2x4

Wall Studs Size 2x6

2x8
12 in
Wood Stud Walls
Spacing 16 in
24 in
1 layer of 5/8 type X gyp - 1h
Fire resistance
2 layers of 5/8 type X gyp - 2h
2x6
2x8
Floor Joist Size
2x10
2x12
Wood Beams
W8 8” 8’-13'
Support
Steel Beams W10 10” 10’-16'
Wood Floor Joists
W12 12” 12’-18’
1h
Fire resistance
2h
Douglas fir
Larch
High strength wood
Joists 10-20 Southern pine

Decking 10-25 Oak

Solid beams 10-30 2x4

Rafter Pairs 10-40 2x6

Size
Cross-Laminated Timbers 10-40 2x8
Create highly irregular building form Wood Light Floor Trusses 10 - 42 2x10
Expose the structure while retaining Light Roof Trusses 20 - 70 Rafter ties
a high fire-resistance rating Support
Glue-Laminated Beams 10 - 100 Wood Roof Rafters Ridge beams
Minimize construction time for a
building 30 stories or more Heavy Trusses 30 - 200 Fire resistance 1h

Minimize construction time for a 5- Glue-Laminated Arches 30 - 250 Oak

One-way Solid Slab
to-20-story building Domes 50 - 500 Larch
High strength wood
Allow for changes in the building Lintels 10 - 15 Douglas fir
over time Brick & Concrete Masonry
Arches 10 - 250 Southern pine
Minimize off-site fabrication time
Corrugated Decking 10 - 20 Parallel
Avoid the need for diagonal bracing
or shear walls Lightweight Steel Joists 10 - 30 Type Triangular

Minimize off-site fabrication time Beams 10 - 75 Scissors

Create highly irregular building form Open-Web Joists 10 - 150 Typical spacing 16 to 48 in

Minimize construction time for a Single-Story Rigid Frames 30 - 175 1h

Wood Floor and Roof Trusses - Fire resistance
building 30 stories or more 2h
Steel Heavy Trusses 30 - 300 Light
Minimize floor thickness Structural Systems Span
Arches and Vaults 60 - 325 High strength wood
Post-tensioned One-way Solid Slab
Minimize construction time for a 5- Quicker erection
Space Frame 40 - 500
to-20-story building
Domes 50 - 475 Greater span
Avoid the need for diagonal bracing Advantage
or shear walls Cable-Stayed 50 - 475 Easy running of electrical and
mechanical
Expose the structure while retaining Suspension 70 - 475
a high fire-resistance rating 8 x 8 or more in heavy timber
One-Way Slabs 10 - 20 Size
construction
Expose the structure while retaining
Two-Way Slabs 10 - 40 Used in any combustible
a high fire-resistance rating Fire resistance
One-Way Joists 15 - 45 construction
Minimize the area occupied by
columns or bearing walls Wood Columns Oak
Waffle Slab 25 - 55
Institutional buildings, small to Sitecast Concrete
medium size Allow for changes in the building Beams 10 - 75 Larch
Allow for changes in the building High strength wood
over time One-way Joist over time
Office buildings, small to medium Folded Plates and Shells 40 - 150 Douglas fir
Minimize off-site fabrication time Minimize off-site fabrication time
Residential buildings, one-and-two Domes 40 - 250 Southern pine
Lightweight Steel Framing Minimize construction time for a 5-
family Minimize the dead load on a Any Combustible Construction Type
to-20-story building Arches 50 - 250
Places of worship foundation
Slabs 10 - 45 min. 3” floor thickness
Minimize on-site erection time Avoid the need for diagonal bracing Fire resistance
Residential, small to medium or shear walls For Heavy Timber Construction min. 1” flooring
Beams 15-55 Wood Structural Systems
multifamily Minimize construction time for a 5- Precast Concrete
to-20-story building Minimize off-site fabrication time Double Tees 10 - 100 min. 2” roof decking
Arenas Wood Decking
Avoid the need for diagonal bracing Minimize the area occupied by Single Tees 25 - 150 Size Decking 6” or 8”
Concert halls columns or bearing walls
or shear walls Air-Inflated 10 - 50 Advantage
Hospital, laboratories Minimize construction time for a 5- Pneumatic
Minimize structural distress due to Air-Supported 30 - 475 Typical spacing
Industrial & warehouse buildings unstable foundation conditions Post-tensioned One-way Joist to-20-story building
High strength wood
Institutional buildings, small to Minimize the dead load on a Lightweight Steel Framing Avoid the need for diagonal bracing
medium size foundation or shear walls 4” 3 1/2"

