What is known as the ability of a structural steel component to resist pulling forces?

The ability of a structural steel component to resist pulling forces is referred to as tensile strength. This property reflects how much tension a material can withstand before failure occurs. In practical terms, when a steel component is subjected to forces that try to pull it apart, its tensile strength will determine whether it can maintain its integrity under those stresses.

Tensile strength is crucial in designing structures that will experience various types of loads, such as wind or seismic forces, where components are often under tension. Understanding tensile strength helps engineers and ironworkers choose suitable materials and sizes for steel members to ensure safety and performance standards are met.

The other terms represent different properties: compressive strength deals with a material's ability to withstand axial loads that crush or shorten it, shear strength relates to the ability to resist forces that attempt to slide one part of the material over another, and flexural strength involves the material's ability to resist bending. Each property plays a vital role in structural integrity, but in this context, it is tensile strength that specifically addresses resistance to pulling forces.