Bolton's Principle

Bolton’s Principle states that, in structural analysis, the distribution of internal forces like moments and shear forces within a continuous beam or structure is directly proportional to the stiffness and the span length of its segments. Essentially, stiffer and longer parts tend to carry larger portions of the load, ensuring the forces are balanced according to each segment’s ability to resist them. This principle helps engineers predict how forces are shared across complex structures, leading to safer and more efficient designs by understanding which parts bear more load under various conditions.