ABSTRACT
The compression member is the second type of axially loaded structural element, the first type being the tension member discussed in Chapter 2. Very stocky compression members behave in the same way as do tension members until after the material begins to flow plastically at the squash load NY=Afy. However, the strength of a compression member decreases as its length increases, in contrast to the axially loaded tension member whose strength is independent of its length. Thus, the compressive strength of a very slender member may be much less than its tensile strength, as shown in Fig. 3.1.
