Strength of Materials I

Course Description

ETG 2530 – Strength of Materials I is a 3-credit-hour sophomore-level course in the Engineering Technologies taxonomy (General Engineering Technology) of Florida's Statewide Course Numbering System (SCNS). The course focuses on the study of strengths and properties of various engineering materials and the investigation of stresses, strains, elasticity, thermal properties, deflections, and deformations with their effect on design. Students build directly on principles mastered in Statics to analyze the behavior of structural members and machine components subjected to various types of loading. Problem-solving is conducted in both U.S. Customary and SI units, with emphasis on clear, professional presentation of calculations and engineering sketches.

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Define and distinguish between stress (normal and shear) and strain (axial and shear), and apply Hooke's Law within the elastic range of common engineering materials.
• Calculate axial stresses, deformations, and thermal effects in statically determinate and simple statically indeterminate members under direct loading.
• Determine shear stress and angle of twist in circular shafts subjected to torsional loading.
• Construct shear force and bending moment diagrams for beams under various loading conditions.
• Apply the flexure formula to calculate normal stresses due to bending in symmetric cross-sections.
• Calculate shear stresses in beams using the shear formula and identify their distribution across a cross-section.
• Compute centroids and area moments of inertia (second moments of area) for composite cross-sections.
• Analyze and evaluate combined loading conditions involving simultaneous axial, shear, torsional, and bending loads.
• Determine beam deflections using standard methods (e.g., integration, superposition, or table formulas).
• Apply basic column buckling theory (Euler's formula) to predict critical loads for slender columns.

Optional Outcomes

Depending on institutional emphasis, students may also be expected to:

• Analyze stresses on oblique planes using Mohr's Circle for plane stress and plane strain.
• Evaluate the strength of welded, bolted, and riveted connections under shear and bearing loads.
• Apply material property concepts such as ductility, brittleness, fatigue, and fracture toughness to engineering design decisions.
• Use spreadsheet or computational tools (e.g., Excel, MATLAB) to solve and verify structural analysis problems.
• Conduct or interpret basic laboratory tests (tension, compression, torsion) to determine material properties experimentally.

Major Topics

Required Topics

1. Introduction to Stress and Strain – Normal stress, shear stress, bearing stress, normal strain, shear strain, Poisson's ratio, and Hooke's Law; material properties from stress-strain diagrams (yield strength, ultimate strength, modulus of elasticity).
2. Axially Loaded Members – Deformation of axially loaded bars, statically indeterminate axial structures, thermal stress and deformation, stress concentrations.
3. Centroids and Moments of Inertia – Centroids of composite areas, first moment of area, second moment of area (moment of inertia), parallel-axis theorem, polar moment of inertia.
4. Torsion – Torsional shear stress in circular shafts (solid and hollow), angle of twist, power transmission, statically indeterminate torsional members.
5. Shear Force and Bending Moment Diagrams – Internal forces in beams, construction of shear and moment diagrams by equilibrium and graphical methods, relationships between load, shear, and moment.
6. Bending Stresses in Beams – Flexure formula, neutral axis, moment of inertia of beam cross-sections, section modulus, beam design based on allowable stress.
7. Shear Stresses in Beams – Horizontal and vertical shear stress distribution, shear formula, shear flow in built-up members.
8. Beam Deflection – Double integration method, method of superposition using standard beam tables, statically indeterminate beams (introductory).
9. Combined Loadings – Superposition of stresses from simultaneous axial, torsional, and bending loads; general state of stress.
10. Column Buckling – Euler's critical load formula, slenderness ratio, effective length for various end conditions, design of columns.

Optional Topics

• Plane Stress Transformation and Mohr's Circle – Principal stresses, maximum shear stress, Mohr's Circle construction and interpretation.
• Pressure Vessels – Thin-walled cylindrical and spherical pressure vessels; hoop and longitudinal stresses.
• Mechanical Connections – Stress analysis of welded, bolted, and riveted joints under combined loading.
• Fatigue and Fracture Concepts – Cyclic loading, endurance limit, stress concentration factors in fatigue design.
• Material Testing Laboratory – Tensile testing, torsion testing, flexure testing; data collection and engineering report writing.
• Computational Problem Solving – Use of spreadsheets or MATLAB to model and solve structural analysis problems.

Resources & Tools

The following textbooks are widely used across Florida colleges offering this course:

• Hibbeler, R.C. – Mechanics of Materials (Pearson) — the most common primary text at Florida institutions.
• Beer, Johnston, DeWolf & Mazurek – Mechanics of Materials (McGraw-Hill) — frequently used as an alternative.
• Gere & Goodno – Mechanics of Materials (Cengage) — used at select institutions.

Recommended tools and resources include:

• Scientific or graphing calculator (required for all exams)
• Spreadsheet software (Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets) for beam analysis and tabular calculations
• Engineering drawing supplies (straightedge, drafting pencils) for free-body diagrams and cross-section sketches
• MATLAB or similar computational tools (where laboratory or computational components are included)
• Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC) open educational resources and digital library access

Career Pathways

Successful completion of ETG 2530 prepares students for roles in industries that require structural and mechanical analysis. Common career pathways include:

• Mechanical Engineering Technologist – Assisting in the design and analysis of machine components and structural assemblies in manufacturing environments.
• Civil/Structural Engineering Technician – Supporting structural analysis of buildings, bridges, and infrastructure projects under the supervision of licensed engineers.
• Manufacturing Engineering Technologist – Evaluating material selection, load tolerances, and component integrity in production settings.
• Quality Assurance / Testing Technician – Performing and interpreting mechanical tests (tensile, compression, bend tests) in compliance with industry standards.
• Transfer to B.S. Engineering Technology – This course satisfies a core requirement for Bachelor of Science programs in Engineering Technology at Daytona State College, Seminole State College, Florida A&M University, and other Florida institutions.

This course also provides foundational knowledge for students pursuing advanced coursework in Machine Design, Structural Analysis, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), and Materials Science.

Special Information

ABET Alignment: ETG 2530 content supports program outcomes required for ABET accreditation of Engineering Technology programs, particularly in the application of mathematics, science, and engineering principles to solve technical problems in a specialty area.

FE Exam Relevance: Topics covered in this course — including stress and strain, beam bending, torsion, deflection, and column buckling — appear directly in the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), specifically in the Mechanics of Materials section. Students intending to pursue professional licensure as an Engineer Intern (EI) or Professional Engineer (PE) are encouraged to retain their course materials.

Florida 2+2 Articulation: As an SCNS-designated course, ETG 2530 credit is transferable among all participating Florida public institutions. Students completing this course as part of an A.S. in Engineering Technology may apply the credit toward upper-division B.S. Engineering Technology programs under Florida's statewide 2+2 articulation agreements.