Handbook of Railroad Construction; For the use of American engineers. / Containing the necessary rules, tables, and formulæ for the location, construction, equipment, and management of railroads, as built in the United States.

by George L. Vose

TENSION.

160. The tensile strength of any material, is expressed by the formula

T = Sa,

Where T represents the whole strength,

S represents the strength per square inch,

a represents the area of section in inches.

whence the necessary area of section of any material to resist a tensile strain, is found by the following rules:—

Wrought Iron

a = W
15,000,

Cast-Iron

a = W
4,500,

Wood

a = W
2,000.