THREE POINT BENDING TEST

YEDİTEPE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

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 YEDITEPE UNIVERSITY ENGINEERING FACULTY
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY

Three Point Bending Test

1. Objective:

¾ Introduce the students to the application of three point bending test.

¾ To measure the specimen’s mechanical properties by strain gage.

2. Equipment:

¾ Instron 3382 100kN Universal Test Machine

¾ Associated Three point bending Flex fixture.
¾ Series IX Application Software for 3300 Series Load Frames
¾ PC data acquisition
¾ Strain Gage (120 Ω , Gage Factor 2.01 ± 1%)
¾ Wheatstone Brigde
¾ Digital Multimeter

3. Theory:

The Flexural test measures the force required to bend a beam under 3 point loading
conditions. The data is often used to select materials for parts that will support loads without
flexing. Flexural modulus is used as an indication of a material’s stiffness when flexed. Since
the physical properties of many materials (especially thermoplastics) can vary depending on

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ambient temperaturee, it is som metimes apppropriate to test materiials at tempperatures thhat
simulate the intendedd end use env
vironment.

3.1 Hoooke's Law

Foor most tenssile testing of

o materials,, you will no otice that inn the initial portion
p of thhe
test, the relationshipp between thhe applied force,
f or loaad, and the elongation the specimeen
exhibits is
i linear. In this linear region, the line obeys the relationship definedd as “Hookee's
Law” whhere the ratio o of stress to strain is a coonstant, or . E is thhe slope of the
t line in thhis
σ) is proporttional to straain (ε) and iss called the ““Modulus off Elasticity” or
region whhere stress (σ
“Young'ss Modulus”

3.2 Straain

Inn the abovee simple exaample, the w wire stretchhes verticallyy as a result of the forcce.
Strain is defined as the
t ratio of increase
i in leength to origginal length. Specificallly, when forcce
is appliedd to the wirre, its lengthh L increasess, while its cross-sectional area A decreases, as
sketched::

The axiaal strain is deefined as :

The dimeensions of strrain are unitty, i.e. strain is nondimen

nsional.

Sttrain may be compressiive or tensile and is typically m measured by strain gagees.

a designedd to convert mechanical motion intoo an electronnic
Fundameentally, all sttrain gages are
signal. A change inn capacitancce, inductannce, or resistance is proportional to the straain
experiencced by the sensor. If a wire is held under tennsion, it getts slightly longer
l and its
i
crosssectional area is
i reduced. This changees its resistaance (R) inn proportion to the straain
sensitivityy of the wiire's resistaance. When a strain is introducedd, the strain sensitivitty,
which is also called the
t gage facctor (GF), is given by:

Th he ideal straain gage woould changee resistance only due too the deform mations of thhe
surface too which the sensor is atttached. How wever, in real applicatioons, temperaature, materiial
properties, the adhessive that bon nds the gagge to the surrface, and tthe stabilityy of the mettal
all affectt the detecteed resistancee. Because mmost materiaals do not haave the samee properties in
all directtions, a know wledge of thhe axial straain alone is insufficientt for a compplete analysiis.
Poisson, bending, and torsional strains also need to be measured. Each requires a
different strain gage arrangement.

3.3 Stress

Stress is the internal resistance, or counterforce, of a material to the distorting effects

of an external force or load. These counter forces tend to return the atoms to their normal
positions. The total resistance developed is equal to the external load. This resistance is
known as stress.

3.3.1 Bending

In engineering mechanics, bending (also known as flexure) characterizes the behavior

of a slender structural element subjected to an external load applied perpendicular to an axis
of the element. When the length is considerably larger than the width and the thickness, the
element is called a beam.

Simple beam bending is often analyzed with the Euler-Bernoulli beam equation. The
classic formula for determining the bending stress in a member is:

‫ݕܯ‬
ߪൌ
‫ܫ‬௫௫

Where:
σ is the bending stress
M the moment about the neutral axis
y the perpendicular distance to the neutral axis
Ixx the area moment of inertia about the neutral axis x

3.3.2 Shear and Moment Diagrams :

For the experimental setup, shear and moment diagrams can be plottes as below:

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5. Procedure:

• Measure the dimensions of the specimen.

• Check the limit of the linear region of the aluminum beam (with no strain gage)
• Open the computer and Instron universal test machine and run the associated software.
• Prepare the wheatstone circuit and connect to the cables of strain gages to the defined slot
in the previous experiment “Straing Gage”.
• Use the digital micrometer to take sample. It must take 10 samples per a second.
• Adjust the associated Instron program with displacement controlled experiment. Maximum
allowed displacement of the specimen is 2mm. After 2 mm it is in plastic region. Also
adjust the software to take 10 Force data per a second.
• Run the experiment.

6. Results and Conclusions:

• You are expected to get 2 different data after the experiment. The first one indicates
the transverse forces applied to the beam and the corresponding vertical
displacements. The second data reveals the voltage values.
• According to these data, calculate strain and use generalized Hooke’s Law to obtain
the normal stresses along several points on the beam. Use Young’s Modulus as you
calculated in the Tension Test Experiment.
• Calculate the normal stresses by simple beam theory. (You are expected to use
Strength of Materials Knowledge)
• Compare these two values and plot them on the same diagram.
• Calculate the error of them.