Structural Systems Flashcards
6 cards from real Architecture practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Structural Systems flashcards as text
What is the purpose of a transfer beam or transfer slab?
Answer: To redirect loads around discontinuities in the vertical structural system
Transfer beams or slabs redirect structural loads horizontally around openings or column discontinuities in mixed-use buildings where column grids change.
What is the definition of tributary area in structural design?
Answer: The area of floor or roof that contributes load to a specific structural member
Tributary area is the portion of a floor or roof whose load is assigned to a specific beam, column, or other structural member.
In seismic design, what is a soft story?
Answer: A floor level with significantly less lateral stiffness than adjacent stories
A soft story is a floor level that is substantially less stiff laterally than adjacent stories, concentrating earthquake damage at that level.
What is the function of a diaphragm in a building's lateral system?
Answer: To distribute lateral forces to vertical resistance elements like shear walls
A floor or roof diaphragm acts as a horizontal structural element that collects and distributes lateral forces to vertical resistance elements.
What is the difference between a determinate and an indeterminate structure?
Answer: Determinate structures can be analyzed with equilibrium equations alone; indeterminate require compatibility equations
Statically determinate structures can be fully analyzed using the three equations of equilibrium, while indeterminate structures require additional compatibility equations.
Which structural system uses cables as primary load-carrying elements?
Answer: Tension structure or cable-stayed system
Tension structures and cable-stayed systems use high-strength cables as primary structural elements, which carry loads through pure tension.