10/15 10 — Building Structure and Structural Systems Free Online FlashCards

How do strength, stiffness, and stability differ?

Strength is the capacity to resist failure under applied forces; stiffness limits deformation, vibration, or movement; stability keeps the complete system in equilibrium.

What is a structural load path?

A load path is the continuous route by which forces travel through structural members to the supporting ground.

How do dead loads differ from live loads?

Dead loads are permanent weights, such as structure, finishes, and fixed equipment. Live loads change over time, such as people, furniture, and movable equipment.

What does a structural diaphragm do?

A diaphragm is a floor or roof plane that distributes lateral forces to vertical resisting elements such as shear walls or braced frames.

Why does building mass matter during earthquakes?

Earthquake forces arise mainly from the inertia of the building’s mass as the ground moves; greater mass generally produces greater inertial forces.

What defines a bearing-wall system?

A bearing-wall system uses walls to support floors and roofs as well as the walls’ own weight.

What is the main spatial advantage of a frame system?

A frame system uses discrete columns and beams for primary gravity support, allowing exterior walls to function as lighter, non-load-bearing enclosure.

How does a braced frame resist lateral movement?

A braced frame uses diagonal members to resist lateral movement. Its triangular geometry allows braces to carry tension and compression efficiently.

What is the defining geometry of a truss?

A truss is an assembly of slender members forming triangles; in an idealized truss, members carry mainly axial tension or compression rather than bending.

How does an arch carry load?

An arch carries loads primarily through compression along a curved path and transfers outward horizontal thrust to its supports.

What makes a shell structurally efficient?

A shell is a thin, curved surface that uses geometry and curvature to carry loads and span large areas with less material than a comparable flat plate.

What is essential to a tensile structure?

Tensile structures carry loads primarily through tension in cables, membranes, or rods. They require anchorage or compression elements because cables cannot resist compression.