Line of thrust
The line of thrust is the locus of the points, through which forces pass in a retaining wall or an arch. It is the line, along which internal forces flow, , .
In a stone structure, the line of thrust is a theoretical line that through the structure represents the path of the resultants of the compressive forces, . For a structure to be stable, the line of thrust must lie entirely inside the structure, , .
Where important
The line of thrust is important in almost any architecture bearing weight. This includes aircraft, bridges, plus arches; see catenary arch.
An arch won't collapse, when the line of thrust is entirely internal to the arch, .
See also
- Damage tolerance
- Force lines
- Strength of materials
- Stress concentration
- Structural Fracture Mechanics
- Stress intensity factor
- Stress–strain analysis
External links and references
- One largish article, talks about line of thrust
- A definition
- Another definition
- A second reference
- A third reference
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