On Sat, 18 Dec 2004 19:23:19 GMT, "NSM" wrote:


"James Sweet" wrote in message
news:%e%wd.3594$rL3.1303@trnddc03...

| Tubular chassis aren't solid, they're hollow tubes as the name implies,
ask
| anybody who's worked on race cars. For the weight, a hollow tube is
stronger
| than a solid rod, note that this is weight, not diameter, yes a solid rod
of
| the same diameter is stronger than a hollow one, but many times heavier.

For a given weight of material, maximum strength is obtained by distributing
it over the greatest cross sectional area possible, up to the point at which
it becomes too thin to resist buckling.


This is only true for bending and compression where buckling is a
concern. For tension, however, the profile is irrelevant and the
stress is simply calculated as corss-sectional area / tension.
Ever see a power line in compression?