Function of Building Structural Members

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Function of Building Structural Members

In general,a building consists of basic Building Structural Members elements like slabs,beams,columns and footings.These structural elements which are similar to bones in human body are covered by elements like wall cladding,flooring tiles,plastering etc.,like flesh and skin of human body.Bones are meant for strength whereas flesh and skin are to exhibit beauty.

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1.Slabs:

Slabs serve as floor or roof by carring the loads imposed on them.Slabs are constructed to provide flat surfaces, usually horizontal in building floors, roofs, bridges, and other types of structures. The slab may be supported by walls or by reinforced concrete beams usually cast monolithically with the slab or by structural steel beams or by columns, or by the ground.A concrete slab is a common structural element of modern buildings. Horizontal slabs of steel reinforced concrete, typically between 4 and 20 inches (100 and 500 millimeters) thick, are most often used to construct floors and ceilings, while thinner slabs are also used for exterior paving.

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2. Beams:

Beams carry the loads transmitted from slabs and walls. A beam is a structural element that primarily resists loads applied laterally to the beam’s axis. Its mode of deflection is primarily by bending.Beams are characterized by their manner of support, profile (shape of cross-section), length, and their material.The reason an I section is used in beam design is because a beam resists bending. When a beam bends, the lower most part of it is in tension, and the uppermost is in compression.Simply, its flange carry bending while the web carry the shear. We can have large spans with lesser weight of material due its shape.

3. Columns:

Columns carry the loads transmitted from beams and transmit them to the footings.A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression,the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member.

4.Footing:

Footing distribute the loads transmitted from the columns into soil. Footings are an important part of foundation construction. They are typically made of concrete with rebar reinforcement that has been poured into an excavated trench. The purpose of footings is to support the foundation and prevent settling. Footings are especially important in areas with troublesome soils.