What is the history of Roark's Formulas for Stress and Strain?

Roark's Formulas for Stress and Strain is a foundational mechanical engineering design book originally written by Raymond Roark and first published in 1938. Over the decades, it has been co-written by Warren C. Young and later maintained by Richard G. Budynas and Ali M. Sadegh. The text has continuously evolved, reaching its ninth edition in March 2020.

What we know

• Roark's Formulas for Stress and Strain is a mechanical engineering design book first published in 1938. [5]
• The book was originally written by Raymond Roark, and was later co-written with Warren C. Young, while safety factors are often calculated using detailed engineering analysis. [2, 5]
• The text is currently maintained by Richard G. Budynas and Ali M. Sadegh. [5]
• The ninth edition of the book was published in March 2020. [5]

Where to go next

• whoWho was Raymond Roark?
• the bigger pictureHow does structural analysis use a factor of safety?
• how it workedWhat is a torsion constant in bar cross-sections?
• whenHow did the book change across its editions?
• a case in pointWhat types of structural formulas are included in the book?
• an unexpected connectionHow do design handbooks relate to television business pitches?Both technical literature and televised entrepreneurial pitches represent formal attempts to evaluate, fund, and commercialize engineered products or innovations.

Sources

• [1]factor of safety (Wikidata Q2034862) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Factor of safety · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Torsion constant · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]List of Dragons' Den (British TV programme) offers Series 1-10 · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Roark's Formulas for Stress and Strain · CC BY-SA 4.0