Types Of Beams – Civil Engineering

Beams are horizontal member that essentially carries lateral load and having bending stresses in it. In building structures, the beam supports the load coming from slab. Types of beams are important to study for a structure designer.

Beams As Per Support Condition

1. Simply Supported beams
   The beam having pin supports at both ends and having no intermediate supports is defined as Simply Supported beam.
   Simply Supported Beams are statically determinate structures.
2. Overhanging beams
   If a beam is having some span after supports at both sides, then it is called an overhanging beam.
3. Continuous beams
   A continuous beam is having one or more intermediate support.
   This type of beam is statically indeterminate.
4. Fixed beams
   These types of beams are fixed at both ends. No support is allowed to have deflection. Fixed beams are statically indeterminate structures.
   In reality, all the beams in RCC structures are fixed beam.
5. Cantilever beams
   These types of beams are free at one end and fixed at the second one. These types of beams are statically determinate types.
   The beams of balcony are a good example of cantilever beams.

Types of Beams as per material used

1. Prestressed Concrete beams
   Precast concrete beams are commonly made up of prestressed concrete.
2. RCC Beams
   These types of beams are used in framed RCC structures. RCC beams in structures should be designed as per IS -456-2000
3. Steed Beam
   Steel beams are composed of an I section or a T section. IS 800-2007 gives design criteria for steel beams.

Types Of RCC Beams As Per Reinforcement

1. Singly reinforced beams
   These types of beams are having no compression reinforcement. Singly reinforced beams, though, have temperature reinforcement as anchor bars.
2. Doubly reinforced beams
   Incase of doubly reinforced beams, we provide compression reinforcement also. Doubly reinforced beams have higher resistance to bending.

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