Fall 2026 MECH420 Course Website
Course Content
| Week | Date | Lecture Topics | Textbook Reading (based on 11th edition) | Handouts | HW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M 08/31 | No Class | |||
| 1 | W 09/02 | Mechanics Review: Video: Balance laws for a rigid body, Average Normal Stress, Average Shear Stress, Torsion of Circular Shaft | 3.1-3.4, 3.8-3.9,3.12 | Exercise Sheet - Mechanics Review 1, Area Moments of Inertia | |
| 2 | M 09/07 | Mechanics Review: Bending of Straight Member, Shear Stress in Straight Members | 3.10-3.11 | Stress Concentration Table | |
| 2 | W 09/09 | Maximum-Shear Stress Theory for Ductile Material | 5.1-5.4 | Exercise Sheet - Failure of Ductile Materials | HW1 due on September 19 |
| 2 | W 09/09 | MAKEUP SESSION. Mechanics Review: Video: Stress Transformation and Mohr Circle, Video: 3D Mohr Circle, Stress Concentration, Combined Loading | 3.5-3.7, 3.13, Ch3 Problems | Exercise Sheet - Mechanics Review 2 | |
| 3 | M 09/14 | Distortion Energy Theory for Ductile Material, Coulomb-Mohr Theory for Ductile Material, Failure for Ductile Material Summary | 5.5-5.7 | ||
| 3 | W 09/16 | 5.8 Maximum-Normal-Stress Theory for Brittle Material, 5.9 Modifications of the Mohr Theory for Brittle Material, 5.10 Failure of Brittle Materials Summary, 5.11 Selection of Failure Criteria | 5.8-5.11 | ||
| 4 | M 09/21 | No Lecture, 50 minutes quiz in Bechtel 202 | |||
| 4 | W 09/23 | No Lecture, 50 minutes quiz in Bechtel 202 | |||
| 5 | M 09/28 | 5.12 Introduction to Fracture Mechanics, 5.13 Important Design Equations, 6.1 Introduction to Fatigue in Metals, Crack Nucleation and Propagation | 5.12-5.13 | HW2 due on October 3 | |
| 5 | W 09/30 | Fatigue-Life Methods, The linear-elastic fracture mechanics method, The stress-life method and the S-N diagram, The idealized S-N Diagram for Steels, Endurance limit modifying factors | 6.1-6.9 | Ch6 lecture notes | |
| 6 | M 10/05 | Endurance limit modifying factors, Stress concentration and Notch Sensitivity | 6.9-6.10 | ||
| 6 | W 10/07 | Characterizing fluctuating stresses, Fatigue failure criteria for fluctuating stresses, Combination of Loading Notes | 6.11-6.12, 6.14 | ||
| 7 | M 10/12 | Quiz 3 (drop quiz). Intro to Shafts and Components, Shaft Materials, Shaft Layout, Shaft Design for Stress | 7.1-7.4 | Ch7 lecture notes | |
| 7 | W 10/14 | Quiz 4 (Ch6). Deflection Considerations | 7.4-7.5 | HW3 due on October 28 | |
| 8 | M 10/19 | Deflection Considerations, Limits and Fits | 7.8 | ||
| 8 | W 10/21 | Quiz 5 (Ch7). Limits and Fits | 7.8 | ||
| 8 | Sa 10/24 | Midterm exam, 8:00–10:00 AM, ELH | |||
| 9 | M 10/26 | Quiz 6 (drop quiz). Shaft Design Case Study, Part 1 | Ch. 7 | ||
| 9 | W 10/28 | Shaft Design Case Study, Part 2 | Ch. 7 | ||
| 10 | M 11/02 | Rolling-Contact Bearings: Bearing Types, Bearing Life, Bearing Load-Life at Rated Reliability | 11.1-11.3 | Ch11 Slides, Ch11 Notes | |
| 10 | W 11/04 | Reliability versus Life (Weibull), Relating Load, Life and Reliability, Combined Radial and Thrust Loading | 11.4-11.6 | ||
| 11 | M 11/09 | Variable Loading, Selection of Ball and Cylindrical Roller Bearings | 11.7-11.8 | ||
| 11 | W 11/11 | Selection of Tapered Roller Bearings, Design Assessment, Lubrication, Mounting and Enclosure | 11.9-11.12 | ||
| 12 | M 11/16 | Screws: Thread Standards and Definitions, Mechanics of Power Screws | 8.1-8.2 | ||
| 12 | W 11/18 | Gears: Types of Gears, Nomenclature, Tooth Systems, Gear Trains | 13.1-13.5, 13.12-13.13 | ||
| 13 | M 11/23 | No class: Independence Day | |||
| 13 | W 11/25 | Force Analysis: Spur Gears and Helical Gears | 13.14, 13.16 | ||
| 14 | M 11/30 | Force Analysis: Bevel Gears and Worm Gears | 13.15, 13.17 | ||
| 14 | W 12/02 | Final project presentations: prototype demonstration, poster and competition. Last day of class. |
Lectures from Week 9 onward are planned and may shift.