Classifying Structures of Construction (for students))

Classifying Structures

1. Classifying Structures

2. Types of Structures

3. Natural
Not made by people
Occur naturally in the environment
Mountains, spiders web, nests

4. Manufactured
Built by people
Many are modeled after natural structures
Bridges, towers, artificial lakes

5. Classifying Structures

6. Mass Structures
Can be made by, piling up or forming similar
materials into a particular shape or design.

7. Mass Structures -Advantages
Held in place by its own weight
Losing small parts often has little effect on
the overall strength of the structure

8. Mass Structures –Examples
Natural
Mountains, coral reefs
Manufactured
Sand castles, dams and brick walls

9. Mass Structures -Properties
Not always solid
Layered and have hollowed out areas
Great Pyramids of Egypt
Must be heavy enough to stay in place
Must not be too heavy to compact the earth
unevenly below it
Must be anchored firmly

10. Frame Structures
Made of a skeleton of strong materials
Then filled and covered with other materials
This support the overall structure.
Most of the inside part of the structure is
empty space.

11. Frame Structures -Advantages
They are relatively easy to design and build
Inexpensive to manufacture

12. Frame Structures -Examples
Load-Bearing Walls
The walls that support the load of the building.
Partition Walls
The walls that divide up the space inside the
building.
Bicycles
The frame supports the load it carries on the seat.

13. Shell Structures
Keeps their shape and support loads
without a frame, or solid mass material inside
Made of a thin, carefully shaped, outer layer of
material

14. Shell Structures –Properties
The shape of a shell structure spreads forces
throughout the whole structure
Every part of the structure supports only a small
part of the load, giving it its strength.

15. Shell Structure -Advantages
Two main features
they are completely empty, so they make great
containers
their thin outside layer means they use very little
material

16. Shell Structure: Disadvantages
A tiny weakness or imperfection on the
covering can cause the whole structure to
fail.
Flat materials are difficult to form into the
rounded shell shape.
Must be very careful when joining pieces, so
it is strong and doesn’t collapse.

17. Shell Structures –Examples
Natural
Igloos
turtle shell
Manufactured
Pop cans
Domes in churches and mosques

18. Mix-n-Match
Some structures are combinations of different
types of structures:
Football helmets
Shell structures -to protect the head
Frame structure attached in front -to protect the
face.
Hydro-electric dams
Are mass structures
Frame structures inside to house the generators

19. Mix-n-Match Continued
Airplanes
frame structures
Shell structure –outside 'skin' gives strength to
and makes it lightweight and flexible.
Domed buildings
combine shell and frame construction