The transient thermal stresses and strains in epoxy strips with a circular hole subjected to rapid cooling from both sides were analyzed by the phtoviscoelastic technique. The results indicated the concentrations of thermal stresses and strains clearly as characteristic of a thermoviscoelastic body. Specifically, high birefrigence concentration was observed at the edge of the circular hole immediately after rapid cooling. However, low thermal stresses and high compressive strain concentrations at the edge were found from the measurements of the birefringence and the temperature. When the whole specimen attained the cooling water temperature after an extended period of time, the high tensile stress and high compressive strain concentrations were observed in spite of the disappearance of the birefringence at the edge of the hole in the strip.
