About the author  ⁄ Paul A. Gossen, P.E., F. ASCE

Paul A. Gossen, P.E., F. ASCE is president and co-founder of Geiger Engineers. He has worked over 40 years in cable structures and in fabric membrane applications worldwide. He is a member of the ASCE Cable Committee 19, as well as the AISC Tension Membrane Design Committee. Paul can be reached at pag@geigerengineers.com.

What does stiffness have to do with strength? Well, engineers may remember learning about composite beam design, column design, or beams with compression reinforcing. Courses that included these topics introduced the “n” Factor. That is the factor that defines the ratio of the moduli of elasticity between materials. It is used in calculations to convert the stiffness of different materials to a common one. This was the foundation for understanding that stiffness plays a role in the distribution of forces in a section.

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