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Compressive strength
Is the capacity of a material to withstand axially directed pushing forces. When
the limit of compressive strength is reached, materials are crushed.

By definition, the compressive strength of a material is that value of uniaxial

compressive stress reached when the material fails completely. The compressive
strength is usually obtained experimentally by means of a compressive test. The
apparatus used for this experiment is the same as that used in a tensile test. However,
rather than applying a uniaxial tensile load, a uniaxial compressive load is applied. As
can be imagined, the specimen (Usually cylindrical) is shortened as well as spread
laterally. A Stress–strain curve is plotted by the instrument and would look similar to
the following:

Engineering Stress-Strain curve for a typical specimen

The compressive strength of the material would correspond to the stress at the red
point shown on the curve. Even in a compression test, there is a linear region where
the material follows Hooke's Law. Hence for this region σ = Eε where this time E
refers to the Young's Modulus for compression.

This linear region terminates at what is known as the yield point. Above this point the
material behaves plastically and will not return to its original length once the load is
removed.

There is a difference between the engineering stress and the true stress. By its basic
definition the uniaxial stress is given by:

where, F = Load applied [N], A = Area [m2]

As we said, the area of the specimen varies on compression. In reality therefore the
area is some function of the applied load i.e. A = f(F). Indeed, we can however say
that the stress is defined as the force divided by the area at the start of the experiment.
This is known as the engineering stress and is defined by,

A0=Original specimen area [m2]

Correspondingly, the engineering strain would be defined by:

where l = current specimen length [m] and l0 = original specimen length [m]

The compressive stress would therefore correspond to the point on the engineering
stress strain curve defined by

where F* = load applied just before crushing and l* = specimen length just before
crushing.

Modes of Deformation in Compression Testing

The figure to the right illustrates the modes of deformation in compression testing. (a)
Buckling, when L/D > 5. (b) Shearing, when L/D > 2.5. (c) Double barreling, when
L/D > 2.0 and friction is present at the contact surfaces. (d) Barreling, when L/D < 2.0
and friction is present at the contact surfaces. (e) Homogenous compression, when
L/D < 2.0 and no friction is present at the contact surfaces. (f) Compressive instability
due to work-softening material

Why Perform a Compression Test?

"Axial compression testing is a useful procedure for measuring the plastic flow
behavior and ductile fracture limits of a material. Measuring the plastic flow behavior
requires frictionless (homogenous compression) test conditions, while measuring
ductile fracture limits takes advantage of the barrel formation and controlled stress
and strain conditions at the equator of the barreled surface when compression is
carried out with friction.
Axial compression testing is also useful for measurement of elastic and compressive
fracture properties of brittle materials or low-ductility materials. In any case, the use
of specimens having large L/D ratios should be avoided to prevent buckling and
shearing modes of deformation1."

The image at right shows variation of the strains during a compression test without
friction (homogenous compression) and with progressively higher levels of friction
and decreasing aspect ratio L/D (shown as h/d)1.

Objectives

. Study the relation between force and shorten -1

. Compare the results with tensile test -2
. Compute the modulus of elasticity graphically -3
. proof and Study the relation between stress and strain -4

Instruments and equipment

Tensile test machine

Vernier caliper
wood Specimen

Mathematical equations
σ=εE
σ = F/A
ε = ∆L/L0
ε’ = ∆d/d0
E = σ/ ε = Tan α
L = (F x L)/(E x A)∆

experimental method

We take a wood sample and put it in the compressor

 . Then applied compression load on it , until to failure

Record the reading that appeared for the force and shorten on a table as the
: following one

experimental data and calculation

W0 = 42 mm Wf = 42.2 mm
L0 = 74.8 mm Lf = 73.1 mm
T 0 = 41.5 mm Tf = 41.8 mm

A0 = 42.2 x 41.5 =1751.3 mm2

.No Load(F) Shorten(∆L) Stress(σ) Strain(ε) Elasticity(E)

