Understanding Compressive Strength: What It Means and Why It Matters

Compressive refers to the ability of a material or structure to resist compression, meaning it can withstand a force that tries to reduce its size or height. In other words, compressive strength is the measure of how much stress a material can tolerate before it starts to deform or break under compression.

In engineering and materials science, compressive strength is an important property that determines the load-carrying capacity of a material or structure. It is typically measured by applying a gradually increasing force to a test specimen until it fails, and the maximum force required to cause failure is taken as the compressive strength of the material.

Compressive strength is usually expressed in units of pounds per square inch (psi) or megapascals (MPa). Materials with high compressive strength are able to withstand heavy loads without deforming or breaking, while those with low compressive strength may deform or break under lighter loads.