Even if a stitch weld technique is used and we assume a 1-inch space between 1-inch welds, the weld on attachment
technique provides 12 square inches of area vs. 4.712 for a bolt on arrangement.
You (or your compatriots) are clearly talking about area. If you were referring to linear distance, the above example would yield 6 inches.
Question for the engineers: Isn't area relevant? Wouldn't a 3x3 square perform differently than a 12-inch line? Is this governed by something other than area?
As for the tension vs compression argument, this is a good discussion. I'm glad to hear from people who have the tools to examine that article critically. The author does state, though vaguely, that "someone" has measured STB forces with a strain guage and found the forces to be either + or - depending on activity. What do you guys think? Urban myth?
