Francis D.K. Ching - Building Structures Illustrated: Patterns, Systems, and Design

Francis D. K. Ching

Barry Onouye

Douglas Zuberbuhler

Copyright 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Ching, Frank, 1943
Building structures illustrated : patterns, systems, and design / Francis D.K. Ching, Barry Onouye, Doug Zuberbuhler.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-470-18785-2 (pbk.); 978-1-118-80823-8 (ebk); 978-1-118-84830-2 (ebk) 1. Structural design. 2. Buildings. I. Onouye, Barry. II. Zuberbuhler, Doug. III. Title.

TA658.C49 2009
624.1771--dc22
2008047061

While this publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information regarding the subject matter covered, it is sold with the understanding that neither the publisher nor the authors are engaged in rendering professional services. If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

Many reputable books are available that cover the subject of building structures, from ones focusing on statics and strength of materials to others dealing with the design and analysis of structural elements, such as beams and columns, and still others covering specific structural materials. An understanding of the behavior of structural elements under different load conditions is critical to professionals, as is the ability to select, size, and shape appropriate structural materials and their connections. This book assumes the accessibility of these valuable resources and focuses instead on building structures as systems of interrelated parts for creating and supporting the habitable environments we call architecture.

A principal characteristic of this text is its holistic approach to building structures. Beginning with a concise review of how structural systems have evolved over time, the text discusses the idea of structural patterns and how these patterns of supports and spans can not only sustain but reinforce an architectural idea. The core of this book is an examination of the horizontal spanning and vertical support systems that house our activities and contribute to the vertical dimensions of form and space. The discussion then turns to a review of the critical aspects of lateral forces and stability, the unique properties of long-span structures, and current strategies for high-rise structures. The final chapter is a brief but important review of the integration of structural and other building systems.

While this text deliberately avoids a strictly mathematical approach to building structures, it does not neglect the fundamental principles that govern the behavior of structural elements, assemblies, and systems. To better serve as a guide during the preliminary design process, the discussion is accompanied by numerous drawings and diagrams that instruct and perhaps even inspire ideas about how a structural pattern might inform a design concept. The challenge in design is always how to translate principles into action. The major change in this second edition, therefore, is the addition of examples that illustrate the ways in which structural principles can be manifested in examples of real-world architecture.

The authors hope that this richly illustrated work will serve as a desktop resource for design students as well as young professionals and help them view structural systems as essential and integral to the design and building process.

The International System of Units is an internationally accepted system of coherent physical units, using the meter, kilogram, second, ampere, kelvin, and candela as the base units of length, mass, time, electric current, temperature, and luminous intensity. To reinforce an understanding of the International System of Units, metric equivalents are provided throughout this book according to the following conventions:

• All whole numbers in parentheses indicate millimeters unless otherwise noted.
• Dimensions 3 inches and greater are rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 millimeters.
• Note that 3487 mm = 3.487 m.
• In all other cases, the metric unit of measurement is specified.

Buildingsthe relatively permanent constructions we erect on a plot of land for habitable usehave developed over the course of history from simple shelters constructed of sticks, mud-brick, and stones to the more sophisticated constructions of concrete, steel, and glass of today. Throughout this evolution of building technology, what has remained constant is the enduring presence of some form of structural system capable of withstanding the forces of gravity, wind, and oftentimes, earthquakes.

We can define a structural system as a stable assembly of elements designed and constructed to function as a whole in supporting and transmitting applied loads safely to the ground without exceeding the allowable stresses in the members. While the forms and materials of structural systems have evolved with advances in technology and culture, not to mention the lessons learned from numerous building failures, they remain essential to the existence of all buildings, no matter their scale, context, or use.