Endstärke

Endstärke is a German term that is used in various contexts to denote the final, ultimate strength that a component or system can withstand before failure. In materials science and mechanical engineering, the concept is closest to the ultimate tensile strength. It describes the maximum engineering stress a material reaches on a stress–strain curve during a tensile test, before rupture. The value is influenced by material composition, microstructure, temperature, strain rate, and the presence of defects, and is typically expressed in units of megapascals (MPa) or gigapascals (GPa). Distinctions are drawn with yield strength (Streckgrenze) which marks the onset of plastic deformation, and with fracture strength at fracture. In brittle materials, these regions may coincide.

In practice, Endstärke is used for design safety assessments and material selection, defined by standards and testing procedures (for example ISO 6892 for metallic materials; ASTM equivalents). It is determined from tensile tests on specimens with standardized cross-sections, measuring force and elongation to calculate stress.

The term is not uniformly standardized in German technical literature; some authors prefer Zugfestigkeit or Bruchfestigkeit for the corresponding properties. In non-mechanical contexts, Endstärke may appear metaphorically to denote final strength or ultimate capability of a system or protocol, but such usage is uncommon in formal engineering texts.

See also: Zugfestigkeit, Bruchfestigkeit, Tensile test, Material properties, Material testing standards.