ABSTRACT

The majority of built forms in architecture consist of rectilinear spaces. The greater part of most people’s lives are spent in spaces bounded by horizontal and vertical planes. A structural element lying in a horizontal plane and subjected to vertical forces is commonly referred to as a beam. Several theories have been put forward over the last 400 years in an attempt to measure just how much a given cross-section of a particular material can resist a bending moment or, using the terminology just introduced, develop a resistance moment. In most cases where the size of a structural element is calculated as a response to an externally applied bending moment, additional checks have to be made. The stress distribution through the depth of the section reveals that the timber is only working at its full capacity at the extreme fibres. Reinforced concrete structures are, on the other hand, conditioned by the manner in which they are produced.