Example: An exercise bike that can support 250 lb. Does the engineer find a large enough weight that deforms the bike, then take a fraction of that as the amount it can support?
In: Engineering
Civil-Structural Engineer here:
Structures are usually made out of materials we know the properties of very well, eg. concrete, steel, wood, aluminum, etc. Most of these materials have a point at which their deformations become permanent even after you take away the load. Picture a paperclip not returning to its original shape bc you bent it too far. This point is often used as a reference point to determine the “capacity” of the structure or material. Depending on the use-case of the structure and material, there will be safety factors, checks, and troubleshooting to make sure you never get close to that point.
Latest Answers