Structural Engineering Slide Library

Set A: Beam Structures

This set of slides illustrates many of the important aspects of beam systems as used in structural engineering. It includes the following general topics:

• Simply supported beams
• Cantilever beams and cantilever construction
• Continuous beams: constant depth I-beams
• Continuous beams: variable depth I-beams
• Box girders: constant depth
• Box girders: variable depth
• Beams of various sections
• Prestressed concrete beams
• Fabricating prestressed concrete beams

Of particular importance are the supports, boundary conditions, and internal hinges and expansion joints, as these determine the degrees of freedom, equilibrium, and the degree of redundancy of the system. And as this may be a student's introduction to the physical significance and design implications of the term boundary conditions, close-ups of important support details and internal releases are included in many of the structures.

This set starts with the stone architrave beams of classical Greek architecture, and ends with a sequence showing how the prestressing of concrete results in much longer limiting spans and greater economy.