Structural engineering. Tension members

1. Lecture 7. Structural Engineering TENSION MEMBERS

Prepared by: S. Niyetbay

2. General Provisions

1. Field of Application
Very few structures work entirely in tension
More often, only individual structural elements are subjected to tension
2. Materials of Tension Members
Concrete, brick, and stone → resist only small tensile forces (due to
cracking at low stress levels)
Main materials:
✔ Steel
✔ Timber
✔ Prestressed reinforced concrete
3. Classification
Centrally tensioned members
Eccentrically tensioned members
Centrally tensioned members – the tensile force acts through the
centroid of the cross-section
4. Examples of Application
Truss members
Arch ties
Tank walls
Hangers
Important:
Central tension differs from central compression only by the direction of
the force.
The structure of strength and slenderness calculation formulas is identical.

3. Steel Centrally Tensioned Members

• 1. Structural Behavior
• Under central tension, uniform normal stresses develop in
the cross-section
• Holes and cut-outs reduce the cross-sectional area
• Stress concentration occurs near openings (σmax > σm)
• Openings should be made without sharp corners, with
smooth contours
• 2. Failure Mode
• Failure occurs at the section with the smallest area — An
(net area)
• If there are no reductions →
An = A (gross area)
• 3. Strength Verification