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Structural Glossary

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A

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  • Abutment  -  The part of a pier or wall that is either an end of an arch, beam or bridge which resists the pressure of a load.
  • Aggregate  -  A mixture of sand and stone with the major component concrete.
  • Anchor Tee Pipe Support  -
  • Angle Iron Pipe Support  -
  • Axial Force  -  A force that tends to stretch or shorten a member.

B

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  • Bar Spacing  -  The minimum spacing that should allow the largest expected concrete gravel size to pass between the bars freely.
  • Beam  -  The main part of the structural framing that carries loads from one member to another on its horizontal axis.
  • Beam Bending Stress  -
  • Beam Design Formulas  -
  • Beam Loading  -  The application of a load to a pipe between two points of support usually expressed in pounds and the distance between the centers of the support.
  • Bend Allowance  -  The length of the arc through the bend area at the neutral axis.
  • Bending Moment  -  Describe the internal force or moment that causes a beam, column, or other structural element to bend. 
  • Bending Strength  -  Upper limit of normal stress of a beam at which fracture or excessive plastic deformation occurs.
  • Boulder Wall  -  A wall constructed of boulders and set in morter.
  • Bracing  -  The stiffening of an area between columns by means of diagonal elements.
  • Brinell Hardness Number  -  Is a value assigned to the hardness of metals and alloys.
  • Buttweld Under Axial and Transverse Loading  -
  • Butt Plate  -  The end plate of a structural member usually used to rest against a like plate or another member in forming a connection.

C

D

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  • Dead Load  -  The full weight or pressure applied downward to a fixed location on the ground and relatively constant over time.  The weight is usually measured in pounds per square foot (psf).  The dead load can be calculated accurately because the load is constant.
  • Dead Wall  -  Static loads that are permanently present, such as the weight of a structure.
  • Deflection  -  The change in the position of something from zero or from its normal position.
  • Deformation  -  Is measured by how much an object is deformed from its origional dimensions.
  • Distributed Load (Uniform Load)  -  A force evenly distributed along a supportive structure.
  • Door Guide  -  An angle or channel used to stabilize or keep plumb a sliding or rolling door during its operation.
  • Double Overhanging Beam  -  A beam extending from borh ends of the support to some distance.
  • Downspout  -  A conduit used to carry water from the gutter of the building.
  • Drift Pin  -  A tapered pin used during erection to align holes in steel members to be connected by bolting.
  • Dummy Support  -
  • Dynamic Load  -  Cyclic load, such as gusty wind and seismic loads.

E

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  • Elastic Modulus  -  The ratio of the stress applied to a body or substance to the resulting strain within the elastic limits.
  • Elasticity  -  Measures the stiffness of an elastic material.
  • Elastic Modulus of Concrete  -  Is valid for normal weight concrete.
  • End Frame  -  A frame located at the end wall of a building that supports the loads from a portion of the end bay.
  • End Wall  -  An exterior wall that is parallel to the main frames of the building.
  • End Wall Column  -  A vertical member located at the end wall of a building that supports the girts. In post and beam end wall frames the end wall columns also support the rafter.
  • Expansion Joint  -  Designed to withstand pressure and temperatures growth in foundations and piping system.  The thermal movement can be angular, axial or lateral.
  • Expansion Loop  -

F

G

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  • Geometric Properties of Structural Shapes  -
  • Girder  -  A type of the beam that supports other smaller beams.
  • Gravity Load  -  Vertical loads from the weight of static or transient portions or occupants of a structure.
  • Grout  -  A mixture of Portland cement, sand, water, and other elements used for bonding concrete and steel members.

H

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  • Hanging Pipe Clamp Support  -
  • Hanging Pipe Support  -
  • Hardness  -  The property of a material that enables it to resist plastic deformation, usually by penetration.
  • Header  -  A beam that is perpendicular to a joist.
  • Heat  -  A form of energy that causes physical change in what is being heated. 
  • Heat Capacity  -  The ratio of heat transferred to raise the temperature of an object.
  • Hip  -  The line formed at the intersection of two adjacent sloping planes of a roof.
  • Hip Roof  -  A roof that is formed by sloping planes from all four sides.

I

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  • I-beam  -  A beam shaped like an "I" with a center web and having crossbars at the top and bottom.

J

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  • Jamb  -  The vertical framing members located at the sides of an opening.
  • Joist  -  A beam usually arranged in parallel with others to support a floor, roof or ceiling.  In domestic construction, these are usually of timber, but steel and concrete joists are also used.

K

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  • K-factor Constant  -  The distance from the inside bend to the neutral axis.
  • Knee  -  The connecting area of a column and rafter of a structural frame such as a rigid frame.
  • Knee Brace  -  A diagonal member at a column and rafter intersection designed to resist horizontal loads.

L

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  • L-beam  -  A beam shaped like an "L" with a center web and having a half crossbar at one end.
  • Lap Joint  -  The joint between two overlapping connections in parallel planes.
  • Laterial Bracing  -  Provides in-plane laterial stability like diagonal bracing, shear walls, or other means.
  • Laterial Load  -  Acting in a laterial direction, created by the wind or an earthquake.
  • Lightweight Concrete  -  This concrete has strengthening properties that are not the same as normal concretes, with the mixing of binding materials, a lighter aggregate, and water in specific porportions.
  • Lintel Beam  -  A beam used at the top of openings like doors and windows.
  • Live load  -  These are the dynamic forces from occupancy and use.  They are the forces that move through the building such as momentum and vibration.  The live load can not be calculated accurately because the load is not constant.
  • Load per Unit Length   -  The load applied per unit length of the pipe.

