What is a structure?

A structure can be
defined as a physical
object whose purpose
is to carry a set of
forces with aim of
carrying these forces
to ground in shortest
possible distance.
Structure is a physical
object not an abstract
idea.
WHAT IS STRUCTURE SYSTEM?

The classification of structures into

different categories on the basis of forces
induced in structural elements and their
response to these stresses is known as
structure system.
 Natural structure are mainly
classified into 3 categories:
1.ANIMALS AS
ARCHITECT:the first structure
visible from the space is made
by wombats.
Built by Animals: The Natural
History of Animal Architecture
By Mike Hansell
The Petronas Twin Towers in
Kuala Lumpur, among the
tallest buildings on earth; An
impressive example of human builtbyanimals .lnk
engineering is the building
which is inspired from structure
made by animal.
 BEAVERS

Beavers can make impressive

dams. The tallest I've seen was
at least 12 feet high,
and I've seen them maintain a
dam 275 feet long
But we should be careful when
we use the same word to
describe what people make
and what animals make. We
put too much of our emotions,
not to mention grit and
determination, into what we
make, especially when the
finished product is something
so massive and landscape
changing as a dam.
 HONEYCOMB
The honey bees are also the masters in
architecture.
The honey comb is constructed in such a
way that it can contain maximum amount
of honey for minimum amount of wall
surface.
 STRUCTURES IN PLANT
If you look closely at the head of the
sunflower you will see that the seeds
are arranged so that a pattern is formed
by spirals winding out from the centre.

If you examine the head in greater

detail you will notice double spiraling.
This is where two opposite sets of
rotating spirals are formed by the
arrangement of the individual florets in
the head of the flower.

If you examine the head of a daisy

there are usually 21 spirals in a
clockwise direction and 34 spirals in an
anti-clockwise direction. This ratio of
21:34 corresponds to the Fibonacci
ratio.
Leaf: light weight structure in nature
If you look closely at a leaf you
can see how the main rib
tapers from the base, the point
where the whole weight of the
leaf is borne from. The other
ribs spring from the centre rib
in a regular pattern and taper
from the centre to the edge.
The whole leaf can be looked
at as the way nature has
evolved a mechanically sound
structure that elegantly
performs its desired functions
in the conditions in which it
grows. A leaf is a perfect
example of a lightweight
structure in nature.
 STRUCTURE OF ANIMAL
The image opposite illustrates the
structure of an insects eye, which
is composed of many parts and all
these parts have to be held
together and supported. This is
done by a geodesic dome grid on
the outside surface of the eye
which by its nature takes the
shape of a hemisphere. The whole
structural framework of the domed
grid is held firmly in position and
this in turn provides a stiff and
strong support for the cornea. This
enables the insects eye to function
efficiently. The concept behind the
geodesic domes which
Buckminster Fuller designed are
the very same as the structure of
an insects eye.
 Principles of forms and stability
Instability can be caused by
various natural forces i.e.
winds and earthquakes. Loads
imposed on the building such
as dead, live and imposed
loads also affect the stability of
the building.
If a building is not well
balanced or if the natural
foundations i.e. the soil
surrounding the concrete
foundations settles unevenly,
then this can result in the
building starting to rotate. The
Leaning Tower of Pisa is a
famous example of instability
due to uneven settlement
 "Development of structures."
The availability of tools for cutting
and shaping.
During the stone age stone axes
and flints were used to cut the
wood but due to the nature of the
tools methods of jointing were
limited. With the advent of the
Bronze and the Iron Age new
materials were available and
therefore improved tools.
Methods of construction and
building techniques.
As peoples needs changed so to
did their building techniques. With
the improvement in the different
types of tools that were available
they was also a development in
the methods of construction, such
as improved jointing techniques.
Early structures such as this
circular hut were constructed form
branches and stakes and they
were jointed at the apex using
strips of bark. No tool were
required in the construction of
such a hut.
With the development of tools
such as stone flints, basic jointing
started to occur. It evolved from
being tied as above to the use of
natural forks and finally basic
shaping and jointing.
 Equilibrium and centre of gravity
One main
requirement for a
structure to be stable
is that it must be in
equilibrium
There are three types of equilibrium:-
Horizontal.
Equilibrium in rotation
equilibrium.
Vertical equilibrium
CENTRE OF GRAVITY
The point where whole
mass of the body is
assumed to be
concentrated is called
CENTRE OF GRAVITY.
The centre of gravity of
an object does not
necessarily have to be
within a body, it can be an
imaginary point in space
 LOADS ON BUILDING
PRIMARY LOADS SECONDARY
1.Dead load LOADS
2.Live load 1.Shrinkage load
3.Snow load 2.Thermal load
4.Wind load 3.Settlement load
4.Dynamic load
 Roof truss and space frames
If you have two
members resting
against each other
they form an arch, by
introducing a tie this
linear arch now
becomes a simple
truss .The joints of the
truss must be flexible
and allow for rotation
 Space frames
Space frames are not
always economical to
construct due to the fact
that allot of material is
required and they tend to
be expensive and difficult
to maintain. They can be
economical in situations
where there is a long
span and a flat roof with
minimum supports is
required. Space frames
may also have a pitch or
arch element introduced
to them
 THE BEAMS AND COLUMNS
A beam spans
between two supports
and carries any
imposed loads by
transferring them to
its supports. These
supports usually are
in the form of
columns.

 THE BEAM
beam must satisify the following requirements:-
1. It must have an adquate strength to resist
bending moments.
2. It must be able to resist lateral buckling.
3. There must be no danger of failure due to
shear.
4. The amount the beam deflects under
pressure must not be excessive, it must be
within a safe limit.

 COLUMNS
The column when suporting a weight is
under compression. Failure in a column
will depend on :-
1. The material from which it is made and
the stress that material can take.
2. The slendeness of the column - if the
column is long and slender then buckling
can occur.

FOLDED PLATES AND SHELLS

A folded plate is an
example of 3d or space
structuring
Folded plates can be
seen as a space version
of a. rigid frame
Folded plates are best
formed from reinforced
concrete due to the fact
that they can be easily
cast.
THANK

YOU