11/28/2014

L.20-21-Mohr Circles
CIVE 431
SOIL MECHANICS & LAB
Fall 2014

Why Should We Study Stresses

in Soil Masses ???
Soils generally fail in shear
embankment
strip footing

failure surface

mobilised shear
resistance

At failure, shear stress along the failure surface

reaches the shear strength.

11/28/2014

Shear Failure in Soils

At failure, shear stress along the failure surface ()

reaches the shear strength (f).
Because the shear strength (f) of the soil depends
on the normal stress, (), we should determine both
the normal and shear stresses in soils

Stresses in 3D
In the real world, soil elements will generally be
subjected to a 3-D state of stress which is composed
of both shear stresses and normal stresses.

Ground Surface

Soil
Element

Depth Z1

11/28/2014

Stresses in 3D

= Normal Stress
= Shear Stress

Stresses in 2D Simplified State of Stress

y

= Normal Stress
= Shear Stress

yx

xy
x

xy
y

yx

11/28/2014

Sign Convention
Compression is positive, while tension is negative
Counter clockwise shear is positive, while clockwise
shear is negative

yx
xy
x

xy

yx

Stresses on Different Planes

Important Question: Given the stresses on any two
perpendicular planes passing through a point, what
are the stresses on all other planes passing through
the same point??/??

y
yx

Arbitrary plane
making an angle
with the horizontal

xy
x

xy

yx

= ?
= ?

xy

yx

11/28/2014

Mohr Circle
Using Statics and Equilibrium in x and y, it can be found that:

x sin 2 y cos 2 2 xy sin cos

y x sin cos xy sin 2 - cos 2

Using a few trigonometric identities and some algebra it can be

shown that the points and lie on a circle plotted in () space:

c a cos 2 b sin 2

a sin 2 b cos 2

1
x y is the center of
2
circle, a 1 y x , b xy , and
2
2
R a b 2 is the radius of the circle

(y,xy)

(,)

where c

(x, xy)

Special Mohr-Circle Observations

The Mohr circle represents combinations of and on different
planes passing through a point.
We always have 1 orientation of planes where the shear stress
is equal to zero. These are called principal planes
For that particular orientation, the normal stresses acting on
the planes where is Zero will be referred to as (the
major principal stress) and (the minor principal stress)
, the major principal stress, is the
largest normal stress acting at any
plane, while , the minor principal
stress, is the smallest stress acting on
any plane.

11/28/2014

Mohr Circle
The principal stresses can be calculated from the
geometry of the Mohr Circle as:
2

1
1

1 c r x y x y 2 xy
2
2

3 c r

1
x y
2

2
x y xy
2

The max. shear stress can be calculated:

(c,max)

1
x y 2 xy
2

max r

Stresses on 2 perpendicular
planes will always plot as 2
diametrically opposite points
on the Mohr-Circle.

(3 , 0 )

(y,xy)

(1, 0 )

(x,xy)

Calculate Stresses with Mohr Circle

Given the stresses on two perpendicular reference
planes, there are at least three ways to find the
stresses making an angle with one of the planes:
1. Use the circle formulas derived;
2. Use Mohrs Circle with an interior angle
approach; or
3. Use Mohrs Circle with the Pole Method. This is
the preferred method which you will be expected
to master in this course.

11/28/2014

Finding Stresses Using the Pole

The Steps required to solve a problem using the Pole Method:
1. Find the stresses on two perpendicular reference planes (For,
simplicity it is assumed in the following example that they are aligned
with the x and y axes, but this is not required).
2. Find the center c, and radius r of the circle and draw the Mohr Circle.
3. Locate the pole P:
(a) Through the point representing the stresses on one of the known
reference planes (example: vertical plane), draw a line parallel to the
plane on which the stresses are acting (vertical line in this case).
(b) The point where this line intersects the Mohrs Circle is the pole P.

4. If you are interested in finding the stresses on a plane with a certain

orientation, draw a line from the Pole parallel to the orientation of the
plane. The point where this line intersects the Mohrs Circle
designates the required stresses.

Example
Find Principal Stresses and Max. Shear Stress
1
x y 1 2 4 1
2
2
1
1
a x y 2 4 3
2
2

=3kPa

b xy 3

R a 2 b2

=4kPa

=2kPa

32 32 4.24

** Major and Minor Principle Stresses:

max

=2kPa
=4kPa
(4, 3)

1 c R 1 4.24 5.24kPa

3 c R 1 4.24 3.24kPa

** Maximum shear Stress:

max R 4.24kPa

(-2, -3)

11/28/2014

Clarification Points
1. When using the Mohr-Circle Equation, the parameter b is
taken to be positive when the shear stress acting on the
vertical plane has an upward sense.
2. When using the 2 approach, if is taken as the
counterclockwise angle from a given plane (ex. horizontal
plane), then 2on the Mohr-Circle should be measured
counterclockwise from the line joining the known point (x, ) to
the other known point (y, ).

(y,xy)

(,)

(x,xy)

(,)

(x, xy)

(y, xy)

Example
=4kPa

Find The Pole and use it to find the

orientation of the principal planes and the
normal and shear stresses on a plane
making an angle of -60 Deg.

=3kPa
=2kPa

(1) Find Pole: Draw line from point (4,3) parallel

to the plane on which it acts (Horizontal line).
Note: You could also draw a vertical line from point
(-2,-3) and the pole will be located where the vertical
line touches the Mohr Circle.
Pole
(2) Orientation of Principal Planes:
Draw line from Pole to one of the
principal stresses and find the

orientation of that line

=2kPa
=4kPa

(4, 3)

70o

70o

(-2, -3)

11/28/2014

Example
(3) Stresses on plane making angle -60: Draw
line from pole at an orientation of -60 degrees.
It will touch the circle approximately at point
(2.2, -3.85)

Pole

60o

(2.2,-3.85)