Arenas Office building, small to medium Minimize construction time for a Expose the structure while retaining 6" 5 1/2"
size building 30 stories or more a high fire-resistance rating Precast Concrete Columns
Schools Size width or 2, 3, 4 3/4” less than nominal
Steel Frame Create highly irregular building form 8”, 10”, 12"
Parking garage Minimize construction time for a Precast Concrete Wall Panels width > 4 1/2” less than nominal
Theaters
one-or-two-story building Expose the structure while retaining
Places of worship Precast Concrete Beams and 12” or greater 1/2” less than nominal
Tall buildings a high fire-resistance rating Precast Concrete Structural
Provide concealed spaces for Girders Wood Beams
Residential buildings, large Systems
Parking garage ducts, pipes, etc. Allow column placements that Solid 20'
multifamily Precast Concrete Slabs Span
Minimize construction time for a deviate from a regular grid Laminated 24'
Shopping malls Schools Precast Concrete Single and
one-or-two-story building Minimize floor thickness Fire resistance
Places of worship Double Tees
Beams & Girders Shopping malls
Permit construction under adverse Two-way Flat Plate Minimize off-site fabrication time
Hospital, laboratories Sitecast Concrete Columns Typical spacing
Tall buildings weather conditions
Industrial & warehouse buildings Minimize construction time for a 5- Sitecast Concrete Walls High strength wood
Theaters Create highly irregular building form to-20-story building
Steel 3 1/8 3 - 24
Institutional buildings, small to Sitecast Concrete Beams and
Arenas Minimize the area occupied by Minimize construction time for a
medium size Girders
columns or bearing walls building 30 stories or more 5 1/8 4 1/2 - 36
Hospital, laboratories
Office building, small to medium Steel Sitecast Concrete One-Way Solid
Minimize site disturbance Avoid the need for diagonal bracing Size 6 3/4 6 - 48
size Industrial & warehouse buildings Slab Sitecast Concrete Structural
Permit construction under adverse or shear walls 8 3/4 9 - 63
Institutional buildings, small to Sitecast Concrete Sitecast Conrete One-Way Joists Systems
Residential buildings, one-and-two
family medium size
weather conditions Steel Frame Minimize floor thickness Sizing The Structural 10 3/4 10 1/2 - 75
Sitecast Concrete Two-Way Flat
Institutional buildings, small to
Allow for changes in the building Minimize off-site fabrication time Plate
Systems Span Continuous 25 - 65
Arenas over time
Precast Concrete medium large Create highly irregular building form Glue-Laminated Wood Beams
Schools Columns and beam Sitecast Concrete Two-way Flat 4ft for small beams supporting
Open-Web Joists Allow column placements that
Office building, small to medium Allow column placements that Slab decking
Theaters deviate from a regular grid Columns and slabs Spacing
size deviate from a regular grid Sitecast Concrete Waffle Slab 24ft for larger beams supporting
Tall buildings Permit construction under adverse Redistribute vertical loads outward Vertical Load
Places of worship Minimize construction time for a joists/purlins
weather conditions to building corners Lightweight Steel Wall Studs
Parking garage Post-tensioned Two-way Flat Plate building 30 stories or more
Schools Fire resistance
Minimize site disturbance Sloped columns Lightweight Steel Floor Joists
Shopping malls Shopping malls Minimize construction time for a 5- Typical spacing
Minimize on-site erection time to-20-story building Wind loads -> major Structural Steel Columns
Places of worship Tall buildings Lateral Load High strength wood
Solid & Hollow Core Slab Avoid the need for diagonal bracing Expose the structure while retaining Structural Hollow Steel Columns
Hospital, laboratories Manipulations of building skin
Theaters or shear walls a high fire-resistance rating Thickness: 3 - 12
Layout Steel Floor and Roof Decking Steel Structural Systems
Industrial & warehouse buildings Industrial & warehouse buildings Minimize the dead load on a Size Width: 2 - 10
Single-Story Rigid Steel Frame Avoid the need for diagonal bracing Structural Steel Beams and Girders
Single-Story Rigid Steel Frame foundation or shear walls Maybe applied up to 20 to 25
