Accumulation
Hi Ian,
It isn't just that the loads accumulate on the way down -- though they do, as more wires feed in their share of compression -- but that columns have specific reactions to compression over their length, and these reactions are modified by unsupported length, end fixity, wall thickness, radius, and column material. It's a wonderful subject, central to rigging. But rather than go into that now, I'll just point everyone over to the new Puzzler (it should be up by the 5th, I hope), for one aspect of the question.
Fair leads,
Brion
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