n architecture or structural engineering, a girt is a horizontal structural member in a framed wall.

Girts
provide lateral support to the wall panel, primarily, to resist winds loads.

May also be known as a sheeting rail.

A comparable element in roof construction is a purlin.

[edit]Stability in steel building construction

The girt is commonly used as a stabilizing element to the primary structure (e.g. column, post). Wall
cladding fastened to the girt, or a discrete bracing system which includes the girt, can provide shear
resistance, in the plane of the wall, along the length of the primary member. Since the girts are normally
fastened to, or near, the exterior flange of a column, stability braces may be installed at a girt to resist
rotation of the unsupported, inner flange of the primary member. The girt system must be competent and
adequately stiff to provide the required stabilizing resistance in addition to its role as a wall panel support.

Girts are stabilized by (sag) rods/angles/straps and by the wall cladding. Stabilizing rods are discrete
brace members to prevent rotation of an unsupported flange of the girt. Sheet metal wall panels are
usually considered to provide lateral bracing to the connected, typically exterior flange along the length of
the girt. Under restricted circumstances,[1] sheet metal wall panels are also capable of providing rotational
restraint to the girt section.

In general: Girt supports panel, panel stabilizes girt; Column supports girt, girt stabilizes column. The
building designer should be knowledgeable in the complexities of this interactive design condition to
ensure competent design of the complete structure.
In architecture or structural engineering or building, a purlin (or purline) is a horizontal structural member
in a roof. Purlins support the loads from the roof deck or sheathing and are supported by the
principal rafters and/or the building walls, steel beams etc. The use of purlins, as opposed to closely
spaced rafters, is common in pre-engineered metal building systems and both the ancient post-and-
beam and newer pole building timber frame construction methodologies.

In lightweight timber roof construction under purlins were used to support rafters over longer spans than
the rafters alone could span. Under purlins were typically propped off internal walls. For example, an 8 x 4
under purlin would support the center of a row of 6 x 2 rafters that in turn would support 3 x 2 roof purlins
to which the roof cladding was fixed.[clarification needed]

In traditional timber truss construction[clarification needed], purlins rest on the principal rafters of the truss.

It is the practice in the steel industry that structural shapes are assigned representative designations for
convenient short-hand description on drawings and documentation: Channel sections, with or without
flange stiffeners, are usually referenced as C shapes; Channel sections without flange stiffeners are also
referenced as U shapes; Point symmetric sections that are shaped similar to the letter Z are referenced
as Z shapes. Section designations can be regional and even specific to a manufacturer. In steel building
construction, secondary members such as purlins (roof) and girts (wall) are frequently cold-formed
steel C, Z or U sections, (or mill rolled) C sections.

Cold formed members can be efficient on a weight basis relative to mill rolled sections for secondary
member applications. Additionally, Z sections can be nested for transportation bundling and, on the
building, lapped at the supports to develop a structurally efficient continuous beam across multiple
supports
Design of Steel Structures Prof. S.R.Satish Kumar and Prof. A.R.Santha Kumar

7. TRANSMISSION TOWERS

7.1 Introduction

In every country, developed and developing, the elastic power

consumption has continued to rise, the rate of growth being greater in the

developing countries on account of the comparatively low base. This in turn had

led to the increase in the number of power stations and their capacities and

consequent increase in power transmission lines from the generating stations to

the load centres. Interconnections between systems are also increasing to

enhance reliability and economy. The transmission voltage, while dependent on

th quantum of power transmitted, should fit in with the long-term system

requirement as well as provide flexibility in system operation. It should also

conform to the national and international standard voltage levels.

In the planning and design of a transmission line, a number of

requirements have to be met. From the electrical point of view, the most

important requirement is insulation and safe clearances to earthed parts. These,

together with the cross-section of conductors, the spacing between conductors,

and the relative location of ground wires with respect to the conductors, influence

the design of towers and foundations. The conductors, ground wires, insulation,

towers and foundations constitute the major components of a transmission line.

Indian Institute of Technology Madras