Overview
Mechanics of Materials examines the deformation, stress, strain, and failure of engineering components subjected to axial, shear, torsional, bending, thermal, and combined loading. The course develops the relationship between applied loads, internal forces, material response, and structural performance, building on statics and supporting subsequent study in structural and mechanical design.
Topics include Hooke's law, elastic and plastic behavior, Poisson's ratio, thermal strain, stress transformation, principal stresses, Mohr's circle, torsion of circular shafts, beam shear and bending stresses, shear and moment diagrams, elastic beam deflection, superposition, pressure vessels, column stability, Euler buckling, stress concentrations, fatigue, fracture and yielding criteria, and factors of safety. Students assess the validity of assumptions including small deformation, linear elasticity, homogeneity, isotropy, and Saint-Venant behavior, and apply computational and spreadsheet tools to produce safe, justified designs under strength and serviceability constraints.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyze material-property data to characterize elastic, plastic, thermal, and failure responses under engineering loading.
- Calculate axial, shear, bending, torsional, thermal, and combined stresses and deformations in basic components.
- Construct internal-force, shear-force, and bending-moment diagrams for statically determinate members.
- Apply constitutive equations, compatibility relationships, equilibrium conditions, and boundary conditions to mechanics-of-materials problems.
- Transform plane stresses and strains to determine principal values, maximum shear, and critical orientations using analytical methods and Mohr's circle.
- Evaluate beam deflection using integration, standard relations, and superposition, and assess serviceability requirements.
- Assess pressure vessels, circular shafts, beams, and columns for strength, stability, fatigue, yielding, fracture, and stress-concentration effects.
- Select appropriate analytical assumptions and identify conditions under which small-deformation, linear-elastic, homogeneous, isotropic, or Saint-Venant models are inappropriate.
- Use spreadsheet or computational tools to verify calculations, conduct parameter studies, and size basic engineering components.
- Synthesize safe, justified design recommendations that incorporate material properties, factors of safety, strength limits, serviceability constraints, and clear technical communication.
Timetable
| Type | Length | Frequency | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Tutorial | 1 hour | Weekly | All semester |
| Lab | 2 hours | Fortnightly | All semester |
| Workshop | 2 hours | Fortnightly | All semester |
Assessment Schedule
| Type | Description | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Analytical mechanics problems and design calculations (3 × 5%). | 15.00% |
| Quiz | Short quizzes on stress, strain, and material response (5 × 2%). | 10.00% |
| Deliverable | Computational or spreadsheet modelling exercise. | 10.00% |
| Test | Mid-semester test on stress analysis, torsion, and beam mechanics. | 20.00% |
| Tutorial | Tutorial participation and submitted problem solutions. | 5.00% |
| Capstone | Component sizing and safe design recommendation. | 15.00% |
| Exam | Comprehensive final examination. | 25.00% |
Prerequisites
- ENGR201 Engineering Statics and Dynamics
- Requirement Prior study of university-level calculus and vector mechanics.
Teaching Staff & Programs
This course is delivered jointly by faculty from the participating programs listed below. In line with the Douchewater Way, the University of Sexology tailors core instruction directly to each cohort's specific discipline — adapting curriculum to program needs rather than forcing students into a one-size-fits-all model. Learn more about our approach at The Douchewater Way.
