7/28/2023

Types of Structural Material

UNIT 4 Masonry is a composite material in which individual stones,
bricks or blocks are bedded in mortar to form columns, walls,
arches or vaults.
STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS
Stone too is not one but a very wide range of materials, from
the relatively soft sedimentary rocks such as limestone to the
very hard granites and other igneous rocks.

The physical properties which these materials have in common

are moderate compressive strength, minimal tensile strength
and relatively high density. The very low tensile strength
restricts the use of masonry to elements in which the principal
internal force is compressive,

BAR 312 ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURES-II

Structural Material

Structural materials are those that bear load. The key properties of materials in relation to bearing load are: elastic In the modern buildings the bending moments
modulus, yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, hardness, ductility, etc. In addition, if materials corrode or wear, which occur in the walls are caused principally by
their ability to carry load will be degraded. wind loading.
The shapes which are adopted for structural elements are affected, to a large extent, by the nature of the materials Where masonry will be subjected to significant
from which they are made. The physical properties of materials determine the types of internal force which they can bending moment, as in the case of external walls
carry and, therefore, the types of element for which they are suitable. Unreinforced masonry, for example, may only
exposed to wind loading, the overall thickness
be used in situations where compressive stress is present. Reinforced concrete performs well when loaded in
compression or bending. These aspects of the influence of material properties on structural geometry are now
must be large enough to ensure that the tensile
discussed in relation to the four principal structural materials of masonry, timber, steel and reinforced concrete. bending stress is not greater than the compressive
stress caused by the gravitational load
 7/28/2023

Timber Steel
● Timber has been used as a structural material from earliest
times. It possesses both tensile and compressive strength and,
in the structural role is therefore suitable for elements which The use of steel as a primary structural material dates from the late nineteenth century.
carry axial compression, axial tension and bending-type loads. It is a material that has good structural properties. It has high and equal strength in tension and
● It's used to make complete structural frameworks, and for the compression and is therefore suitable for the full range of structural elements and will resist axial tension,
floors and roofs in load bearing masonry structures. axial compression and bending type load with almost equal facility. Its density is high, but the ratio of
strength to weight is also high so that steel components are not excessively heavy in relation to their load
● Rafters, floor beams, skeleton frames, trusses, built-up beams carrying capacity, so long as structural forms are used which ensure that the material is used efficiently
of various kinds, arches, shells and folded forms have all been
constructed in timber.
● The parts of the tree which are used for structural timber – the
heartwood and sapwood of the trunk.

Timber Steel

Timber is a material which offers combination of properties that allow the creation of lightweight Steel structures are prefabricated, the design of the joints between the elements is an important aspect of
structures which are simple to construct. the overall design which affects both the structural performance and the appearance of the frame. Joints
are made either by bolting or by welding.
its relatively low strength, the small sizes of the basic components and the difficulties associated with
achieving good structural joints tend to limit the size of structure which is possible, and the majority of steel is a very strong material with dependable properties. It is used principally in skeleton frame types of
timber structures are small in scale with short spans and a small number of storeys. structure in which the components are hot-rolled. It allows the production of structures of a light, slender
appearance and a feeling of neatness and high precision.
Currently, its most common application in architecture is in domestic building where it is used as a
primary structural material either to form the entire structure of a building, as in timber wall-panel It is also capable of producing very long span structures, and structures of great height.
construction, or as the horizontal elements in load bearing masonry structures.
 7/28/2023

Concrete Factors of Material Selection

Reinforced concrete possesses tensile as well as compressive strength and is suitable for all types of To ensure the integrity of design and prevent any susceptibility to product failure, the material
structural element including those which carry bending-type loads. selection process assures that a design technically fits the desired properties. Mechanical properties
of materials can change and often do once the material is subjected to variable conditions—the
It is also a reasonably strong material. Concrete can therefore be used in structural configurations such as
the skeleton frame.
impact of the working environment, temperature fluctuation, rate of load, or general wear and tear
can alter a material’s properties. A custom engineering solution would carefully select the
It can also be used to make long-span structures and high, multi-storey structures. appropriate material to suit those possible conditions.
Although concrete can be moulded into complicated shapes, relatively simple shapes are normally favoured
for reasons of economy in construction

Material Cost Manufacturability

In reinforced concrete, steel
reinforcing bars are positioned in
locations where tensile stress
occurs.
Other important factors to consider in material Transforming raw material into a
selection include the actual material costs, the finished product is one aspect of its
manufacturability of the material, its manufacturability, but the material
environmental impact, and its chemical and must be engineered in such a way as
to make the product easy to
physical properties.
manufacture.
Selecting a material must work on more than a
functional level. The material must not only
meet the application requirements of the
product, but it must be cost-effective, too.
 7/28/2023

