Difference Between Column and Beam
Main difference
Structural engineering is one of the most famous types of civil engineering today. From ancient monuments to huge buildings, they are all products of the similar engineering branch. Structural foundations can be classified into the following structures: concrete structures, wooden structures, and steel structures. However, you can’t feel the supports like beams or columns which are under the floor or placed on the walls next to you respectively, but both are load-bearing elements. The column is also called a pillar in common language; it is placed vertically, which transmits, by compression, the weight of the structure above to the elements below, while the beam is a structural element that resists the flexion.
Comparison chart
| Column | do | |
| Mechanism | The column is the vertical structural element that is attached to the roof slab, beam, or roof, and transfers the load to the foundations of the building. | The beam is a structural element to carry the loads from the slabs to the columns and with support against bending. |
| Function | The column allows compression of the load. | The beam opposes the bending moment . |
| Importance | A building cannot stand without a column. | A building can stand without a beam. |
| Types | Columns are mainly classified into thin columns and short columns. | The beams are classified as T, L or rectangular. |
What is the column?
A column is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to the elements below. The column is also known as the pillar of the building, as it supports the entire load of the roof, beam, roof slab and places it on the base or foundation of the building. The importance of a column in construction can be known as no building can stand without it. In addition to functioning as a strong support for the beams and arches to support the building on its own, this structural element is also used today as a decorative element. Earlier columns were carved into the stones, now they are most often built with concrete along with other materials such as wood, cellular PVC, aluminum and fiber reinforced polymer.
What is beam?
The beam is a structural element that resists bending. Mainly the beam carries vertical gravitational forces, but it can also pull horizontal loads on it. The sill plate or wall plate that carries the load and transmits it to the beams, walls or columns to which it is attached is called a beam. In the early centuries, square beams were the most preferred material to be used as a beam for the purpose of structural support, now to bear the bending force along with the vertical gravitational force, they are now made of steel, aluminum, or other similar materials. Actually, the beams are the structural materials that carry the bending moment and shear force of the load. To bear more load and tension,
column vs. Beam
- Column is the vertical structural element that is attached to the roof, beam or roof slab, and transfers load to the building footings, while Beam is a structural element to carry the loads from the slabs to the columns and supported against the bending
- The column allows compression of the load, while a beam opposes the bending moment.
- A building can be without a beam but not without a column.
- The intended function of the ties in column and beam works differently.
- Columns are mainly classified into slender columns and short columns, while beams are classified into T, L or rectangular.