Question

How do you define the "slenderness ratio" (SR) as applied to wood?

Answer

For a simple wood column, the slenderness ratio (SR) is defined as L/d, where L is the unbraced length (laterally unsupported) and d is the column's least sectional dimension. The SR is used to determine the maximum allowable unit stress for the column, for compression parallel to the grain, and is the most critical consideration in column design. The taller the unbraced length, the greater the SR.