Institutional buildings, small to Places of worship Shear Walls Length: 60
medium size stories Open-Web Steel Joists
Minimize construction time for a Minimize floor thickness Conventional structural
Arenas Shear wall, braced frames Lateral Stability Braced Frames Spacing
Office building, small to medium one-or-two-story building configurations Single-Story Rigid Steel Frames
Concert halls Minimize off-site fabrication time Cross-Laminated Timber Good fire resistance
size Allow for changes in the building Rigid frame only -> feasible up to Rigid Frames
Structural Steel Trusses
Hospital, laboratories over time Create highly irregular building form 15-20 stories 3 layer: 45 min
Residential buildings, one-and-two Loadbearing walls
family Vertical Load Fire resistance
Trusses Industrial & warehouse buildings Minimize the area occupied by Allow column placements that Most common 5 layer: 90 min
Uniform wall arrangement
columns or bearing walls deviate from a regular grid
Parking garage Interference with remainder of the 5 layer + 2 layer X gyp: 2h
Single & Double Tee Institutional buildings, small to Shear walls
medium large Allow for changes in the building Minimize construction time for a floor plan minimized
Industrial & warehouse buildings Two-way Flat Slab Advantages Prefab: save erection time
over time building 30 stories or more Shear walls - rigid frame/braced
Institutional buildings, small to Theaters 20 - 25% total floor area Core structures frame combination
Minimize the area occupied by Minimize construction time for a 5- Fink
medium size 30 - 40 stories Lateral Load
Arenas columns or bearing walls Trusses to-20-story building Placed as symmetrically as
Pitched Pratt
Office buildings, small to medium Can be combined with hat trusses possible
Concert halls Minimize on-site erection time Expose the structure while retaining
size or belt trusses Triangular Belgian
a high fire-resistance rating Restricted opening size and
Hospital, laboratories Minimize site disturbance
Places of worship Light Wood Frame Stabilizing elements at perimeter spacing Pitched Howe
Avoid the need for diagonal bracing
Industrial & warehouse buildings Create highly irregular building form
Residential buildings, one-and-two or shear walls Braced frame or rigid frame - steel Wall spacing = slab/floor span Scissors
family Institutional buildings, small to Layout Types
Allow for changes in the building or concrete
medium size Design Criteria Minimize floor thickness Walls + columns combination Bowstring
Residential, small to medium over time Wall and Slab Wood Trusses - Heavy Bowstring
Structural Systems - Typical Minimize off-site fabrication time 55 stories or higher Wood Stud Walls Modified bowstring
multifamily Office building, small to medium Permit construction under adverse
Choices Beams & Girders size weather conditions Create highly irregular building form Costly steel welded joints Cross-Laminated Timber Warren
Industrial & warehouse buildings
Parking garage Allow column placements that Hat trusses or belt trusses Tube structures Brick Masonry Walls Parallel chord Howe
Office buildings, small to medium Minimize off-site fabrication time
deviate from a regular grid Diagonal braces
Places of worship Minimize construction time for a 5- Systems Concrete Masonry Walls Pratt
Places of worship Light Wood Frame Tall Building
to-20-story building Minimize construction time for a Hinged connections Braced frame tubes
Schools Lightweight Steel Stud Walls Max. 4 - 8 ft w/o joists or purlins
Residential buildings, one-and-two Heavy Timber Frame building 30 stories or more Spacing
family Shopping malls Minimize the dead load on a Post-tensioned Two-way Flat Slab Tube in tube structures Sitecast Concrete Walls Max 20 ft w joists or purlins
foundation Minimize construction time for a 5-
Residential, small to medium Tall buildings to-20-story building Space truss structures Precast Concrete Wall Panels Size
multifamily Minimize structural distress due to
Theaters Avoid the need for diagonal bracing Diagrid structures Apartments Spacing
unstable foundation conditions Systems
Schools or shear walls 163 stories
