What's the difference between a Colum and a beam?

Colums vs Beams – Both, the beams and columns are load carrying elements, but differ in the method or the way of handling the load by each member. That means, the columns bear the compression of the load, whereas beams bear the bending moment and the shear force of the load.

Why are beams and columns important to a building?

Beams and columns are two important types of structural elements that play a key role in creating a safe load path to transfer the weight and forces on a structure to the foundations and into the ground. Beams are usually horizontal structural elements that carry loads perpendicular to their longitudinal direction.

How are beams and columns connected in an earthquake?

Beams transfer those loads down to the attached column. Columns carry all the loads transferred by the beams on top of it. Columns also directly carry the lateral loads (earthquake, wind loads, etc.) Columns transmit those carried loads to the foundation which are located beneath the ground surface.

Difference Between Beam and Column

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What Is Beam?

A member in a structure in which the member carries various external forces applied to it perpendicular to its length. Such a member is called a beam.

Thus any member of the structure whose longitudinal axis is perpendicular to its cross-section is called a beam.

Due to the external force exerted on the beam of the structure, bending moment and shear force are produced in its cross-section.

Calculation of beam design includes external force values, type of beam, the elasticity of beam material, a cross-section of beam, etc.

Beams are horizontal structural members in building construction. It uses vertical load, shear load, and horizontal load to transfer to columns. The beam plays a major role in the structures of the building.

The function of a beam is to transfer the load to the column or walls by the external force applied to it. The beam is attached to the column. It is mainly used in the construction of bridges, trusses, and high-rise constructions.

Beams are traditionally part of a building or civil engineering structural elements. But most have structure beam structures such as automotive automobile frames, aircraft components, machine frames, and other mechanical or structural systems. Which is used to carry side loads

Historically beams were made from wood material. But over time, metal, stone, and metal alloys began to be used as beam materials.

Type of Beam

The main types of beams are classified as follows.

Simply Supported Beam.
Cantilever Beam.
Over Hanging Beam.
Continuous Beam.
Fixed Ended Beam.

What Is Column?

A member that is arranged anywhere in the structure and has a compressive load on a member with less cross-section in length is called a column.

Columns and struts are used as compression members in heavy construction, in the construction of buildings, bridges, auxiliary systems of tanks, factories, etc.

According to IS CODE 456-1978, the effective length of a vertical column is three times the value of the minimum size of its cross-section.

The column is a structural element as a compression member in architecture and structural engineering, which transfers the external load of the structure to the other structural elements below.

For wind or seismic engineering purposes, the column can be designed to resist external forces.

Columns are used in building structures to support beams or arches, which support the upper part of the walls or ceiling. In architecture, structural elements such as “columns” can be used for decorative features.

Types of Column

Short Column
Long Column
Tied Column
Spiral Column
Composite column
Axially Loaded Column
Column with Uniaxial Eccentric Loading
Column with Biaxial Eccentric Loading
T-Shape column
Shape of Steel Column
Shape of Composite Column
Square or Rectangular Column
Circular column
L-Shape Column
Reinforced Concrete, Steel, timber, Brick, Block, and Stone Column.