Lecture 8: Build - Structural Engineering Principles and Materials

Flashcards covering structural engineering fundamentals, load types, force distribution, structural systems, and material case studies based on Lecture 8.

Structural Engineering

The discipline that ensures structures are safe and stable by designing and analyzing frameworks to withstand environmental and load forces such as wind, snow, and seismic activity.

Dead Load

The permanent, static forces continuously applied to a structure, consisting of the weight of its own fixed components like floor slabs, roofing, beams, columns, and walls.

Live Load

The temporary or variable forces exerted on a structure during its use, including occupants, furnishings, equipment, vehicles, accumulated snow, and rain.

Wind Load

A dynamic lateral load caused by air movement against a building's surface, inducing positive pressure on exterior walls and uplift forces on roofs.

Seismic Load

Dynamic force exerted on a building due to ground motion during an earthquake, acting predominantly horizontally and affected by structural mass, stiffness, and soil conditions.

Thermal Load

Internal stresses and physical deformations exerted on structural components due to expansion and contraction caused by temperature changes.

Beam

A horizontal structural element that carries loads across a span from floors, ceilings, or roofs and transfers those forces to vertical supports such as columns or walls.

Truss

A structural framework made of interconnected members arranged in triangular units, designed to span long distances and support heavy loads in roofs and bridges.

Diaphragm

A flat, horizontal structural plane—such as a floor or roof deck—that receives and transmits lateral forces to vertical load-resisting elements like shear walls or braced frames.

Footing

A foundation element located at the base of a column or wall that transfers the total accumulated loads of a building into the underlying earth.

Alexemata

Optical refinements applied to classical architecture, such as the Parthenon, including slight curvature of the platform, swelling of column shafts, and thickening of corner columns to ensure visual symmetry to the human eye.

Timber Framing

A traditional wood construction method utilizing large posts, beams, and rafters joined with mortise and tenon connections secured by wooden pegs.

Stick Framing

A lightweight wood construction system popularized in the 1800s that relies on standardized dimensional lumber (such as $2 \times 4$ or $2 \times 6$) and manufactured nails.

Corbeled Arch

A false arch created by horizontal masonry layers stepped progressively inward from opposing sides until meeting at the top center.

True Arch

A curved structural shape composed of wedge-shaped units (voussoirs) that directs downward gravitational forces into continuous outward and downward compression.

Félix Candela

A Spanish-Mexican architect known for engineering thin-shell concrete structures with double curvature forms, as demonstrated in projects like L'Oceanografic.

Gustave Eiffel

A French engineer who created structural iron systems including the 986-foot latticed iron tower for the 1889 World's Fair in Paris and the internal load-bearing iron frame of the Statue of Liberty.

Lateral Load Resisting Systems

Structural assemblies configured to absorb horizontal wind and earthquake forces, including chevron-braced frames, X-braced frames, rigid frames, and shear walls.

Vault

An arched masonry roof or ceiling system that transfers vertical compression loads down to side walls or pillars, including barrel, groin, rib, and fan variations.