beam
Sign in to savestructural element capable of withstanding loads by resisting bending
AI overview
A beam is a structural part of a building or bridge that holds up weight without bending or breaking. Beams matter because they're essential for safely supporting the loads placed on structures like floors, roofs, and bridges.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
A statically determinate beam, bending (sagging) under a uniformly distributed load, which includes its own weight
A beam is a structural element designed to carry loads perpendicular to its longitude (an element designed to carry a load pushing perpendicular to its longitude would be a strut or column). A beam's mode of deflection is primarily by bending, as loads produce reaction forces at the beam's support points and internal bending moments, shear, stresses, strains, and deflections. Beams are characterized by their manner of support, profile (shape of cross-section), equilibrium conditions, length, and material.