Beam & Column Structures
Column, Beam, Post
& Lintel
COLUMN
A column is a vertical support structure. Columns
do not have to be round. Here are examples of columns in our community.
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| Rectangular columns in front of
Penn Central Middle School support the overhang at the main entryway. |
Tapered columns on this bungalow
style house at Fifth Street and Park Avenue in Perkasie (near
Menlo Pool) support a large overhanging roof. |
Classical style columns support
a wrap-around porch at the Grim, Biehn and Thatcher building
at Sixth and Chestnut Streets in Perkasie. |
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| Though these column chimneys at
Moravian Tile in Doylestown, PA do not support anything other
than their own weight, they are capable of supporting other weight
(with a proper foundation below). |
This large column at Grand View
Hospital in West Rockhill Township supports a water tower. |
BEAM
The beam is a very sturdy structure. A beam
is a horizontal pole. It is usually shaped as a rectangle so there
is more balance between the poles. A beam is held up by one or
two columns. If there are two columns, they are placed on either
side of the beam. If there is one column, it is placed in the
middle of the beam so each side is balanced. Beams are found in
many places - in buildings, in homes, and in moving structures.
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| These monkey bars at
M.M. Seylar Elementary School are made of horizontal beams supported
on four columns. |
This covered bridge
in Perkasie, PA is a beam bridge. |
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| A table uses a simple
beam framework (seen above) to support the table top. Sturdy
tables designed to hold a lot of weight use triangulation with
the legs to support additional weight on the structure. |
This small bridge or
culvert is actually a beam bridge over three cement pipes used
to allow water to pass from the local creek. |
POST and LINTEL
Post and lintel construction is often found
in homes in our area for windows and doorways. The post and lintel
holds everything that is above an opening. Stonehenge is a well
known example of an ancient post and lintel construction.
Two vertical posts on either side of a beam
(or lintel) hold up the beam and everything above the opening.
This is a strong support when the structure is level and gravity
pulls down evenly on the structure. The weight of the wall above
the lintel is the load.
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| Post and lintel construction is used to support
this wrap-around porch on this Race Street home in Perkasie. |
This Race Street home in Perkasie shows the use
of a large lintel at the top of the windows. The posts are the
vertical framing at the sides of these windows. |