FE Civil Exam Prep 36, Thermal Stress and Strain

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Understand that thermal strain (ε = αΔT) occurs with any temperature change, but thermal stress (σ = EαΔT) only develops if the object is constrained. - Recognize that a temperature increase in a constrained member results in compressive stress, while a temperature decrease results in tensile stress. - Be prepared to look up the Modulus of Elasticity (E) and the coefficient of thermal expansion (α) in the NCEES FE Reference Handbook. - Watch out for distractor information in exam problems, such as the initial length of a member when only stress is required. - Remember the key phrase: "No constraint, no stress" to avoid the common trap of calculating stress for a freely expanding object. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep