STRUCTURE & ART

Structure & Art



Structure & Art

Introduction

Structure is the act of building; the practice of erecting buildings; construction. An arrangement of designed components that provides strength and stiffness to a built artifact such as a building, bridge, dam, automobile, airplane, or missile (Atelier, 2003). The artifact itself is often referred to as a structure, even though it's primary function is not to support but, for example, to house people, contain water, or transport goods. See also Airplane; Automobile; Bridge; Buildings; Dam.

The primary requirements for structures are safety, strength, economy, stiffness, durability, robustness, esthetics, and ductility. The safety of the structure is paramount, and it is achieved by adhering to rules of design contained in standards and codes, as well as in exercising strict quality control over all phases of planning, design, and construction (Austin, 2002). The structure is designed to be strong enough to support loads due to its own weight, to human activity, and to the environment (such as wind, snow, earthquakes, ice, or floods).

Discussion

The ability to support loads during its intended lifetime ensures that the rate of failure is insignificant for practical purposes. The design should provide an economical structure within the constraints of all other requirements (Barber, 2003a). The structure is designed to be stiff so that under everyday conditions of loading and usage it will not deflect or vibrate to an extent that is annoying to the occupants or detrimental to its function. The materials and details of construction have durability, such that the structure will not corrode, deteriorate, or break under the effects of weathering and normal usage during its lifetime. A structure should be robust enough to withstand intentional or unintentional misuse (for example, fire, gas explosion, or collision with a vehicle) without totally collapsing (Barber, 2003b). A structural design takes into consideration the community's aesthetic sensibilities. Ductility is necessary to absorb the energy imparted to the structure from dynamic loads such as earthquakes and blasts. See also Construction engineering; Engineering design.

Common structural materials are wood, masonry, steel, reinforced concrete, aluminium, and fibber-reinforced composites. Structures are classified into the categories of frames, plates, and shells, frequently incorporating combinations of these. Frames consist of “stick” members arranged to form the skeleton on which the remainder of the structure is placed. Plated structures include roof and floor slabs, vertical shear walls in a multi-storey building, or girders in a bridge. Shells are often used as water or gas containers, in roofs of arenas, or in vehicles that transport gases and liquids. The connections between the various elements of a structure are made by bolting, welding or riveting. See also Composite material; Concrete; Steel; Structural materials.

Science of Structures

The different parts of a structure are either in tension, or in compression, or both. So the materials we use to build structures must be strong in tension, in compression, or both. Steel wires bundled together to make suspension bridge cables are one material strong in tension. A steel cable one centimetre in diameter can support 8,000 kilograms--the weight ...