Types of structure

Within the context of the built environment, the term ‘structure’ refers to anything that is constructed or built from interrelated parts with a fixed location on the ground. This includes buildings, but can refer to any body that is designed to bear loads, even if it is not intended to be occupied by people (engineers sometimes refer to these as 'non-building' structures – such as bridges, tunnels, and so on).

Structures can be classified in a number of ways:

Type:

• Solid.
• Frame.
• Shell.
• Membrane.
• Composite.
• Liquid.

Structural system:

• Tensile.
• Compressive.
• Shear.
• Bending.
• Composite.

Application:

• Building.
• Aqueducts and viaducts.
• Bridges.
• Canals.
• Cooling towers and chimneys.
• Dams.
• Railways.
• Roads.
• Retaining walls.
• Tunnels.
• Coastal defences.

Form:

• One-dimensional: Ropes, cables, struts, columns, beams, arches.
• Two-dimensional: Membranes, plates, slabs, shells, vaults, domes, synclastic, anticlastic.
• Three-dimensional: Solid masses.
• Composite. A combination of the above.

Material:

• Timber.
• Concrete.
• Metal: Steel, aluminium and so on.
• Masonry: Brick, block, stone and so on.
• Glass.
• Adobe.
• Composite

Element:

• Substructure.
• Superstructure.
• Foundation.
• Roof.
• Shell and core.
• Structural frame.
• Floor.
• Wall: loadbearing walls, compartment walls, external walls, retaining walls.

See Elements of structure in buildings for more information.

Overall building form:

• Low-rise.
• Multi-storey.
• Mid-rise.
• High rise.
• Groundscraper.
• Skyscraper.
• Supertall.
• Megatall.
• Super-slender
• Megastructure.
• Anticlastic.
• Synclastic.
• Hyperbolic paraboloid.
• Conoid.
• Tower.
• Dome.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• Civil engineer.
• Deflection.
• Elements of structure in buildings
• Engineer.
• Institution of Civil Engineers.
• Institution of Structural Engineers IStructE.
• Platform construction.
• Span.
• Structure.
• Structural engineer.
• Structural principles.
• Substructure.
• Superstructure.
• The development of structural membranes.
• Types of beam.
• Types of building.
• Types of column.
• Types of construction.
• Types of wall.
• Types of structural load.