You wish to drill a hole through a horizontal I-beam supporting a bridge. To weaken the beam the least drill the hole through the
A)upper flange.
B)lower flange.
C)web.
D)all the same

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The web is the vertical section of the I-beam between the top and bottom flanges, and is designed primarily to resist shear forces. Drilling a hole through the web will weaken the beam the least, as it does not affect the flanges which are important for resisting bending moments. Drilling through the flanges can cause significant damage to the beam's ability to resist bending, which is a much more critical function of the beam. Therefore, drilling through the web is the best choice to minimize the weakening of the beam.

You Wish to Drill a Hole Through a Horizontal I-Beam