Engineering English
Yield Strength
Civil Engineering · Mechanical Engineering · Engineering Fundamentals · Materials Engineering · Aerospace Engineering · Biomedical Engineering · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: The stress at which a material begins to deform plastically, beyond which permanent deformation occurs.
Example in context
“The yield strength of the steel is used to determine the maximum allowable stress in the reinforcement.”
“Çeliğin akma dayanımı, donatıdaki izin verilen maksimum gerilmenin belirlenmesinde kullanılır.”
Where engineers use it
Yield strength defines the onset of yielding in reinforcement and is used in stress-strain compatibility for ultimate limit state design.
Synonyms: yield stress, fy
In Mechanical Engineering
The stress at which a material begins to deform plastically. Beyond this point, the material will not return to its original shape.
“The design engineer must ensure the applied stress remains below the material's yield strength to avoid plastic deformation.”
In Engineering Fundamentals
Yield strength is the stress at which a material begins to deform plastically, meaning it will not return to its original shape after unloading. It marks the transition from elastic to plastic behavior.
“The yield strength of the aluminum alloy was found to be 250 MPa, adequate for the aircraft fuselage panel.”
In Materials Engineering
The stress at which a material begins to deform permanently instead of returning to its original shape. Below this value the deformation is elastic and fully recoverable.
“The design team limited the working stress to sixty percent of the yield strength so the frame would never deform permanently.”
In Aerospace Engineering
Yield strength is the stress at which a material begins to deform plastically, meaning permanent deformation occurs beyond this point. It is a key property for designing structures that must not undergo irreversible shape change.
“The wing spar is made from 7075 aluminum alloy with a yield strength of 470 MPa to withstand extreme maneuvers.”
In Biomedical Engineering
The stress at which a material stops deforming elastically and begins to deform permanently, conventionally read at 0.2 percent offset strain. It sets the safe load limit for load-bearing implants and fixation hardware.
“Tensile tests gave a yield strength of eight hundred megapascals for the forged alloy, leaving adequate margin against peak hip joint loads.”
Practice: can you use “Yield Strength” at work?
A structural engineer is checking a beam for ductility and needs to ensure that the yield strength is achieved before rupture.
Show a model answer
“The yield strength of the rebar is essential for calculating the nominal moment capacity.”
“Yield Strength” in 21 languages
| English | Yield Strength |
|---|---|
| Turkish | akma dayanımı |
| French | limite d'élasticité |
| German | Streckgrenze |
| Spanish | límite elástico |
| Chinese | 屈服强度 |
| Arabic | حد الخضوع |
| Portuguese | resistência ao escoamento |
| Russian | предел текучести |
| Japanese | 降伏強度 |
| Italian | snervamento |
| Vietnamese | giới hạn chảy |
| Hindi | उपज शक्ति |
| Thai | ความแข็งแรงที่จุดคราก |
| Indonesian | kekuatan leleh |
| Korean | 항복 강도 |
| Bengali | উৎপাদন শক্তি |
| Dutch | vloeigrens |
| Swedish | sträckgräns |
| Finnish | myötölujuus |
| Ukrainian | межа текучості |
Frequently asked questions
What does Yield Strength mean in engineering?
The stress at which a material begins to deform plastically, beyond which permanent deformation occurs. In Civil Engineering, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Yield Strength?
Yield Strength is pronounced /jiːld strɛŋθ/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Yield Strength used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “The yield strength of the steel is used to determine the maximum allowable stress in the reinforcement.”
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