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A Stepped Shaft in Axial Tension

Problem Specification

This problem is taken from:

• Prantil, V. C., Papadopoulos, C. and Gessler, P. D., Lying by Approximation: The Truth About Finite Element Analysis, Morgan and Claypool (2013).

Consider a stepped shaft under an applied axial load, P. A stress concentration is apparent at the step where the cross-sectional area is discontinuous. The cross section is circular.


So the problem becomes amenable, let's consider a relatively small fillet placed at the step to reduce the stress concentration to a finite value.


The pressure load P/A on the smaller cross-section is 1000 psi.

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