Structural Engineering & Statics
where the load goes
Generator

The branching generator

Rendered here at the parameters it defaults to, with every essay that calls it — which is the same list as the blast radius of changing it.
The split is where buckling puts itA branching column carrying 400 kN to two points 3.0 m apart, over 9.0 m. Every member is drawn at the thickness it needs: the area is the larger of N/σ and what Euler asks of a strut of that length, and 3 of 3 members here are sized by buckling rather than by strength. The split sits at 57% of the height, which is where the total volume is least — 51% less than the fan of straight struts that carries the same load with the same stresses.the split, at 5.1 mvolume 0.100 × 10⁹ mm³ against 0.204 for a fan from the base3 of 3 members sized by buckling

The split is where buckling puts it. A branching column carrying 400 kN to two points 3.0 m apart, over 9.0 m. Every member is drawn at the thickness it needs: the area is the larger of N/σ and what Euler asks of a strut of that length, and 3 of 3 members here are sized by buckling rather than by strength. The split sits at 57% of the height, which is where the total volume is least — 51% less than the fan of straight struts that carries the same load with the same stresses.

1 essay calls branching. The drawing above is what it returns with no arguments at all; every call below passes it something, because a placement that passes nothing draws whichever member of the family the generator happens to default to rather than the one its essay argues about.

Where it is called

Changing this generator changes every one of these figures.

the split, at 5.1 mvolume 0.100 × 10⁹ mm³ against 0.204 for a fan from the base3 of 3 members sized by buckling Structural form

The tree that strength does not ask for

A branching column carries a roof on many points and reaches the ground on one. Size every member by its stress and the optimum tree turns out to have no trunk at all — the best answer is a fan of straight struts from the base. Put buckling in and the trunk appears, at 57 per cent of the height.

The library, page 1 of 6 — where branching sits