Structural Systems

Structural system, in building construction, the particular method of assembling and constructing structural elements
of a building so that they support and transmit applied loads safely to the ground without exceeding the allowable
stresses in the members.

Wall Bearing Structure

This type of system uses walls to carry the vertical and

lateral loads of the structure down to its foundation. Materials
used for this system include but not limited to wood,
concrete, and brick. This type of structure allows for an open
interior space without the use of supporting columns,
however, since the walls are carrying all the loads (including
itself), the height and dimension of the structure, and the
loads on the floors are dependent on the size of the walls, as
a result, it cannot handle large loads without becoming
massive in size. In addition, it does not have the ability to
span large distances as compared to some other systems.
This system is typically used in residential and small
business buildings because of area and height restrictions
imposed by codes that try to maximize fire safety.

Post-and-lintel

The simplest illustration of load and support in construction is the post-and-lintel system, in which two upright
members (posts, columns, piers) hold up a third member (lintel, beam, girder, rafter) laid horizontally across their top
surfaces. This is the basis for the evolution of all openings. But, in its pure form, the post-and-lintel is seen only in
colonnades and in framed structures, since the posts of doors, windows, ceilings, and roofs are part of the wall.
The job of the lintel is to bear the loads that rest on it (and its own load) without deforming or breaking. Failure occurs
only when the material is too weak or the lintel is too long. Lintels composed of materials that are weak in bending,
such as stone, must be short, while lintels in materials that are strong in bending, such as steel, may span far greater
openings. Masonry lintels are inefficient because they must depend on the cohesiveness of mortar, which is weaker
than the blocks it bonds; so, in masonry construction, lintels of monolithic (single-slab) stone, wood, and stronger
materials are employed.
The job of the post is to support the lintel and its loads without crushing or buckling. Failure occurs, as in lintels, from
excessive weakness or length, but the difference is that the material must be especially strong in compression.
Stone, which has this property, is more versatile as a post than as a lintel; under heavy loads it is superior to wood
but not to iron, steel, or reinforced concrete. Masonry posts, including those of brick, may be highly efficient, since the
loads compress the joints and add to their cohesiveness. Although monolithic stone columns are used, they are
extravagant to produce for large structures, and columns are usually built up of a series of cylindrical blocks called
drums.

Framed structures
Timber, reinforced concrete and
steel can all be used to create
regular frameworks comprising
beams and columns. The
beams transfer loads from roof,
floors and walls to the columns.
The columns transfer the beam
loads to the sub-soil through the
foundations. The dead and
imposed loads from roofs or
floor slabs will be transferred to
the floor beams and then to the
structural frame. Compared to a
continuous support-type
structure of similar weight, a
framed structure typically
transfers more concentrated
loads into the subsoil.
External walls in framed buildings act as infill panels between columns and beams. Because they are non-load
bearing (although they carry their own weight and must resist wind forces), they can be of any durable material that
fulfils thermal, acoustic, fire and environmental criteria. When positioned on the outside of the frame they form a part
of the building envelope and are known as cladding. When they are positioned on a secondary steel framework
attached to outside of the main structure so that a ventilation gap is created behind them, they are known as a
rainscreen.
The position of the structural frame relative to its cladding will determine the external appearance: cladding panels
can be located behind, in front of, or flush with the frame.
Membrane structures

Membrane structures (or fabric structures) create spaces that are enclosed by tensioned membranes. At its simplest,
a tent may be regarded as a membrane structure given its steel or fibreglass poles support a canvas or plastic
membrane covering.
As structures, membranes can be divided into pneumatic structures, tensile membrane structures and cable net
membrane structures. In all these, the membrane is rendered taut through tensile forces applied by steel cables (or
internal air pressure) which transfer the forces to a structural frame and then to the subsoil. It is through the action of
the cables and construction members that the membranes find their form.
In inflatable structures, steel cables and columns are replaced by air which supports a reinforced membrane.
Suspension Structures

Building structures in which the main elements that support the load (wires, cables, chains, grids, sheet diaphragms,
and so on) are subject only to forces of extension. Suspension structures, which exist under conditions of extension,
make possible the full use of the mechanical properties of high-strength materials (for example, steel wire or kapron
filaments); their light weight makes it possible to cover structures that have extremely large spans.
Suspension structures are comparatively simple to erect; they are dependable and are distinguished by architectural
expressiveness. Their shortcomings include the presence of thrusts and high susceptibility to deformation under local
stresses. Anchor foundations or so-called contour structures (rings that form a belt around the perimeter of the
structure) are used to absorb the thrusts. The susceptibility of such structures to deformation may be reduced by
introducing stabilizing elements—such as guy wires, cross stays, stiffening beams, or additional booms—as well as
by giving the structure a form that permits prestressing. Geometrically invariable suspension structures made from
rectilinear elements (guys) are called guy structures.
Suspension structures may be either plane or spatial. The simplest form of plane structure is a wire fastened to
supports and from which are suspended elements that take the local stress. Modern plane suspension structures are
used mainly in bridges and roofs, ropeways, and overpasses for pipelines.