The maximum amount of stress a fastener can support prior to its fracture is its:

The maximum amount of stress a fastener can support prior to its fracture is defined as tensile strength. Tensile strength refers specifically to the maximum amount of tensile (pulling) stress that a material can withstand while being stretched or pulled before it fails or breaks. This property is crucial in the design and selection of fasteners, particularly in applications where they are subjected to dynamic forces or loads that could lead to failure.

In contrast, yield strength represents the point at which a material begins to deform plastically and does not return to its original shape. The elastic limit is similar, indicating the maximum stress that a material can handle without permanent deformation, but it does not encompass the total strength available before fracture. Fatigue strength, while important, refers to the maximum stress a material can withstand for a specified number of cycles without failing, which is different from the static loading conditions that tensile strength addresses. Understanding tensile strength is essential for ensuring that fasteners will operate safely and effectively within the required load conditions.