Chemical and
Environmental Impact Physical Properties Rigid frame systems

The environmental impact of material should A material’s chemical and physical Rigid frame systems, also called moment frame
also be evaluated. Is the material safe or properties will affect its thermal systems, are used in steel and reinforced concrete
characteristics and its weight. How the buildings. This system consists of beams and columns.
hazardous? How was it processed and
material functions or responds to an
manufactured for production? A rigid frame is an unbraced frame that is capable of
increase or decrease in temperature or
resisting both vertical and lateral loads by the bending
Can it be recycled and repurposed at the end of heat must also be a factor in material
of beams and columns.
selection.
its use? These are important factors to consider
using the rigid frame system with steel structural
in selecting a material.
material include:

The 21-storey, 94m high Lever House (New York, 1952.

Various Structural Systems

Flat plate/slab system
Flat plate/slab systems are used in reinforced concrete
buildings. This system consists of beamless floor slabs of
constant thickness and columns. Shear walls also can be
placed in addition to or instead of the columns

(a)Column capitals

(b) or gussets

Using a flat ceiling instead of one with beams, and thus

attaining the net floor height, is a major architectural
advantage of this system.
 7/28/2023

Core systems Shear-frame systems

Core systems are used in reinforced concrete buildings. This system consists of a reinforced concrete core shear wall resisting all
the vertical and lateral loads. Rigid frame systems economically do not have
sufficient resistance against lateral loads in
buildings over 25 storeys because of bending on
columns that causes large deformations. In this
case, the total stiffness and so the economical
height of the building can be increased by adding
vertical shear trusses (braces) and/or shear walls
to the rigid frame to carry the external shear
induced by lateral loads This interactive system of
frames and shear trusses and/or shear walls is
called the “shear-frame system.”

Shear trussed frame (braced frame) systems

Shear wall systems
Shear trussed frame (braced frame) systems consist of rigid frames and braces in the form of vertical trusses.

Diagonal brace elements between the columns of the rigid frame create a truss frame at that bay where those columns act as vertical continuous chords.
Shear wall systems are used in reinforced concrete buildings. This system consists of reinforced concrete shear walls,
which can be perforated (with openings) or solid. Shear wall systems efficiently and economically provide sufficient
stiffness to resist wind and earthquake induced lateral loads in buildings of up to about 35 storeys.
 7/28/2023

Mega core systems

Shear walled frame systems
Mega core systems consist of reinforced concrete or composite core shear walls with much larger cross-sections than normal,
running continuously throughout the height of the building.
shear walls are of reinforced concrete; occasionally of composite formed by concrete encased structural steel, or of
steel plates. Columns and beams are reinforced concrete, steel or composite. Some examples of tall buildings using Since the mega core can resist all vertical and lateral loads in this system, there is no need for columns or shear walls on the
the shear walled frame system with reinforced concrete structural material include: perimeter of the building. In mega core systems, floor slabs are cantilevered from the core shear wall.

Chrysler Building, New York,USA, 1930 Empire State Building, New York, USA, 1931 Slabs in the mega core system: (a) cantilever slab,
(b) supported cantilever slab Aspire Tower, Doha, Qatar, 2006 HSB Turning Torso, Malmö, Sweden, 2005

Mega column (mega frame, space truss) systems Outriggered frame systems
Outriggered frame systems have been developed by adding outriggers to shear-frame systems with core (core-frame
Mega column systems consist of systems) so as to couple the core with the perimeter (exterior) columns. The outriggers are structural elements
reinforced concrete or composite connecting the core to the perimeter columns at one or more levels throughout the height of the building so as to stiffen
the structure .
columns and or shear walls with
much larger cross-sections than
normal, running continuously
throughout the height of the
building. In this system, mega
columns and/or mega shear walls
can resist all the vertical and lateral
loads .

Cheung Kong Centre, Hong Kong, China, 1999 Burj Khalifa, Dubai,
 7/28/2023

Tube systems

The tube system was innovated in the early

1960s by the famous structural engineer Fazlur
Rahman Khan who is considered the “father of
tubular design.” The tube system can be likened
to a system in which a hollow box column is
cantilevering from the ground, and so the
building exterior exhibits a tubular behaviour
against lateral loads. This system is evolved from
the rigid frame system and can be defined as a
three dimensional rigid frame having the
capability of resisting all lateral loads with the
facade structure.
World Trade Center Twin Towers, New York The DeWitt Chestnut
Apartment
Building in Chicago

Comparison of high buildings structure system: number of storeys and Picture of each
system