Strength of Materials - Essay Example

Braun (2006) claims that elastic structure deformation when under a certain load reduces the maximum potential strain energy as per the virtual work principles. The deformed structures strain energy relies mostly on the load applied as well as on the structural design of the whole body. With prescription of the elastic properties of the structural members, the topology and the load exerted on the structure, the strain energy of the structure under particular load becomes a function of the nodal co-ordinates of the undeformed structure.

To enhance the rigidity of the structure the nodes can be relocated in a particular way to reduce or minimize the strain energy. Material or configurational forces which maintain the shape of a particular structure are achieved through deriving the strain energy regarding the nodal coordinates. These forces when released make the structure take a shape with less or minimized strain energy thus the structure gets more rigidity. Some nodes require to be fixed because of constructional purposes for the optimization of the process.

The support and applied loads locations can not be altered. The analysis of strain gauges gives a significant benefit to functional structures by directly assessing the state of resistance and movement of a particular structure in the mechanical environment where it runs. . They are also applicable where the assumptions of simple shape of a certain structure defined loading of theoretical analyses are hard to obtain thus the strain gauges can be employed to provide significant information pertaining these.

The strain gauges are useful to finding several functional analyses and information regarding performance of individual beams which leads to functional interpretations of structural design (Swartz, 1991). Strain gauges are gadgets used for measuring distance changes between several points in solid bodies when they experience some deformations. Work done in producing deflection of the body produces strain energy that is deflected in the strain gauge. They get information which is used in finding the stresses in those bodies or indicate and measure quantities such as pressure, force, electrical resistance and acceleration.

They exhibit a change in resistance that is proportional to the mechanical strain exerted in the bodies. Most common strain gauge includes the insulating flexible backing that gives support to a pattern of a metallic foil. It is attached to the body and deforms as the body deforms leading to electrical resistance due to the alteration which is measured with the use of a Wheatstone bridge that relates the strain to a quantity termed as gauge factor. The gauge factor, Given, Refers To the Undeformed Gauge Resistance=Change in Resistance Due To Strain and Strain Metallic foil gauges have gauge factor a little more than two.

Given, BV-bridge excitation voltage. Gauges used in measuring temperature variations detect change in size of the object due to thermal expansion as a strain and indicates in the gauge. This causes the