# KN mm MPa GPa
1 1 0.8 0.571004 0.010695 0.533889
 2 2 0.95 1.142009 0.012701 0.899182
3 3 1.04 1.713013 0.013904 1.232052
4 4 1.07 2.284018 0.014305 1.596678
5 5 1.1 2.855022 0.014706 1.941415
6 6 1.13 3.426026 0.015107 2.267848
7 7 1.15 3.997031 0.015374 2.599808
8 8 1.17 4.568035 0.015642 2.920419
9 9 1.18 5.13904 0.015775 3.257628
10 10 1.19 5.710044 0.015909 3.58917
11 11 1.21 6.281048 0.016176 3.88283
12 12 1.22 6.852053 0.01631 4.201095
13 13 1.24 7.423057 0.016578 4.47778
14 14 1.26 7.994062 0.016845 4.745681
15 15 1.27 8.565066 0.016979 5.044622
16 16 1.28 9.13607 0.017112 5.338891
17 17 1.3 9.707075 0.01738 5.585301
18 18 1.3 10.27808 0.01738 5.913849
19 19 1.33 10.84908 0.017781 6.10159
20 20 1.33 11.42009 0.017781 6.422726
21 21 1.34 11.99109 0.017914 6.693535
22 22 1.36 12.5621 0.018182 6.909153
23 23 1.36 13.1331 0.018182 7.223206
24 24 1.38 13.70411 0.018449 7.428022
25 25 1.39 14.27511 0.018583 7.681858
26 26 1.4 14.84611 0.018717 7.932067
27 27 1.41 15.41712 0.01885 8.178727
28 28 1.42 15.98812 0.018984 8.421913
29 29 1.43 16.55913 0.019118 8.661697
30 30 1.44 17.13013 0.019251 8.898152
31 31 1.45 17.70114 0.019385 9.131345
32 32 1.46 18.27214 0.019519 9.361343
33 33 1.48 18.84315 0.019786 9.523427
34 34 1.49 19.41415 0.01992 9.746164
35 35 1.5 19.98515 0.020053 9.96593
36 36 1.52 20.55616 0.020321 10.11579
37 37 1.53 21.12716 0.020455 10.32884
38 38 1.54 21.69817 0.020588 10.53911
39 39 1.56 22.26917 0.020856 10.67778
40 40 1.57 22.84018 0.020989 10.88182
41 41 1.59 23.41118 0.021257 11.01356
42 42 1.6 23.98218 0.02139 11.21167
43 43 1.62 24.55319 0.021658 11.3369
44 44 1.63 25.12419 0.021791 11.52938
45 45 1.65 25.6952 0.022059 11.64849
46 46 1.67 26.2662 0.022326 11.76474
47 47 1.68 26.83721 0.02246 11.94895
48 48 1.7 27.40821 0.022727 12.05961
49 49 1.71 27.97922 0.022861 12.23886
50 50 1.73 28.55022 0.023128 12.34426
51 51 1.75 29.12122 0.023396 12.44724
52 52 1.76 29.69223 0.023529 12.6192
53 53 1.78 30.26323 0.023797 12.71736
54 54 1.8 30.83424 0.024064 12.81334
55 55 1.84 31.40524 0.024599 12.76691
56 56 1.85 31.97625 0.024733 12.92877
57 57 1.86 32.54725 0.024866 13.08889
58 58 1.86 33.11826 0.024866 13.31852
59 59 1.88 33.68926 0.025134 13.40402
60 60 1.89 34.26026 0.025267 13.55909
61 61 1.89 34.83127 0.025267 13.78507
62 62 1.92 35.40227 0.025668 13.79214
63 63 1.93 35.97328 0.025802 13.94197
64 64 1.95 36.54428 0.02607 14.01801
65 65 1.95 37.11529 0.02607 14.23704
66 66 2 37.68629 0.026738 14.09467
67 67 2 38.25729 0.026738 14.30823
68 68 2.19 38.8283 0.029278 13.2619
69 69 2.19 39.3993 0.029278 13.45693
70 70 2.24 39.97031 0.029947 13.34723
71 71 2.25 40.54131 0.03008 13.47773
72 72 2.3 41.11232 0.030749 13.37044
73 73 2.3 41.68332 0.030749 13.55614
74 74 2.31 42.25433 0.030882 13.68235
75 75 2.31 42.82533 0.030882 13.86725
76 76 2.33 43.39633 0.03115 13.93153
77 77 2.34 43.96734 0.031283 14.05452
78 78 2.44 44.53834 0.03262 13.65356
79 79 2.8 45.10935 0.037433 12.05064

. σ = F/A0 = 30000 / 1751.3 = 17.13013 MPa

. ε = ∆L /L = 1.44 / 74.8 =0.01925

. E = σ / ε = 17.13013 / 0.19251 = 8.8981 GPa

.Eavg. = Σ Ei / n = 9.588 GPa

na ec rof n e e wt eb noital e r

09

08

07

06

05

04
) N K( e cr o F

03

02

01

0
1 6 11 61 12 62 13 63 14 64 15 65 16 66 17 67
) m m(n et rohS

Discussion

We have the beginning of the diagram

Because the failing was not completed and the sample still in the elastic rang

The diagram below explain this

When the sample takes the load its area changes , it decreasing as the following
picture

The failing shape as the following picture

. Value of modulus of Elasticity is (9.588 GPa )

:Some sources of errors

Fixed the sample whit out include all of selective area -1

Wrong measuring dimension of sample -2
Take wrong reading from the instrument -3
. Put slanting sample -4

References
http://en.wikipedia.org

http://www.instron.us

strength of material by Pear and Johnson

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