SAINT-VENANTS LADDER

A one-dimensional mechanical-rheological model is devised to understan d better the decay of end effects in elastic materials. The model prov ides a clear physical picture of this phenomenon and analysis yields e xplicit formulas for the decay of shear stress in terms of the relevan t physical properties. The stress decay predicted by the model compare s favorably with numerical solutions of the full field equations for e lastic glass strips.