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Fully restrained elastic screen

Restrained thermal stress

Inputs

User-entered linear-elastic modulus for the stated material condition.
User-entered average CTE over the stated temperature interval.
Final minus initial temperature. Positive = heating.

Results

Ideal restrained thermal stressσth

156

Suppressed free thermal strainεth

780

Stress magnitudeσ

156

σth = EαΔT

A first-pass number, not a code check, certification, or approval. Read the method and its limits below. What this is and is not.

Nearby: Free thermal expansion

Method

Formula, when it applies, and when it does not

Estimate ideal elastic stress from modulus, linear expansion coefficient, and uniform temperature change under complete restraint.

σth = EαΔT

When

  • Full axial restraint
  • Linear elasticity
  • Uniform temperature
  • User-entered properties

Don’t

  • This represents a uniform, fully restrained, linear-elastic axial member. It is not an allowable-stress, strength, fatigue, support-stiffness, thermal-gradient, creep, joint, or code-compliance calculation.
OpenStax thermal expansion and elasticity references