FRAME STRUCTURES

A framed structure in any

material is one that is made
stable by a skeleton that is able to
stand by itself as a rigid structure
without depending on floors or
walls to resist deformation.
Materials such as wood, steel,
and reinforced concrete, which
are strong in both tension and
compression, make the best
members for framing. Masonry
skeletons, which cannot be made
rigid without walls, are not
frames. The heavy timber frame,
in which large posts, spaced
relatively far apart, support thick
floor and roof beams, was the
commonest type of construction
in eastern Asia and northern
Europe from prehistoric times to
the mid-19th century. It was
supplanted by the American light
wood frame (balloon frame),
composed of many small and
closely spaced members that
could be handled easily and
assembled quickly by nailing
instead of by the slow joinery and
dowelling of the past.
Construction is similar in the two
systems, since they are both
based on the post-and-lintel
principle. Posts must rest on a
level, waterproof foundation,
usually composed of masonry or
concrete, on which the sill (base
member) is attached. Each upper
story is laid on crossbeams that
are supported on the exterior
wall by horizontal members.
Interior walls give additional
beam support.

In the heavy-timber system, the

beams are strong enough to
allow the upper story and roof to
project beyond the plane of the
ground-floor posts, increasing
the space and weather
protection. The members are
usually exposed on the exterior.
In China, Korea, and Japan,
spaces between are enclosed by
light screen walls and in northern
Europe partly by thinner bracing
members and partly by boards,
panels, or (in half-timbered
construction) bricks or earth.

The light frame, however, is

sheathed with vertical or
horizontal boarding or shingling,
which is jointed or overlapped for
weather protection. Sheathing
helps to brace as well as to
protect the frame, so the frame is
not structurally independent as in
steel frame construction. The
light-frame system has not been
significantly improved since its
introduction, and it lags behind
other modern techniques.
Prefabricated panels designed to
reduce the growing cost of
construction have not been
widely adopted. Modern heavy-
timber and laminated-wood
techniques, however, provide
means of building up compound
members for trusses and arches
that challenge steel construction
for certain large-scale projects in
areas where wood is plentiful.

Steel framing is based on the

same principles but is much
simplified by the far greater
strength of the material, which
provides more rigidity with fewer
members. The load-bearing
capacity of steel is adequate for
buildings many times higher than
those made of other materials.
Because the column and beam
are fused by riveting or welding,
stresses are distributed between
them, and both can be longer and
lighter than in structures in which
they work independently as post-
and-lintel. Thus, large cubic
spaces can be spanned by four
columns and four beams, and
buildings of almost any size can
be produced by joining cubes in
height and width. Since structural
steel must be protected from
corrosion, the skeleton is either
covered by curtain walls or
surfaced in concrete or, more
rarely, painted. The steel frame is
used also in single-story buildings
where large spans are required.
The simple cube then can be
abandoned for covering systems
employing arches, trusses, and
other elements in a limitless
variety of forms in order to suit
the functions of the building.

Differences between reinforced-

concrete and steel framing are
discussed in the section on
materials. The greater rigidity
and continuity of concrete
frames give them more
versatility, but steel is favoured
for very tall structures for reasons
of economy in construction and
space. An example is the system
called box frame construction, in
which each unit is composed of
two walls bearing a slab (the
other two walls enclosing the unit
are nonbearing curtain walls);
this type of construction extends
the post-and-lintel principle into
three dimensions. Here, again,
 concrete crosses the barriers that
separated traditional methods of
construction
A PLANE FRAME STRUCTURE

These are structures created in two

dimensions. An example is seen opposite.
This is a flat wooden frame, holding bricks
in position, whilst the cement dries. This
is a typical construction technique. Once
the brick work is set in position, the plain
frame structure can be removed, leaving
the brick arch firmly and permanently in
place.

STRUCTURAL FRAMES
These are three dimensional structures, often composed of girders, beams and columns. They are
characterised by having columns to hold up sections of the structure. The steel structure of a stadium may
have many anchor points to the ground. The roof of many sporting stadiums, are held in position, by this type
of structure (see below)

Structural frames, often form the roof of railway stations, as seen around the world (see below). It is ideal for
this type of building, as the roof spans a large area. The structural frame provides a safe, covered area, for
people and trains. Note the columns that hold up the structure.
Materials Used for Framed
Structures

As discussed earlier, the

materials used for framing
structures, viz., wood, metal and
RCC, are discussed below.
1. Timber
Use of timber for framed
structures offer several
advantages like beauty,
versatility, durability, low cost,
high strength-to-weight ratio,
excellent electrical insulation and
high shock absorption capacity. A
variety of range of finishes can be
provided to satisfy decorative
and protective purposes.

In wooden frames, the walls are

conventionally built with slender
studs spaced about 40 cm centre
to centre. In a similar way, joints
and rafters which are supported
on the walls are also spaced 40
cm apart. Timber studs are
usually placed in walls and
partitions keeping the wide faces
perpendicular to the face of the
wall or partition. For attachment
to studs, joists and rafters,
facings and decking for the
required sizes are available.
Wood bearing wall constructions
are generally either braced to
balloon frame or platform frame.
2. Steel
In general, the steel framework
supports all loads. In this type, all
columns, beams and girders in
the framed structure are of the
steel section. Adequate bracing is
needed for these structures in
order to resist the wind and
earthquake forces.

For these structures, fireproof

and other light materials are used
for partitions and exterior walls if
it is a building. Steel framed
structures are capable of
sustaining greater load in a given
space. In steel-framed structures,
circular or curved work should be
avoided.
3. RCC
Reinforced cement concrete
(RCC) forms the best material for
framed structures, provided they
are properly designed and
constructed. As discussed earlier,
columns and beams are
interconnected with each other
so as to form a grid of beams and
girders. In order to carry various
floor levels, the slabs are built
monolithically. The foundations
may be either isolated or
combined footing or it may be a
raft or mat depending on the soil
and the load on the foundation.

Advantages of Framed Structures

Following are the advantages of
framed structures:

1. If the framed structure consists

of several floors, for example, in a
building, it is possible to carry out
different activities
simultaneously. For example,
finishing of lower floors can be
done while the construction of
the framework of upper floors
can be taken up.
2. Based on the requirement, the
panel walls may be changed to a
different position. This brings in
greater freedom in planning.
3. In a building, this helps to
divide the components into two
distinct categories, viz., load-
bearing and non-load bearing.
This enables to the construction
of the non-load-bearing
components using low-cost
materials.
4. The framed structure
construction requires thin panels
which in turn leads to the larger
floor area. However, outer walls
are off a type which shall offer
heat and sound insulation and
shall withstand weather
conditions.
5. Framed structures can highly
resist vibrations and are ideal for
seismic zones.
6. Very suitable in filled-up or soft
ground compared to ordinary
masonry constructions. Tall
buildings are generally framed
structures which are discussed in
the next section.