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<span id="openzim-page-title" class="mw-page-title-main"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Structural element</span></span>
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</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="Structural_engineering#Structural_elements" title="Structural engineering">Structural engineering ยง Structural elements</a></div>
<p>In <a href="Structural_engineering" title="Structural engineering">structural engineering</a>, <b>structural elements</b> are used in <a href="Structural_analysis" title="Structural analysis">structural analysis</a> to split a complex <a href="Structural_system" title="Structural system">structure</a> into simple <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/element" class="extiw external" title="wiktionary:element">elements</a> (each bearing a <a href="Structural_load" title="Structural load">structural load</a>). Within a structure, an element cannot be broken down (decomposed) into parts of different kinds (e.g., beam or column).<sup id="cite_ref-waddell_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-waddell-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
</p><p><b>Structural building components</b> are specialized structural <a href="Building_products" class="mw-redirect" title="Building products">building products</a> designed, engineered and manufactured under controlled conditions for a specific application. They are incorporated into the overall building structural system by a <a href="Building_designer" class="mw-redirect" title="Building designer">building designer</a>. Examples are wood or steel <a href="Roof_truss" class="mw-redirect" title="Roof truss">roof trusses</a>, floor trusses, floor panels, <a href="I-joist" title="I-joist">I-joists</a>, or engineered beams and headers. A structural building component manufacturer or truss manufacturer is an individual or company regularly engaged in the manufacturing of components.
</p><p>Structural elements can be lines, surfaces or volumes.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
</p><p>Line elements:
</p>
<ul><li>Rod - <a href="Axis_of_rotation" class="mw-redirect" title="Axis of rotation">axial</a> loads</li>
<li><a href="Beam_(structure)" title="Beam (structure)">Beam</a> - axial and <a href="Bending" title="Bending">bending</a> loads</li>
<li><a href="Pillar" class="mw-redirect" title="Pillar">Pillar</a></li>
<li><a href="Post_(structural)" title="Post (structural)">Post (structural)</a></li>
<li><a href="Strut" title="Strut">Struts</a> or <a href="Compression_member" title="Compression member">Compression members</a>- <a href="Compressive_stress" title="Compressive stress">compressive loads</a></li>
<li><a href="Tie_(engineering)" title="Tie (engineering)">Ties</a>, <a href="Tie_rod" title="Tie rod">Tie rods</a>, <a href="Eyebar" title="Eyebar">eyebars</a>, <a href="Guy-wire" title="Guy-wire">guy-wires</a>, suspension cables, or <a href="Wire_rope" title="Wire rope">wire ropes</a> - <a href="Tension_(physics)" title="Tension (physics)">tension</a> loads</li></ul>
<p>Surface elements:
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<ul><li><a href="Membrane_theory_of_shells" title="Membrane theory of shells">membrane</a> - in-plane loads only</li>
<li><a href="Thin-shell_structure" class="mw-redirect" title="Thin-shell structure">shell</a> - in plane and bending moments
<ul><li><a href="Concrete_slab" title="Concrete slab">Concrete slab</a></li>
<li><a href="Deck_(bridge)" title="Deck (bridge)">deck</a></li></ul></li>
<li><a href="Shear_wall" title="Shear wall">shear panel</a> - <a href="Shear_stress" title="Shear stress">shear loads</a> only</li></ul>
<p>Volumes:
</p>
<ul><li>Axial, shear and bending loads for all three dimensions</li></ul>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2></div>
<ul><li><a href="Load-bearing_wall" title="Load-bearing wall">Load-bearing wall</a></li>
<li><a href="Post_and_lintel" title="Post and lintel">Post and lintel</a></li>
<li><a href="Stressed_member_engine" title="Stressed member engine">Stressed member engine</a></li></ul>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>
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<li id="cite_note-waddell-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-waddell_1-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">
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</style><cite id="CITEREFWaddelln_Alexander_Low_Waddell1916" class="citation book cs1">Waddelln Alexander Low Waddell (1916). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/bridgeengineeri01waddgoog"><i>Bridge Engineering - Volume 2</i></a>. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. pp. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/bridgeengineeri01waddgoog/page/n906">1958</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2008-08-19</span></span>.</cite></span>
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<li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFRyalParkeHarding2000" class="citation book cs1">Ryal, M.J.; Parke, G.A.R.; Harding, J.E. (2000). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=8PGk81gtCywC"><i>The Manual of Bridge Engineering</i></a> <span class="cs1-format">(Google books (preview))</span>. London: Thomas Telford. p. 98. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-0-7277-2774-9</bdi><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2009-04-12</span></span>.</cite></span>
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