MAE 212: Spring 2001

Lecture 9
N. Zabaras
YIELD CRITERIA
Yield criteria
Recall that we say that the material yields when it exhibits an irreversible straining which
is sustained once a certain level of the stress distribution is reached.
A yield criterion indicates for which combination of stress components transition from elastic
(recoverable) to plastic (permanent) deformations occurs.
We will start our discussion with initial yielding and then proceed to discuss how material
yielding is sustained. In one-dimension (Fig. 1(a)) yielding occurs when the uniaxial stress
reaches the value of the yield stress Y in tension, i.e. at = Y . When does yielding
occurs in multi-axial stress states? (Fig. 1(b))? The answer is given with phenomenological
theories called yield criteria. Instead of presenting the requirements and constraints for a
general form of a yield criterion, we will here only examine the two most important yield
criteria for isotropic materials.

Figure 1: (a) To dene yielding in one-dimensional stress states, we compare the uniaxial stress with the yield stress in tension Y . (b) When does yielding occurs in multidimensions?
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The Tresca criterion or the Maximum shear stress criterion

According to Tresca, in the general multi-dimensional stress state, yielding occurs when:
max = ,

where is the yield stress in shear

(1)

Recall that:
max min
(2)
2
where max and min are the maximum and minimum principal stresses, respectively. The
yield stress can be understood as the shear stress level in a pure shear test at which
transition from recoverable to non-recoverable shear strains occurs. Think of the diagram
versus obtained in a pure shear test the same way you think of the diagram versus  in
tension. The yield stress in shear can be dened the same way Y was dened in a tensile
test.
max =

The yield stress in shear is not independent of the yield stress Y in uniaxial tension. To
compute their relation, apply the Tresca criterion to uniaxial tension. For this case, 1 = 0
and 2 = 3 = 0. So we can write:
max =

1 0
1
max min
=
=
=
2
2
2

(3)

from which we conclude that in uniaxial tension yielding occurs when 1 = 2, i.e.
For the Tresca criterion :

Y
2

(4)

Using the above expression, we can summarize the Tresca yield criterion as follows:
max min
Y
==
(5)
2
2
Figure 2 shows a graphical representation of this criterion for the case of plane stress (2 = 0).
To verify the form of this diagram the only thing you need to account carefully is the values
of max and min in each region of the 1 3 plane.
In a general stress state yielding occurs when :

max =

Figure 2: Plot of the Tresca yield locus for the case of plane stress (2 = 0). In each of
the six sectors of this diagram you need to nd the max and min from the principal stress
components 1 , 2 = 0 (plane stress) and 3 .

Examples of the application of the Tresca criterion

Example 1: Equi-biaxial tension 1 = 2 = and 3 = 0. (Fig. 3)

Figure 3: Equi-biaxial tension: 1 = 2 = and 3 = 0.

The principal stresses are:
max = 1 =
min = 3 = 0
0
Y
=
2
2
from which we conclude that yielding in equi-biaxial tension occurs when = Y .
max =

(6)
(7)

(8)

Example 2: Hydrostatic pressure 1 = 2 = 3 = p (Fig. 4)

The principal stresses are:
max = p
min = p

(9)
(10)

Y
(p) (p)
= 0 =
(11)
2
2
So since max = Y2 regardless of the value of p, we conclude that yielding can never occur
in a purely hydrostatic stress state (Important note: In reality this and other yield criteria
are designed to start with such that a hydrostatic stress state leads to non-yielding as it is
observed in experiments!).
max =

Figure 4: Hydrostatic pressure, 1 = 2 = 3 = p.

Example 3: Thin pressurized tube with end caps ( rt > 10) (Fig. 5)

Figure 5: Thin wall pressurized tube under pressure p with the principal directions denoted
as 1p = , 2p = z and 3p = r in terms of the , z, r coordinate system seen earlier in the
course.
We have seen in several occasions earlier in this course that the principal stresses are:
r = 0
pr
=
t
pr
z =
2t
Using these equations we conclude that:
max = =
5

(12)
(13)
(14)
pr
t

(15)

min = r = 0

(16)

So substitution to the Tresca criterion gives:

max =

pr
t

0
Y
=
2
2

from which we conclude that yielding occurs for

pr
t

(17)

= Y or for p =

tY
r

Example 4: Pure shear: 1 = 2 = and 3 = 0 (Fig. 6)

Figure 6: Pure shear state: 1 = 2 = , 3 = 0.

Substitution to the Tresca criterion gives:
max =

( )
= ,
2

so yielding occurs when : =

which we already have seen earlier in the form of =

Y
2

Y
2

(18)

Example 5: General 3D case

Let us consider that a metal with a yield stress of 280 MPa is subjected to a stress state
with principal stresses of 300 MPa, 200 MPa and 50 MPa. Will the metal yield based on
the Tresca yield criterion?
Using the given stress values, we conclude that:
max = 300 MPa
min = 50 MPa
6

(19)
(20)

So substitution to the Tresca criterion gives:

max =

300 50
250
280
Y
=
=
=
2
2
2
2

(21)

i.e. the metal will not yield.

Example 6: Yielding under general plane stress conditions (Fig. 7)
For the plane stress state of Figure 7, let us nd the yield stress Y if we know that the
material is yielding.

Figure 7: A plane stress state.

