Columns and beams
Concrete beams, also known as summers, are girders, which take up the load of a floor or wall and relay it to other structural components. The load capacity and/or span of a ceiling can be increased by the use of beams.
In some cases beams can take over the load-bearing function, create (unlike walls) free access and can bridge large spans. They are also used subsequently in renovating old buildings to improve statics. Concrete columns consist of very pressure-resistant concrete. They are constructed to bear loads. They can be designed for each floor or across several floors.
These components are used in combination in column-beam structures (skeleton structure). First of all, a load-bearing structure consisting of the columns and beams is created. The non-load-bearing sandwich outer walls are suspended like a curtain in front of the load-bearing structure and interior walls and floors are installed. The elements, which are frequently the height of one storey, are linked together and sealed in the joint area of the individual elements against humidity and for wind-resistance. This construction method constitutes fast, cost-efficient production with flexible, independent interior design.
