Define stress concentration. What are the causes of stress concentration? State any four methods of reducing stress concentration with neat sketches.

Stress concentration: Whenever a machine component changes the shape of its cross section, the simple stress distribution no longer holds good and the neighbourhood of the discontinuity is different. This irregularity in the stress distribution caused by abrupt changes of form is called ‘stress concentration’.

Causes of stress concentration The various causes of stress concentration are as follows: (i) Abrupt change of cross section (ii) Poor surface finish (iii) Localized loading (iv) Variation in the material properties Methods of reducing stress concentration The presence of stresses concentration cannot be totally eliminated but it can be reduced, so following are the remedial measures to control the effects of stress concentration. 1. Provide additional notches and holes in tension members. a) Use of multiple notches. b) Drilling additional holes. 2. Fillet radius, undercutting and notch for member in bending. 3. Reduction of stress concentration in threaded member. 4. Provide taper cross-section to the sharp corner of member