Steel has excellent resistance to which combination of forces?

• A. Compression, Tension, and Bending
• B. Tension, Shear, and Torsion
• C. Compression, Tension, and Shear
• D. Compression, Shear, and Torsion

Answer: (B)

The situation tests which loading modes steel handles best across common stress types. Steel is renowned for its high tensile strength, meaning it resists pulling forces very well before yielding or breaking. It also has strong resistance to twisting, so torsional loads—those that try to rotate or twist a member—are carried effectively by steel. In addition, steel offers solid shear resistance because its ductile metal structure can distribute sliding stresses without sudden fracture.

Bending isn’t a single material property; it depends on both the material and the cross‑sectional shape. The combination of tensile, shear, and torsional resistance reflects steel’s strengths across the main load types it most reliably withstands in practice, whereas compression and bending outcomes are more influenced by geometry and support conditions.