taittovoima

Taittovoima is a Finnish term used in engineering and mechanics of materials that literally means bending force. It denotes a force that causes a structural member to bend or deflect when applied transverse to the member’s longitudinal axis. In practice, taittovoima produces a bending moment within the element, leading to tensile stress on one side and compressive stress on the other.

In beam theory, the effect of a taittovoima is described by the bending moment M and the resulting internal stresses. The flexural or bending stress at a fiber a distance y from the neutral axis is sigma = M y / I, where I is the second moment of area and c is the outer fiber distance. The relationship between applied loads and M depends on the support conditions and load distribution. For example, a simply supported beam with a central point load P has a maximum bending moment Mmax = P L / 4, where L is the span. Deflection is related to E (modulus of elasticity) and I (second moment of area) through beam equations.

Design and analysis aim to keep bending stresses within material limits and to control deflection. Engineers use allowable bending stress or flexural strength and factor of safety to ensure structural integrity. Taittovoima is a key consideration in bridges, frames, machinery components, and any element subject to transverse loads that induce bending.

See also: bending moment, flexural strength, beam theory, deflection.