Arenas Provide concealed spaces for Building types Schools Glue-Laminated Wood Arches Advantages
Industrial & warehouse buildings ducts, pipes, etc. Expose the structure while retaining sitecast concrete flat plate, wall and
Schools a high fire-resistance rating Burj Khalifa Practical limits Hotels Fire resistance
Institutional buildings, small to slab
Theaters Allow for changes in the building Columns Dimensions
medium size over time Minimize the area occupied by concrete core buttressed
Concert halls columns or bearing walls Girders Single-wythe walls limited to
Office buildings, small to medium Minimize site disturbance Well suited for tall buildings nonbearing/veneer
Parking garage Create highly irregular building form Beams
Places of worship Minimize construction time for a Light weight Structural Configuration
Minimize the dead load on a Cavity wall - preferred for exterior
Cross-Laminated Timber One-way Solid Slab Places of worship one-or-two-story building Slabs
Residential, small to medium foundation Consume less space walls
multifamily Hospital, laboratories Steel Vertical Load Fewer constraints on space Masonry
Minimize structural distress due to Advantages CMU - cheaper than brick
unstable foundation conditions Minimize construction time for a 5- Suited to areas of high seismic
Residential buildings, large Industrial & warehouse buildings Waffle Slab activity Interior space does not correspond
Wood and Masonry Heavy Timber Frame to-20-story building Brick - nicer than CMU
multifamily Minimize the dead load on a to structural module General
Institutional buildings, small to Good for
foundation Minimize on-site erection time High ductility Loadbearing masonry walls - steel
Schools medium size Maximum open space desired
More massive reinforced
Minimize on-site erection time Minimize the area occupied by
Tall buildings Office building, small to medium columns or bearing walls Disadvantages High degree of flexibility
Less ductile Masonry and wood
size Permit construction under adverse
Industrial & warehouse buildings Minimize/eliminate need for
weather conditions Minimize on-site erection time Higher strength concrete Masonry and steel
Places of worship diagonal bracing/shear walls
Institutional buildings, small to Special consideration
Expose the structure while retaining Create highly irregular building form Fire resistant Masonry and concrete
medium size Office building, small to medium Concrete Depend on regular, orthogonal
Long-Span Wood Systems a high fire-resistance rating Minimize the dead load on a
size Post-tensioned Waffle Slab Simplified connections to column placements Masonry strength
Office buildings, small to medium foundation Advantages
Minimize floor thickness nonstructural elements
Sitecast Concrete One-way Joist Residential buildings, one-and-two Wood and Masonry Rigid frame Deeper beams and columns Min 8x8
Places of worship
family Permit construction under adverse Minimize construction time for a 5- Greater stiffness
to-20-story building Not well suited for unusual long Common 12x12
Theaters weather conditions Lateral Load
Schools Composite with steel span Brick masonry column sizes
Minimize floor thickness Column and Beam Brick Masonry Columns Rectangular columns: wider sides
Hospital, laboratories Minimize on-site erection time
Theaters Viscous dampers Maybe combined with braced no more than 3 times width of
Industrial & warehouse buildings Minimize the dead load on a Allow for changes in the building frames/shear walls narrower side
Schools over time Base isolators
foundation Damping mechanism for resisting
Institutional buildings, small to Easy for site cast concrete 8x8: 1h
Theaters Minimize site disturbance Tuned mass dampers lateral forces Fire-resistance
medium size Minimize construction time for a 5-
Moment connections Added cost for steel 10x10, 12x12: 3-4h
Tall buildings to-20-story building Minimize construction time for a 5- Active dampers
Office buildings, small to medium
to-20-story building Difficult to precast concrete Reinforced brick masonry walls 6 in
Residential buildings, large Minimize the number of separate Columns without beam Vertical Load wide: one-story structures only
