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Glite Dictionary
contraflexure

contraflexure

9.9
A point on a beam or structure where it bends in the opposite direction
  • noun
  • /ˌkɒntrəˈflɛkʃər/
  • Specialized
: contraflexión
  • The engineer marked the location of the contraflexure on the bridge to identify where the bending changes direction.

Examples

  • Understanding the contraflexure is essential for designing beams that can withstand various loads without failure.

  • During the inspection of the structure, the technician found multiple contraflexure points that required reinforcement.

  • The support conditions simulated the contraflexure points of the moment-resisting frame under lateral loading.

    Academic text (2017)

  • The test specimens were of identical geometries and reinforcement details, including a beam-column joint core and adjacent beams with columns extending to the contraflexure points.

    Academic text (2017)

Surface Forms

contraflexure singular
contraflexures plural

Morphology

contraflexure = flexure (semi-transparent) = contra + flexure

The parts 'contra-' (opposite/against) and 'flexure' (bending) transparently indicate a reversal in bending, but both are relatively technical and may be unfamiliar to average learners.

Etymology

The word contraflexure comes from contra meaning 'against' and flexure meaning 'bend'. So, a contraflexure is the point on a beam where the bend turns the other way — where the bending changes direction from one side to the other.