What is the difference between shear and tensile strength of a fastener?
- Read time: 1 minutes
- Date: 18 Oct 2021
- Flat Roofing
- Rainscreen & Façades
- Sheeting & Cladding
The difference between shear and tensile
The strength of a material or component is measured by its ability to withstand certain forces before it breaks. When assessing the performance of fasteners used on the building envelope, two types of strength are measured, shear and tensile strength.
Shear strength measures the ability of a fastener to withstand a load at right angles to the axis of the fixing connection (i.e. across the shaft of the fastener).
Tensile strength measures the ability of a fastener to withstand a force along its axis (i.e. along the shaft of the fastener).
