Tension Member

Tension Member

Tension members are structural elements that are subjected to axial tensile forces. They are usually used in different types of structures. Examples of tension members are: bracing for buildings and bridges, truss members, and cables in suspended roof systems.

In an axially loaded tension member, the stress is given by:

F = P/A

where P is the magnitude 10 (Hati) of the load and A is the cross-sectional area. The stress given by this equation is exact, knowing that the cross section is not adjacent to the point of application of the load nor having holes for bolts or other discontinuity. For example,

if you are given a 8 x 11.5 plate is used as a tension member (section a-a) and it is connected to a gusset plate with two 7/8-inch-diameter bolts (section b-b). So,

The area at section a - a (gross area of the member) is 8 x ½ = 4 in2

However, the area at section b - b (net area) is (8 – 2 x 7/8) x ½ = 3.12 in2

knowing that the higher stress is located at section b - b due to its smaller area.

To understand more about tension member, it would be useful to look at the stress-strain behavior of steel:

Where, Fy is the yield stress, Fsu is the ultimate stress, εy is the yield strain and εsu is the ultimate strain.

Read more about Tension Member:  Designing A Tension Member, See Also

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