Stress Concentration Stress concentration refers to the process of increasing the local stress of a material at a particular point under mechanical loading....
Stress Concentration
Stress concentration refers to the process of increasing the local stress of a material at a particular point under mechanical loading. This can be achieved by various means, such as:
Increasing the load or stress applied to the material.
Reducing the size of the material.
Introducing defects or flaws into the material.
When stress concentration occurs, the material becomes more likely to fail at the stressed point. This is because the material is more likely to reach its yield strength at the stressed point, which is the point at which the material begins to deform plastically.
Examples:
A bolt that is overstressed is more likely to fail at the thread where it is welded to the component.
A thin wire that is subjected to a high tensile force is more likely to break at the point where it is attached to a support.
A piece of structural foam that is used in a car's frame is more likely to crack at the points where it is glued or bolted together