Photoelasticity

The objective of the project is to visually observe the stress on a piece of plastic and measure the relative stress distribution when weight is added. This is accomplished by looking at the object through polarized light.

Our project was made by cutting a piece of polycarbonate into the shape of Notre Dame Cathedral. A laptop was used as the source of polarized light, and the effects of photoelasticity can be fully observed when looking at the model through a polarizer at the right angle.

 

As shown, the color of light represents the stress on the object, whether its internal or external. Adding weights can cause the colors to change, become more intense, and be distributed to other areas of the structure.

More information about photoelasticity can be found by the following link:

Photelasticty PowerPoint