In
structural engineering
Structural engineering is a sub-discipline of civil engineering in which structural engineers are trained to design the 'bones and joints' that create the form and shape of human-made Structure#Load-bearing, structures. Structural engineers also ...
, structural elements are used in
structural analysis
Structural analysis is a branch of solid mechanics which uses simplified models for solids like bars, beams and shells for engineering decision making. Its main objective is to determine the effect of loads on physical structures and their c ...
to split a complex
structure
A structure is an arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in a material object or system, or the object or system so organized. Material structures include man-made objects such as buildings and machines and natural objects such as ...
into simple
elements (each bearing a
structural load
A structural load or structural action is a mechanical load (more generally a force) applied to Structural engineering#Structural elements, structural elements. A load causes stress (physics), stress, deformation (engineering), deformation, displa ...
). Within a structure, an element cannot be broken down (decomposed) into parts of different kinds (e.g., beam or column).
Structural building components are specialized structural
building products designed, engineered and manufactured under controlled conditions for a specific application. They are incorporated into the overall building structural system by a
building designer. Examples are wood or steel
roof trusses, floor trusses, floor panels,
I-joists, or engineered beams and headers. A structural building component manufacturer or truss manufacturer is an individual or company regularly engaged in the manufacturing of components.
Structural elements can be lines, surfaces or volumes.
Line elements:
*Rod -
axial loads
*
Beam - axial and
bending
In applied mechanics, bending (also known as flexure) characterizes the behavior of a slender structural element subjected to an external Structural load, load applied perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the element.
The structural eleme ...
loads
*
Pillar
*
Post (structural)
*
Struts or
Compression members-
compressive loads
*
Ties,
Tie rods,
eyebars,
guy-wires, suspension cables, or
wire ropes -
tension loads
Surface elements:
*
membrane - in-plane loads only
*
shell
Shell may refer to:
Architecture and design
* Shell (structure), a thin structure
** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses
Science Biology
* Seashell, a hard outer layer of a marine ani ...
- in plane and bending moments
**
Concrete slab
**
deck
*
shear panel -
shear loads only
Volumes:
* Axial, shear and bending loads for all three dimensions
See also
*
Load-bearing wall
*
Post and lintel
*
Stressed member engine
References
{{Reflist
Structural analysis
Hardware (mechanical)
Architectural elements