Abstract

The verification of the slender compressed members of a structure is a well formulated and codified problem. However, the non-linearity of the design process, combined with the no linearity of the physical problem requires an iterative process to define the piece that solves a given problem. This paper demonstrates an identity relationship between seemingly different problems, based on which we develop a theoretical approach and a simple procedure to determine, without iteration and with little margin for error, the piece needed for a given problem. The paper provides a statistical model to check that the provided procedure is safe and effective in the 98% of the problems in buildings —pillars and bars from trusses—. The presented approach therefore greatly facilitates decisions in this area.