This project investigates the tensile behavior of 6061-T6 aluminum using finite element analysis (FEA) in ANSYS. Three specimen geometries were modeled according to ASTM E8/E8M standards: a 2D dog-bone, a 2D dog-bone with a central hole, and a 3D dog-bone. Material properties including Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, yield strength, and true plastic stress–strain data were implemented to ensure accurate nonlinear behavior.
Each specimen was meshed using quadrilateral elements with refinement focused on the neck and hole regions to capture high-gradient stress fields. Mesh convergence was validated by comparing von-Mises stress across coarse, intermediate, and refined meshes. Displacement or force boundary conditions were applied depending on the geometry, and maximum displacement and rupture loads were extracted using force-reaction and stress–displacement curves.
Simulation results showed expected necking behavior in the 2D dog-bone and strong stress concentrations around the hole in the modified specimen. Across all geometries, contour plots of von-Mises stress and displacement fields provided insight into failure modes, structural limits, and the impact of geometric features on stress concentration. These results demonstrate how FEA can effectively model material behavior and validate experimental tensile testing principles. A compiled final report can be found here.