STRUCTURES 2

STRUCTURES 2

1. Structures

   • A structure is the set of elements in a body that are made to resist the effects of forces that act on it. A structure prevents a body from breaking or deforming.
     • Natural structures
       • They aren't made by men. They are in living beings in their composition or the result of a ecological process. For example the shell of a turtle
     • Man-made structures
       • They are made by people to satisfy a need.

2. Forces and loads

   • Forces: Something that can deform a body (using the static effect) or making it move or stop (using the dynamic effect)
   • Loads: It acts on a structure that can be variable or fixed
     • Fixed loads
       • They don't vary over time. For Example: A road surface
     • Variable loads
       • They vary over time. For Example: People on the bridge