August 2004
Intermediate to advanced
480 pages
12h 35m
English
The previous chapter investigated the kinematics of deformation without regard to the force or stress distribution within the elastic solid. We now wish to examine these issues and explore the transmission of forces through deformable materials. Our study leads to the definition and use of the traction vector and stress tensor. Each provides a quantitative method to describe both boundary and internal force distributions within a continuum solid. Because it is commonly accepted that maximum stresses are a major contributing factor to material failure, primary application of elasticity theory is used to determine the distribution of stress within a given structure. Related to these force distribution issues is the concept ...