Stress and Strain

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

   PDF

2. Introductory

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

      PDF

   2. Material Constitution of Rocks

      • W. D. Means

      Pages 2-6

   3. Mechanical State

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      Pages 6-13

   4. Change in Mechanical State

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      Pages 13-19

   5. Mechanical Significance of Structure

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      Pages 20-33

3. Forces in Rocks

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 35-35

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   2. Classes of Forces

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      Pages 36-42

   3. Stress on a Plane

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      Pages 42-53

   4. The Stress Ellipsoid, I

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      Pages 53-61

   5. The Stress Ellipsoid, II

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      Pages 61-70

   6. Mohr Circle for Stress

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      Pages 70-84

   7. Tensor Components of Stress

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      Pages 85-99

   8. Cauchy’s Formula, Transformation of Tensor Components

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      Pages 100-111

   9. Stress Fields

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      Pages 111-122

   10. Stress History

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       Pages 122-127

4. Deformation of Rocks

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 129-129

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   2. Distortion and Deformation, Measures of Distortion

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      Pages 130-138

   3. The Strain Ellipsoid

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      Pages 139-150

   4. Mohr Circle for Infinitesimal Strain

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      Pages 151-158

This is an elementary book on stress and strain theory for geologists. It is written in the belief that a sound introduction to the mechanics of continu­ ous bodies is essential for students of structural geology and tectonics, just as a sound introduction to physical chemistry is necessary for students of petrology. This view is shared by most specialists in structural geology, but it is not yet reflected in typical geology curricula. Undergraduates are still traditionally given just a few lectures on mechanical fundamentals, and there is rarely any systematic lecturing on this subject at the graduate level. The result is that many students interested in structure and tectonics finish their formal train­ ing without being able to understand or contribute to modem literature on rocks as mechanical systems. The long-term remedy for this is to introduce courses in continuum mechanics and material behavior as routine parts of the undergraduate curriculum. These subjects are difficult, but no more so than optical mineralogy or thermo­ dynamics or other rigorous subjects customarily studied by undergraduates. The short-term remedy is to provide books suitable for independ­ ent study by those students and working geologists alike who wish to improve their understanding of mechanical topics relevant to geology. This book is intended to meet the short-term need with respect to stress and strain, two elementary yet challenging concepts of continuum mechanics.

• Deformation
• Fundament
• Strain
• mechanics
• stress

• Department of Geological Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, USA

  W. D. Means

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