A beam is primarily subject to _____ while a column is primarily subject to _______?

A beam is primarily designed to resist flexural forces, which creates bending moments as loads are applied. When a load is placed on a beam, it causes the beam to bend, leading to tensile stresses on the bottom side and compressive stresses on the top side of the beam. The design of the beam focuses on maintaining sufficient flexural strength to ensure it can safely carry the applied loads without excessive deflection or failure.

On the other hand, a column is primarily subjected to axial compression forces. Columns transfer loads vertically down to the foundation, and they are designed to withstand large compressive loads over their height. Under compression, the material within a column experiences stresses that are crucial to its integrity. The primary design consideration for columns is their ability to resist buckling and ensure they can support the loads applied without failing.

The distinction in the primary stresses experienced by beams as flexure and columns as compression is essential for effective structural design and analysis, ensuring the different components of a structure are able to perform their intended roles safely and efficiently.