Structural support

A structural support is a part of a building or structure that provides the necessary stiffness and strength in order to resist the internal forces (vertical forces of gravity and lateral forces due to wind and earthquakes) and guide them safely to the ground. External loads (actions of other bodies) that act on buildings cause internal forces (forces and couples by the rest of the structure) in building support structures. Supports can be either at the end or at any intermediate point along a structural member or a constituent part of a building and they are referred to as connections, joints or restraints. Building support structures, no matter what materials are used, have to give accurate and safe results. A structure depends less on the weight and stiffness of a material and more on its geometry for stability. Whatever the condition is, a specific rigidity is necessary for connection designs. The support connection type has effects on the load bearing capacity of each element, which makes up a structural system. Each support condition influences the behaviour of the elements and therefore, the system. Structures can be either Horizontal-span support systems (floor and roof structures) or Vertical building structure systems (walls, frames, cores, etc.) Structure is necessary for buildings but architecture, as an idea, does not require structure. Every building has both load-bearing structures and non-load bearing portions. Structural members form systems and transfer the loads that are acting upon the structural systems, through a series of elements to the ground. Building Structure Elements include Line (beams, columns, cables, frames or arches, space frames, surface elements (walls, slab or shells) and Freeform. The structure's functional requirements will narrow the possible forms that one can consider. Other factors such as the availability of materials, foundation conditions, the aesthetic requirements and economic limitations also play important roles in establishing the structural form.