Bending

Bending failure generally occurs in long spans when the fibers of a structural member are stretched beyond capacity (tension) or buckle due to inadequate side-to-side support (compression). Materials in compression get shorter and tend to buckle, while those in tension get longer and pull apart. Bending stress is usually highest toward the middle of the span or over the intermediate supports of continuous members. Bending capacity is also called moment capacity.

See Lateral Support for more information on bending capacity.