Compressive strength

Description

The maximum amount of pressure that a material can withstand before breaking or buckling. The compressive strength is usually measured in pounds per square inch or kilograms per square centimeter. A high compressive strength indicates that a material can support a lot of weight.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Druckfestigkeit (Deut.); force de compression (Fr.); compression; compresiòn (Fr.); Kompression (Deut.);

Authority

• Theodore J. Reinhart, 'Glossary of Terms', Engineered Plastics, ASM International, 1988

• Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993

• Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000