Strength of materials

The purpose of studying the strength of materials is to determine the stresses and strains in a structural member and prove that they are borne sufficiently safely to prevent failure. Failure may consist of excessive deformation or expansion, a fracture may occur, or the structural member may become unstable (e.g. due to buckling or bulging). The material characteristics that are relevant in this case depend upon the state of stress (one-, two- or three-dimensional), the types of stress (tensile, compression or shearing stresses), the load state (static or dynamic), the working temperature and the size and surface condition of the structural member.