A Study in Notched Beam Stress Concentration

Published in: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure for Sustainable Cities and Communities: Proceedings of the 17th LACCEI International Multi-Conference for Engineering, Education and Technology
Date of Conference: July 24-26, 2019
Location of Conference: Montego Bay, Jamaica
Authors: Raphael Cordina (Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, US)
Aderet Pantierer (Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, US)
Shmuel Pantierer (Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, US)
Nicolas Ceballos (Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, US)
(Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology)
Full Paper: #492

Abstract:

Mechanical analysis of a load bearing structure or component can be tedious or straightforward depending on the loading conditions and geometry. One-dimensional structure analytical techniques are usually the go-to approach due to their simplicity. However, if there is a discontinuity in the component, there is an amplification in the stress and a stress concentration factor is applied to find the true maximum, or critical, stress experienced. This factor is found on published graphs produced from historical data. Stress concentration graphs exist for axial loads or bending loads, but not for combined loading. This paper seeks to investigate the effect of combined loading on stress concentration and create a stress concentration graph for a notched object undergo-ing bending and axial loading simultaneously. A series of analyses are performed using a finite element analysis software to obtain the values required to create the graph. The study consists of analyzing four notched beams undergoing five iterations of testing. Each beam is designed with the same overall dimensions but in notch radius size. The resulting values are then used to create a stress concentration graph for a notched beam undergo-ing combined loading.