Structures

A structure is a set of elements in a body that are made to resist the effects
of the forces that act on it. A structure prevents a body from breaking or
deforming.

Natural structures: They are not made by man. They exist in living beings or
landscapes.
Examples: A bee hive, a human skeleton, the trunk of a tree, a cave...

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Artificial structures
They are made by people to satisfy a need. Some examples are buildings,
bridges, towers, ships, etc.

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 Massive structures: They are made by stacking
sand, stones or rocks. They leave little space below
them.

 Lintels are long flat rocks or beams, supported by

columns. They do not permit large spaces below because
the can break down.

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 Arches: They allow large spaces below them. The stone
suffers compression, which they can support very well.
That is why they have been used to build bridges, instead
of lintels.

 Vaults: They are roofs supported by arches. This way

they can cover large volumes, like cathedrals.

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 Triangled structures: They are made of long elements,
such as bars or wooden strips, usually joined together in
triangles.

 Suspended structures: This type of structures uses

cables, called suspenders, that support huge tensions.

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• Reinforced concrete structures: Concrete is
reinforced by iron bars for better tension resistance.

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 Shell structures: They are large curved surfaces made
up of metal, concrete or plastic sheets.

 Pneumatic structures: they are membranes stabilized by

inner compressed air.

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Forces, loads and stress
Force: A force is anything that can deform an
object (static effect) or make it move or stop
(dynamic effect)

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Loads

• Loads are forces that act on a structure

• Loads can be fixed or variable.

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Stress:
A stress is an internal force which all objects
experience when several forces are applied to them
in opposite directions, producing deformation or
breaking them.

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Types of stress

1. Tension: it is a type of stress that tries to

stretch an object. It is produced by two
opposite aligned forces pushing outwards.

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2. Compression: it is a type of stress that tries to
crush or compress an object. It is produced by
two opposite aligned forces pushing inwards.

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3. Bending: it is a type of stress that tries to bend
an object. It is produced by opposite non-aligned
forces.

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4. Torsion: it is a type of stress that tries to twist
an object. It is produced by opposite rotating forces
at both ends of a body.

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5. Shear or cutting: it is a type of stress that tries
to cut an object. It is produced by non-aligned
opposite forces very close to each other.

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