Places of worship Two-way Flat Plate Cross-Laminated Timber Minimum widths of walls
multifamily trades needed to complete a Minimize on-site erection time Columns - located on the lines of
Residential, small to medium building Rigid frame beams above Multistory: 8” or wider
Institutional buildings, small to Solid Slab
multifamily Masonry Systems Permit construction under adverse Masonry Structural Systems
medium size Minimize structural distress due to Deepening of the slab or addition of Layout Regular gridded arrangement Max unbraced length of wall
weather conditions Lateral Load
Residential buildings, one-and-two unstable foundation conditions structural beams preferred
Office building, small to medium Expose the structure while retaining Reinforced brick masonry: up to 20
family Shear walls/braced frames
size Minimize construction time for a a high fire-resistance rating Girders span the columns stories
Residential buildings, large one-or-two-story building Greater flexibility in column
Schools Minimize construction time for a Wood Beams Structures up to 6 stories: interior
multifamily placement
Minimize the area occupied by building 30 stories or more crosswalls and corridor -> need
Theaters Steel Beams and Girders Brick Masonry Walls Designing with masonry bearing lateral bracing
Schools columns or bearing walls Simplification of construction
Tall buildings Minimize structural distress due to walls
Systems Sitecast Concrete Beams and Structures higher than 6 stories:
Shopping malls Expose the structure while retaining unstable foundation conditions Reduction in total floor depths Girders lateral stability required
Concert halls a high fire-resistance rating
Theaters Minimize floor thickness Should be roughly square in Layout
Column and Slab Precast Concrete Beams and Loadbearing walls: continuous from
Parking garage Allow for changes in the building proportion
Minimize site disturbance Girders roof to foundation
over time
Shopping malls Restrict vertical load
Minimize site disturbance Long-Span Wood Systems Minimize on-site erection time 1h: 4"
Places of worship Limit resistance to lateral force
Two-way Flat Slab Minimize the area occupied by Minimize construction time for a Fire-resistance 2h: 6"
Hospital, laboratories columns or bearing walls building 30 stories or more
3-4h: 8"
Industrial & warehouse buildings Create highly irregular building form Allow for changes in the building Sitecast Concrete Two-Way Flat
over time Plate Depth 3” Max span 5'
Residential buildings, large Minimize off-site fabrication time
multifamily Hollow-Core Slab Depth 4” Max span 6'
Minimize construction time for a 5- Sitecast Concrete Two-Way Flat Steel angle size
Allow for changes in the building Masonry Systems to-20-story building Slab Systems
Institutional buildings, small to Brick Masonry Lintels Depth 5” Max span 7'
over time
medium size Minimize structural distress due to Sitecast Concrete One-Way Joists Depth 6” Max span 8'
Expose the structure while retaining unstable foundation conditions
Office building, small to medium a high fire-resistance rating Sitecast Concrete Waffle Slab Fire resistance: 8” - 2h
size Permit construction under adverse
Precast Concrete
weather conditions Brick Masonry Arches
Concert halls
Expose the structure while retaining Concrete Masonry Columns
Waffle Slab Industrial & warehouse buildings
a high fire-resistance rating Concrete Masonry Walls
Shopping malls
Minimize site disturbance Concrete Masonry Lintels
Minimize the area occupied by
columns or bearing walls
Minimize on-site erection time
Minimize construction time for a 5-
to-20-story building
Double Tee
Minimize structural distress due to
unstable foundation conditions
Permit construction under adverse
weather conditions
Expose the structure while retaining
a high fire-resistance rating
Minimize site disturbance
Minimize on-site erection time
Minimize the area occupied by
columns or bearing walls
Minimize construction time for a 5-
to-20-story building
Single Tee
Minimize structural distress due to
unstable foundation conditions
Permit construction under adverse
weather conditions
Expose the structure while retaining
a high fire-resistance rating