Course syllabus for Solid mechanics

Course syllabus adopted 2026-02-12 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameHållfasthetslära
  • CodeTME300
  • Credits6 Credits
  • OwnerTKSAM
  • Education cycleFirst-cycle
  • Main field of studyArchitecture and Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • DepartmentMECHANICAL ENGINEERING
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language Swedish
  • Application code 58118
  • Open for exchange studentsNo
  • Only students with the course round in the programme overview.

Credit distribution

0116 Examination 4 c
Grading: TH		4 c
0216 Project 2 c
Grading: UG		2 c

In programmes

Examiner

Eligibility

General entry requirements for bachelor's level (first cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

The same as for the programme that owns the course
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements

Course specific prerequisites

Introductory course in calculus
Linear algebra
Computational mathematics
Mechanics

Recommended prerequisites
Buildings functions and design or Introduction to civil engineering and the built environment
Building materials 

Aim

Solid mechanics is an operational, preparatory, and foundational course within the learning sequence of Scientific Fundamentals. The course aims to provide students with an understanding of fundamental concepts, definitions, and relationships in solid mechanics, as well as the ability to solve relevant problems. It also prepares students for further studies in subjects where basic knowledge of Solid mechanics is essential, such as structural engineering, geotechnics, and structural mechanics. The course constitutes a fundamental and generic component of, among others, the subject track on Load-bearing structures for buildings and structures.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

  • Combine equilibrium, constitutive relations and compatibilty for solving statically determined and undetermined problems for bars, shafts and beams
  • Derive and solve the differential equations with identified boundary conditions and loads for the bar, shaft and beam (according to first and second order theory)
  • Explain and calculate cross section properties for bars, shafts and beams
  • Calculate (elastic) stress distributions for cross sections loaded by normal force, shear force, bending moment and torque
  • Explain and apply Hooke's law for a linear thermo-elastic material in uniaxial loading
  • Explain and apply Hooke's law for shearing
  • Explain and apply elasic.idealplastic material response for bars, shafts and beams
  • Describe and apply Hooke's generalized law or a linear thermo-elastic material
  • Determine and explain isotropic and anisotropic materials
  • Explain and relate the concepts displacement-axial deformation-normal strain and normal stress-normal force for a bar
  • Explain and relate the concepts shearing, shear stress-torque
  • Identify compatability for system of bars
  • Calculate sectional forces and deformations for simple plane elastic trusses
  • Derive the general equations of equilibrium for a beam and explain their implications on the sectional force ditribution
  • Apply beam deflection formulas for analysis of continuous beams and frames
  • Identify the risk for instability for axially loaded components
  • Calculate the buckling load for a column in compression
  • Explain and calculate principal stresses and principal stress directions for a given stress state
  • Apply yeild and fracture criteria for general stress states
  • Choose relevant states of stress/strain:uniaxial, plane or general
  • Create a finite element model with appropriate boundary conditions for analysis of a plane state of stress/strain by use of commersial FE-software
  • Validate results from a computer simulation by use of known analystical solutions
  • Compare the stress distribution (principal stresses) computed from the beam theory and computed for a plane state of stress (FE analysis)
  • Discuss and evaluate strengths and weaknesses of the elastic beam theory versus a (hierarchically higher model ) plane solid model

Content

Definitions and concepts: Normal stress - normal strain, shear stress - shear strain, sectional forces and associated deformations, force-displacement, the three fundamental relations in sold mechanics: equilibrium, constitutive relations and compatibility

Material: Constitutive relations for 1) isotropic linear thermo-elastic material, 2) elastic-idealplastic material, 3) anisotropic material, yield and failure criteria

Structural elements: Axially loaded bars, shafts, beams in plane bending and columns in bending and compression. Euler buckling, yielding of beam cross sections, cross sectional properties, boundary conditions

Structures: Trusses, continuous beams and frames (statically determined and indetermined), boundary conditions

Solids:  General states of stress with the special cases: plane stress and plane strain, principal stresses, application of Hooke's generalized law

Organisation

The course consists of the following learning activities:
Lectures, tutorials, consultations in class and project work. The compulsory project, running through the whole course, combines theory and its application on a realistic engineering problem. Physical experiments, as well as material testing and computer modelling will be performed in the project.

Literature

Course literature will be announced on the course home page before the course start.

Examination including compulsory elements

To pass the course, the following is required:
  • Approved presentation of the project
  • Approved written exam

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers about disability study support.