MS2015: Mechanical Behaviour of Materials

Academic Units3
Semester1
Pre-requisite(s)Nil
Co-requisite(s)Nil

Course Instructors

Associate Professor Dong ZhiliDr Luciana Lisa LaoProfessor Ng Kee Woei

Course AIMS

This course introduces basic concepts and principles behind statics and mechanics, material deformation, fracture, fatigue and creep. Calculations of loads/stresses and macro-mechanical properties will be correlated whenever possible to provide insights into materials fundamentals behind the observed behaviors. The ultimate goal is to enable you to apply these principles in materials design & selection under various mechanical conditions. This course should be taken by early stage materials science and engineering undergraduates as one of the core modules required to acquire fundamental understanding of materials behavior.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you (as a student) would be able to:

  1. Analyze force loading diagrams/pictures and construct Free -Body -Diagrams from them
  2. Formulate equations of equilibrium and solve them to determine unknown force components
  3. Calculate stresses and strains due to axial loads, torsion and bending
  4. Evaluate suitability of materials based on loading, mechanical property and geometric constraints
  5. Apply Mohr’s Circle for plane stress transformation and to determine principle stresses
  6. Determine the deformation field, under elastic regime, under a given state of constraint using the generalized Hooke law in tensorial formation.
  7. Determine the intensity and the direction of the principal forces under a given state of con straint and determine the deformation field along the directions of the principal forces, under elastic regime.
  8. Predict yield using the Tresca and von Mises yield criteria.
  9. Explain the deformation mechanism in the plastic regime, in 1D, including the micro -structural mechanism (dislocation sliding, grain sizes, impurities, etc).
  10. Model the deformation mechanism, 1D, using the law presented in the lectures (Ramberg -Osgood, Ludwik, etc models).
  11. Know about the experimental techniques to establish the stress -strain curves.
  12. Explain the deformation and fracture mechanisms of Creep.
  13. Estimate the crack propagation as function of time (be able to solve the equation).
  14. Calculate safety factors on stress, life and temperature, stress concentration.
  15. Explain the fatigue, fracture and toughness concepts.

Course Content

List of key topics taught

  1. Free-Body-Diagrams   
  2. Two- and three-force members
  3. Equations of equilibrium
  4. Normal and shear stresses
  5. Load-displacement relationship due to axial loads
  6. Shear stress due to torsion   
  7. Normal stress due to bending   
  8. Stress transformation using Mohr’s Circle   
  9. Introduction of the mathematical concepts needs for the lectures   
  10. Elasticity   
  11. Plasticity   
  12. Viscosity   
  13. Fatigue and Fracture   
  14. Crack propagation and Toughness.

    Reading and References

    1. R.C. Hibbeler, Statics and Mechanics of Materials, Sixth Edition, 2023, Pearson, Hoboken
    2. W. M. Hosford, Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Second Edition, 2010, Cambridge University Press
    3. N. E. Dowling, Mechanical behavior of materials: engineering methods for deformation,fracture, and fatigue, Fourth Edition, 2013, Pearson