Structural material

Stress–strain curve for low-carbon steel. Hooke's law (see above) is only valid for the portion of the curve between the origin and the yield point (2).
  1. Apparent stress (F/A0)
  2. Actual stress (F/A)

Structural engineering depends on the knowledge of materials and their properties, in order to understand how different materials resist and support loads.

Common structural materials are: