Girder or Beam

[Uncle Bob]

What is the difference between a Girder and a Beam?

 

[Mac]

A girder is a particular type or use of a beam.

I think.

 

[fatboy]

I have always thought of them as one and the same myself.

Definition of GIRDER

: a horizontal main structural member (as in a building or bridge) that supports vertical loads and that consists of a single piece or of more than one piece bound together

Definition of BEAM

: a long piece of heavy often squared timber suitable for use in construction

 

[mark handler]

Girders are collector beams.

Girders support beams.

Sometimes "Girders and beams" are mislabled as purlins.

purlin is a horizontal structural member in a roof.

 

[Rio]

I've always thought of a girder as a big *** beam. From the Dictionary of Architecture and Construction: Girder- A large or principal beam of steel, reinforced concrete, or timber; used to support concentrated loads at isolated points along its length.

 

[mark handler]

I've always thought of a girder as a big *** beam. From the Dictionary of Architecture and Construction: Girder- A large or principal beam of steel, reinforced concrete, or timber; used to support concentrated loads at isolated points along its length.

Yes

Girders are collector beams.

 

[tmurray]

Beam support a distributed load where girders can support point loads and distributed loads

 

[brudgers]

Yes Girders are collector beams.

Or collector trusses. e.g. a girder truss.

 

[fatboy]

Great, nice to know!

 

[Uncle Bob]

On an Engineer's website I found these descriptions to differentiate between the two.

A Girder is a member that has other members tying into the side of it.

A Beam is a meember that has other members bearing on top of it.

I have always wondered about that when reading the Girder and Header (beam) spans in the Tables.

I have a lot of framers attempting to use double 2 X 10s and 12s to span garages/over long spans of living rooms etc., and use them for purlin brace supports in attics.

 

[DRP]

A girder can have beams on it, think about a dropped basement girder (a type of beam) with lapped floor joists (joists are beams too!) on top of it. It is a type of beam that carries other beams or loads

 

[mark handler]

Or collector trusses. e.g. a girder truss.

The OP wanted a comparison of girders and beams, not what is a girder

 

[brudgers]

A beam can't be a truss.

A girder can.

Irrespective of your assertions.

 

[DRP]

Actually...

 

[codeworks]

girder: a horizontal main structural member (as in a building or bridge) that supports vertical loads and that consists of a single piece or more than one piece bound together. from websters

daniel webster was a statesmen, noah webster was the wordsmith