tile when a uniform normal pressure of
P = 10 MPa is applied.

4. Determine the strain energy due to bending for the beam shown in Fig. 1 below, and
hence calculate the displacement at the points of application of the loads. Assume the
Young's modulus E = 190 GPa.

30 kN

30 kN

40 mm
80 mm

0.3 m

0.6 m

0.3 m
100 mm

Figure 1 (Qu. 4)

3 kN

Figure 2 (Qu. 7)

5. A simply supported beam of length L = 3 m is subjected to a uniformly distributed load

w = 10 kN/m. Determine the strain energy stored in the beam due to bending. Assume
EI = 15 kNm2.

6. If the stresses and strains at a point in a linear elastic material are given by

0
885 154

ij = 154 1038 615 MPa ;

0 615 577

0
0.002 0.001

and ij = 0.001 0.003 0.004

0.004
0
0

respectively, determine (i) the total strain energy density in the material, (ii) the hydrostatic
component of the strain energy density, and (iii) the bulk modulus of the material.

7. A curved solid bar with a radius of curvature R = 125 mm is loaded as shown in Figure 2
below. The bar has a circular cross section of diameter 50 mm, and a Youngs modulus
E = 80 GPa. Determine (i) the strain energy due to bending stored in the bar and (ii) the
displacement in the direction of the load, at the point where the load is applied.

8. A clamp is made of two straight members and a curved member, as shown in Figure 3.
The cross-sectional geometry of the clamp, which is also shown in the figure, has a
moment of inertia I = 7 x 108 m4, and the material from which the clamp is made has a
Young's modulus E = 200 GPa. If the blocks of wood being clamped exert a force
P = 40 kN on the straight members of the clamp, as shown in the figure, determine (i)
the strain energy due to bending in the clamp and (ii) the movement of the ends where
the loads are applied.

25 mm

P
40 mm
120 mm

45 mm

Figure 3 (Qu. 8)
Answers
(1) The two forms of energy are equal for a linear elastic material.
(2) (i) Polymer, 50 kJ/m3;
Epoxy, 1 kJ/m3;
Rubber, 17 kJ/m3.
3
3
(ii) Polymer, 50 kJ/m ;
Epoxy, 0.74 kJ/m ; Rubber, 0.5 kJ/m3.
Foamed polymer is the most suitable for protective padding and packaging.
(3) 0.02 mm; 49.34 kJ/m3

(4) 99.7 J; 3.3 mm, 3.3 mm ; (5) 6.75 kJ;

(6) (i) 5.06 MJ/m3; (ii) 4.2 MJ/m3; (iii) 166.7 GPa
(7) (i) 0.28 J; (ii) 0.19 mm.
(8) (i) 339 J; (ii) 8.48 mm

10 mm