Axial tension tends to straighten the beam, thus counteracting the bending moments produced by the transverse load. On the other hand, since axial compression may greatly increase the bending moment and the slope and deflection of the beam, it is the more serious type of axial load.
Axial tension force can be defined as the force acting on a body in its axial direction. It’s a pulling force that will cause the body to elongate linearly in the positive direction causing a change in its dimension.
Axial–Flexual Response of Cross-Sections
The actual bending in a flexural member is about a single axis, defined earlier as the Neutral Axis, which is in line with the major principle axis. If this neutral axis happens to be parallel to one of the coordinate axes, then we call this “uniaxial” bending.
