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Civil Engineering QUESTION #6611
Question 1
Which of the following is true for the 'Shear Lag' effect in tension members?
  • It only occurs in circular solid bars.
  • It accounts for the non-uniform stress distribution when not all elements of a cross-section are connected.✔️
  • It increases the effective net area ($A_e$) to be larger than the gross area ($A_g$).
  • It is neglected in LRFD design.
Correct Answer Explanation
Shear lag occurs when the tensile load is transmitted by some but not all of the cross-sectional elements (e.g., only one leg of an angle connected). The reduction factor $U$ is used to calculate effective area: $A_e = A_n U$.