Structural Engineering & Statics
where the load goes
Concept

Transfer structure — where it appears

A beam, truss or wall that carries a column or wall whose line stops, moving its load sideways to supports below. The three forms differ by an order of magnitude in weight and stiffness for the same job, because each carries the transferred moment by a different mechanism.

Named by 2 essays across one field — each of them below, with the objects they name alongside it.

P = 6000 kNfrom 10 storeys abovea = 3 mstrength wants 1.94 mstiffness wants 2.55 mslope 4500 kN1500 kN13500 kNm under the column12 m

The column that stops

A load path that runs straight to the ground costs almost nothing. Interrupting one costs depth in proportion to the square root of the load times the distance it is moved — and the interruption's own deflection becomes the settlement of everything standing on it.

structures · transfer structure 0.511.520500100015002000depth of the truss1500857600429316the same moment, resisted by a longer lever arm

The same span, four ways

A beam, a truss, an arch and a cable can all cross the same gap under the same load, and the choice between them is usually described as a matter of judgement or of taste. It is neither. Each carries the load by a different mechanism, each mechanism has a different exponent, and an exponent decides the ordering at every span rather than at some spans.

structures · form selection

Named alongside it

The objects these essays reach for when they reach for this one.

Lever armLoad pathStiffnessArchCableCompatibilityCreepFunicularHorizontal thrustMaterial indexMembrane actionSelf weight

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