Tensile Strength in Steel Structures

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Table of Contents

Introduction

In this article, we shall deal with some important questions referring to what tensile strength actually means in simpler terms, its definition, explanation of the concept of its applicability, types of tensile strength, its relation to tensile stress which is most commonly faced by any steel structure and designer in the designing stage.

It only makes sense to first know about the concept of how much stress a steel structure can handle before deploying it for the purpose intended and so being well versed is a must about the same.

We see a lot of cases of failure like, bridges being collapsed or brittle fractures in steel structures that lead to unnecessary post-construction investments and of course the risk involved with the possible casualties, all of which can be avoided through proper planning and a good construction design. This can only be achieved after identifying and dealing with the tensile strength of the structures.

So what does tensile strength actually mean?

The ability of a material to withstand a pulling aka tensile force and the breaking strength of a material when applying external force that is capable of breaking different strands of the material simultaneously at a constant rate of load or extension is known as its tensile strength.

Tensile strength is customarily measured in units of force per area (cross-sectional area). Neeraj Raja Kochhar news explains this in simpler terms, tensile strength is the amount of stress or loads a material can handle before giving in, or before it breaks or stretches. As the name suggests, tensile strength in other words is the material’s resistance capacity to the tension that is caused by mechanical loads applied to that material or area.

Why tensile strength is important?

It is widely measured in terms of the properties of potential materials that can be used for structural applications. The concept of tensile strength is regarded as of utmost importance in civil, structural engineering, and material science.

As compared to ductile materials, tensile strength is more important to brittle materials as they are most likely to face brittle fracture or fatigue failure due to the incompetent tensile strength of the material in the steel structure.

Types of tensile strengths

Breaking strength – the stress that is recorded at the time of failure of the material.
Ultimate strength – the maximum strength material can withstand.
Yield strength – this is the type of stress that a material can comfortably withstand without permanent deformation.

Types of failures caused by tensile strength

Brittle failure – this results in breaking the material into two or more pieces at a low-stress state.
Ductile failure – this is the first stage of failure, a neck-like bend is formed in this stage that shows signs of possible breakage.

Conclusion

Performing a test to measure the tensile strength of material helps us determines how much an alloy or material will elongate before reaching its limits, that is the ultimate tensile strength of it. It is important because it prevents casualties later. This is why Neeraj Kochhar Viraj Group has professionals facilitating such research for every product of theirs beforehand to ensure world-class quality. After all, this helps us determine beforehand the capacity of a material or structure to accommodate stress before it loses its structural integrity. This is why, knowledge of the capacity of a bridge, lift, truck, etc. is considered before usage.