We construct a Mohr circle to evaluate the principal stresses on the plane. From the construct
shown in Fig. 8 we conclude that:

100 70 2
) + 502 = 52 MPa
(22)
2
x + y
C =
= 85 MPa
(23)
2
From the above, we conclude that: 1 = 137 MPa and 2 = 33 MPa. This together with
3 = 0 (plane stress) gives that: max = 137 Mpa and min = 0. Substitution into the Tresca
criterion results in the following:
R =

137 0
Y
=
2
2
from which we conclude that Y = 137 MPa.
max =

(24)

Figure 8: A Mohr circle construction for the plane stress case of the Fig. 7 above.

The von-Mises yield criterion

Dene an equivalent stress
VM as follows:
1 

(1 2 )2 + (2 3 )2 + (3 1 )2

VM =
2
(in terms of principal stress components) or as
1 
2 + 2 + 2 )

VM = (xx yy )2 + (yy zz )2 + (zz xx )2 + 6(xy

yz
zx
2

(25)

(26)

(in terms of the stress components in the x, y, z coordinate system).

Note that the two equations above are equivalent (i.e. the right hand side of Equation (26) is
invariant does not change as we rotate the stress components from one coordinate system
to another).
According to the von-Mises yield criterion, in a general multi-dimensional stress state, yielding occurs when the von-Mises equivalent stress becomes equal to the yield stress Y in
tension, i.e. yield occurs when:
von Mises yield criterion : Yielding occurs when :

VM = Y

(27)

As expected (and by an obvious design of the von-Mises criterion), for uniaxial tension
(1 = 0, 2 = 3 = 0) the von-Mises yield criterion predicts that yielding occurs when:
1 

VM = (1 0)2 + (0 0)2 + (0 1 )2 = 1 = Y
2

(28)

1 = Y

(29)

or when

Any dierent answer was going to be not-acceptable!!!

Note: Recall that from lecture 4 (Equations 21 and 22), the distortional energy calculated
for elastic deformations was given as follows:
Wd =

1
2
2
2
[(xx yy )2 + (yy zz )2 + (zz xx )2 + 6(xy
+ yz
+ zx
)]
12G

(30)

from which using the earlier given expressions for

VM , we can write:
Wd =


1 2
VM = 6 G Wd

VM , or
6G

(31)

It now becomes clear that one can state the von-Mises yield criterion in an equivalent form
as follows:
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Equivalent form of von Mises criterion : Yielding occurs when : Wd =

1
Y2
6G

(32)

This form of the von-Mises yield criterion justies the alternative name of the von-Mises
criterion as the Maximum distortion energy yield criterion. This form of interpretation
will not be further used in this course as the presentation using an equivalent stress is much
easier to interpret and use in the calculations.
Examples of the application of the von-Mises yield criterion
Example 1: Equi-biaxial tension 1 = 2 = and 3 = 0 (Fig. 3)
Substitution in the expression for
VM gives:
1 
1 
2
2
2

VM =
(1 2 ) + (2 3 ) + (3 1 ) =
( )2 + ( 0)2 + (0 )2 =
2
2
(33)
So for this case yielding occurs when = Y .
Example 2: Hydrostatic pressure: 1 = 2 = 3 = p (Fig. 4)
Substitution in the expression for
VM gives:
1 

VM = (1 2 )2 + (2 3 )2 + (3 1 )2
2
1 
= (p (p))2 + (p (p))2 + (p (p))2 = 0 = Y
2

(34)

So as it was the case with the Tresca criterion, yielding does not occur in the von-Mises
criterion for the case of hydrostatic pressure.
Example 3: Thin pressurized tube with end caps ( rt > 10) (Fig. 5)
Substitution in the expression for
VM of r = 0, =

pr
t

and z =

pr
2t

gives the following:

1 

VM = (r )2 + ( z )2 + (z r )2
2


pr 2
1
pr pr 2
pr
3 pr
= (0 ) + ( ) + ( 0)2 =
t
t
2t
2t
2 t
2

(35)

So yielding occurs when:

3 pr
= Y,
2 t

t
2
or p = Y
3 r
10

(36)

Example 4: Pure shear: 1 = 2 = and 3 = 0 (Fig. 6)

Substitution in the expression for
VM of 1 = , 2 = and 3 = 0 gives the following:

VM

1 

=
(1 2 )2 + (2 3 )2 + (3 1 )2
2

1 
= ( ( ))2 + ( 0)2 + (0 )2 = 3
2

(37)

So in pure shear, yielding occurs according to the von-Mises criterion when:

3 = Y,

Y
or =
3

Note that for the Tresca criterion we computed that =

Y
2

(38)

!!

The von-Mises criterion for the general plane stress state: 2 = 0

Let us apply the von-Mises criterion in the general case of plane stress conditions: 2 = 0.
Substitution into the expression for
VM gives the following:
1 

VM = (1 2 )2 + (2 3 )2 + (3 1 )2
2

1 
= (1 0)2 + (0 3 )2 + (3 1 )2 = 12 1 3 + 32
2

(39)

Thus according to the von-Mises yield criterion, yielding occurs when:

For plane stress (2 = 0) yielding occurs when : 12 1 3 + 32 = Y 2

(40)

If you plot the above equation on the 1 3 plane, you obtain an ellipse (Fig. 9). Note that
the Tresca and von-Mises criteria agree in tension but dier by about 15% in shear (Recall
the corresponding values of : Y2 and Y3 ).

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Figure 9: The Tresca and von-Mises yield loci for the same value of Y showing certain
loading paths (i.e. for varying = 31 ).

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