Lesson plan
Beam (structure)
beam, deflecting (sagging) under a uniformly distributed load, which includes its own weight A beam is a structural element designed to carry loads perpendicular to its long (or "horizontal") axis. This contrasts with a strut or column, which bears its load perpendicular to its short (or "vertical") axis. 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. Any structural element, in any orientation, that primarily resists loads applied laterally across the element's axis is a beam. While beams are most commonly found in architecture and civil engineering, they are also found in automobile frames, aircraft components, machine frames, and many other mechanical or structural systems.
Article summary
beam, deflecting (sagging) under a uniformly distributed load, which includes its own weight A beam is a structural element designed to carry loads perpendicular to its long (or "horizontal") axis. This contrasts with a strut or column, which bears its load perpendicular to its short (or "vertical") axis. 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. Any structural element, in any orientation, that primarily resists loads applied laterally across the element's axis is a beam. While beams are most commonly found in architecture and civil engineering, they are also found in automobile frames, aircraft components, machine frames, and many other mechanical or structural systems.
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.