A cantilever is a beam supported at one end, used in architecture and engineering. It can be made of wood, concrete, or metal, and is used for balconies, overhangs, and temporary structures. Cantilever design can be practical and aesthetic, and is used in many modern engineering projects.
A cantilever is a beam that is supported at only one of its ends. The beam carries a specific weight on its open end due to the support on its closed end, in addition to its structural integrity. Cantilever construction is popular in many types of architectural design and other types of engineering, where professionals use terms such as ultimate load, intermediate load, and ultimate moment to identify how much a cantilever beam holds. The term moment is related to the torque and a theoretical load on a beam.
In residential architecture, the cantilevered design is often used to create balconies and other extensions above ground level. Famous architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright were known to take advantage of cantilevered construction to provide parts of a building that project from a supported section. The use of cantilever configurations and similar cantilever engineering is also often seen in bridges and similar projects. Carpenters might think of the cantilever design in terms of wooden beams, but in other types of projects a cantilever design is applied to a concrete slab or metal beam.
A specific use of cantilever construction is often part of a temporary construction project. While a bridge or other project is in transition, the cantilever design ensures structural integrity while only one side of a beam is supported. Subsequently, that beam can be supported on both sides. Engineers can show diagrams of how the cantilever design will help ensure stability midway through a construction project as part of a safety study.
Architects and engineers also use cantilevered beam structures for overhangs which are often part of various buildings. Airports, university campuses, office complexes and other areas often include outdoor structures that use cantilever beam structure for different intentions in building design. These cantilevered elements can provide shelter from the elements or a decorative aspect to a building. In some cases, an “open style” cantilevered design fits into a modern or artistic design for a space, where the designers have combined practicality with aesthetics.
Those interested in seeing how cantilever design is used in modern engineering can easily find many visible examples of this engineering method at work in their local communities. Detailed study of this type of design can better prepare a student for entry into an engineering or architecture program. It can also increase a student’s understanding of how professionals implement this type of design in both residential and commercial projects.
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