ABSTRACT
At different periods of time, the theory of limiting state has been presented in its different versions. Within different approaches, strength is assumed to be controlled by various factors: maximum level of normal stress characteristic of a given material (theories by Galilei, Leibnitz, Renkin); limiting elongation or breaking elongation (theories by Marriott and SaintVensant); critical value of principal tangent stress (theories by Coulomb and Moor); limiting energy of elastic deformation (theories by Beltrami, Huber, Henki), etc.
