Tension

A mode of loading that shortens or squeezes a material. Compressive behaviour often limits composite structures because thin skins can buckle and fibres can microbuckle at stresses well below their tensile capability.

A mode of loading in which adjacent planes of a material slide relative to one another, as in an adhesive lap joint or between the plies of a laminate. Shear properties often govern the design of bonded joints and sandwich cores.

The maximum tensile stress a material can withstand before failure, determined by pulling a specimen to rupture in a tensile test. It is one of the most widely quoted mechanical properties on datasheets for metals, plastics, laminates and membranes.