Stressed-skin Panels

TheatreFace: The typical 2x4 platform design is based on the strength of joist and girder construction: the joists are the members running perpendicular to the grain, while the girders are the members running parallel to the grain. The design of a stressed-skin panel derives its strength from the same concepts that give an I-beam strength to resist bending over long distances: concentrating the cross-sectional area at top and bottom of the member helps resist the compression and tension stresses that build up at the top and bottom of a beam that is under bending stress. In a stressed-skin panel, stringers run along the grain and are bonded to a top (and usually also a bottom) lid; the combination of the stringers and the lids form a series of I-beam shapes across the width of the panel.