M

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  • Mass  -  The amount of matter an object has.
  • Material  -  The matter an object is made of.  There are four categories of material: ceramic, composite, metal and polymer.
  • Material Hardness  -  Hardness is the property of a material that enables it to resist plastic deformation, usually by penetration.
  • Moment of Inertia  -  Measures the resists or change an object has to rotational acceleration about an axis.

N

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  • Needle Beam  -  A short length of timber or steel that is inserted through a hole in a wall, with props at each end to enable the wall to be supported while work takes place beneath.
  • Net Area  -  Gross areareduced to account for removing material.
  • Nominal Load  -  The magnitude of the load specified by the applicable code.

O

P

Q

R

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  • Radius of Gyration  -  The distance from the axis of rotation to a point where the total mass of the body is supposed to be concentrated.
  • Rafter  -  The main beam supporting the roof system.
  • Railroad Tie Pipe Support  -
  • Rake  -  The intersection of the plane of the roof and the plane of the end wall.
  • Rake Angle  -  Angle fastened to purlins at rake for attachment of end wall panels.
  • Rake Trim  -  A flashing designed to close the opening between the roof and end wall panels.
  • Rectangular Angle  -
  • Rectangular Beam  -  A beam that has a cross-section of a rectangular shape.
  • Reinforced Concrete  -  Concrete containing steel reinforcement (steel rods or mesh) provides resistance to internal forces that weaken the structure and are designed to carry transverse external loads.
  • Rib  -  The longitudinal raised profile of a panel that provides much of the panel’s bending strength.
  • Ribbed Panel  -  A panel, which has ribs with sloping sides and forms a trapezoidal shaped void at the side lap.
  • Ridge  -  The horizontal line formed by opposing sloping sides of a roof running parallel with the building length.
  • Ridge Cap  -  A transition of the roofing materials along the ridge of a roof; sometimes called ridge roll or ridge flashing.
  • Ridge Frame  -  A structural frame consisting of member joined together with moment connections so as to render the steel frame stable with respect to design loads, without the need for bracing in its plane.
  • Road Crossing Casing and Insulation  -
  • Rolled Steel Girder  -  A fabricated girder by which rolling a blank cylinder of steel through a series of dies creates the desired shape.
  • Roof Overhang  -  A roof extension beyond the end wall or sidewall of a building.

S

T

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  • Tapered Beam  -  A beam with a center web and having a tapered (to the inside) shape crossbars.
  • Tapered Channel  -
  • Tapered I Beam  -
  • Tapered T Beam  -
  • T-beam  -  A beam shaped like an "T" with a center web and having a crossbar at one end.
  • Temperature  -  Normally described as the amount of heat or cold, but it is neither heat or cold.
  • Tensile Strength  -  The maximum stress a material can resist before it starts to elongate.
  • Tensile Strength of Concrete  - 
  • Tension  -  The force (pressure) acting on a material such as a cable, pipe, rod, etc. on one or more objects.  Tension with time, can cause objects to deform when under constant force. 
  • Tension Strength  -  The capacity of a material to resist a force tending to stretch it.
  • Thermal Conductivity  -  The ability to transfer heat within a material without any motion of the material.
  • Thermal Diffusivity  -  A measure of the transient thermal reaction of a material to a change in temperature.
  • Thermal Expansion  - The increase in length, area or volume due to the increase (in some cased decrease) in temperature.
  • Thermal Expansion Coefficient  -  The percentage change in the length of the material per degree of temperature change, heated solid or liquid.
  • Thermal Resistance  -  Measures the temperature difference by which an object or material resists a heat flow.
  • Threaded Pipe Support  -
  • Tie Plate  -  A metal plate used to tie parallel parts of a building structure.
  • Timber Beam  -  Generally used in the wooden roof truss construction and runs horizontally between two posts on each side of the wooden trusts.
  • Torque  -  It is a measure of how much twisting is applied.
  • Torsion  -  The stress of twisting of an object due to applied torque.
  • Torsional Bracing  -  A bracing that prevents the stress of twisting of an object due to applied torque.
  • Total Load per Unit Length  -  Is the load applied per unit length of the pipe.
  • Triangular Load  -  A force distributed along a supportive structure whose magnitude is zero at one end and increases constantly to the second end of the span.
  • Truss  -  A structure composed of straight members connected in triangles, requiring no bending resistance in principle as the member forces are purely axial. Roofs and bridges are applications for which trusses are well suited.
  • Trussed Beam  -  A beam with truss members reinforcing the beam.  Normally used where long spans and open spaces are needed.
  • True Slump  -  The concrete just slumps a little and more or less maintains its moulding shape.

U

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  • U-bolt Pipe Support  -
  • Unequal I Beam  -
  • Uniform Load (Uniformally Distributed Load)  -  A force evenly distributed along a supportive structure.  This is the opposite of point load.
  • Uplifter  -  Wind load on a building, which causes a load in the upward direction.

V

W

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  • Web  -  The middle plate of a beam or channel.
  • Web Buckling  -  A limit state of lateral instability of a web.
  • Weephole  -  A hole that allows water to escape from, such as the bottom of a pipe support to stop corrosion, or from behind a retaining wall to relieve pressure.
  • Welding  -  The fabrication process that fuses like materials togeather by heating them to a suitable temperatures, this can be acomplished by brazing, soldering or welding.
  • Wind Column  -  A vertical member designed to withstand horizontal wind loads, usually in the end wall.

X

Y

Z

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  • Zero Slump  -  The fresh concrete maintaines the actual shape of the mould.
  • Zinc Aluminum Coating  -  Steel coated with an alloy of zinc and aluminum to provide corrosion resistance.

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