Tongue Strength 2

[angib]

If you were interested in the previous discussion on tongue strength, you might want to see the page I've added to my web site. It covers:
- the strength and weight of some typical tongue sections;
- a spreadsheet to calculate the properties of other sections;
- a description of the Tongue Factor strength calculation - which is also included in the spreadsheet.

Tongue Strength

And if you didn't like the previous discussion, you might want to avoid this one like the plague.....

Andrew

[purplepickup]

Thank you Andrew. I downloaded the spreadsheet and, like I do with most tools, started playing with it without fully understanding everything. It will be very helpful....especially after I understand all the terms.

An example I tried is comparing different angle stock. Adding length to the vertical leg instead of wall thickness adds much to the strength without adding much weight. That one makes sense....but then, to me, my double rectangular tubing tongue did too, but I was wrong. I'll have to get out my steel catalog and see what's available and start playing with some numbers.

Thanks again.

[angib]

It will be very helpful....especially after I understand all the terms.

I left 'the workings' visible as someone might want to see and understand them, but they can be safely ignored - just look at the (colour-coded) inputs and outputs.

Adding length to the vertical leg instead of wall thickness adds much to the strength without adding much weight.

Yup, going for a bigger-but-thinner section will always increase its apparent strength - I say apparent because at some point the section will become so thin that it becomes unstable and so buckles well before the steel gets near its yield strength. One big reason that square and rectangular tubes are popular for structural work is that they can be made big-and-thin, and so weight-efficient, while the tube shape makes them pretty stable.
And picking sections that you can actually buy is a good tip...... unless you own your own steel rolling mill.

Andrew