The Dlubal Structural Analysis Wiki explains technical terms used in structural analysis and design. The terms are given in alphabetical order and are usually used in Dlubal Software.

9620x

000295

2020-11-13

HOAI

Joint Group

Keyboard Functions

Quadrangle Surface

Beam Structure

A beam structure is a structural system consisting of members for load application. A member is a one-dimensional structural component.

Features

A beam structure consists of one-dimensional elements that can be straight or curved. A member is thus characterized by its slenderness. It has an initial and an end node. Further characteristics include the transferable internal forces of the individual members and the transfer of the internal forces to the connections in the nodes.

Application

Basically, a beam structure is used to ensure the stability of a building and to safely transfer the loads. The use of members has the advantage that the planning, execution, and calculation of the entire structure is simplified by separating the beam structure and the facade, for example.

An example of a beam structure is a logistics hall shell made of steel sections, typically consisting of columns, beams/girders, compression pipes, and tension rods.

1 Steel Hall with Flat Buckled Duopitch Roof, Deformation

The essential part of a beam structure are the member connections of each other as well as the type of internal forces that they transfer. The rigid or hinged connections are included for the following reasons, for example:

Limitation of the member length for transport reasons
Direction change of a member
Structural requirement, for example, to deflect internal forces by moment hinges, shear forces, or axial forces
Limitation of the internal forces of a single member by supporting a beam to reduce the span moment, for example

Frequently used types of member structures are trusses (Image 02) or frame structures (Image 03).

2 Beam Structure with Members only Subjected to Axial Forces, here for Bridging Large Spans

3 Single-Aisle Frame Structure

Beam Structures with Dlubal Software

With the main programs RFEM and RSTAB, Dlubal Software provides you with the option to intuitively model planar and spatial beam structures. In both programs, you can perform linear or nonlinear calculation of internal forces, deformations, and support forces.