Replies

1. 
   Boats234 | Mar 17, 2006 03:07am | #1

   Spandrel Beam--Beams that are located around the perimeter of a building, usually supporting roof or floor loads as well as wall loads.

   Metal building term

   I didn't know either ...it came up on my contractors exam a few years ago so I looked it up then.

1. 
   dockelly | Mar 17, 2006 03:25am | #2

   That's what I got when I Googled, which seems to be the definition of rim joist, unless rim joist is only used in reference to a deck. On a side note, checked your profile, fished the bayou on a bachelor party, chartered Griffin Fishing, ever hear of them? Just outside of New Orleans.

1. 
   Boats234 | Mar 17, 2006 04:01am | #3

    

   That's what I got when I Googled, which seems to be the definition of rim joist, unless rim joist is only used in reference to a deck. On a side note, checked your profile, fished the bayou on a bachelor party, chartered Griffin Fishing, ever hear of them? Just outside of New Orleans.

   When I first located the term -spandrel- it was in my "Machinist Handbook" as a geometric figure interchangeable with a fillet. I assumed, incorrectly, that it had to do with some type of diagonal support due to its arcing nature.

   I went to my friends office, a navel architect/ engineer and had 5 of his draftsmen and engineers waste 2 hours of office time trying to define it. So the best I could come up with is that is a deep beam that spans openings in outside walls-- mainly used for curtain wall construction. Unlike a rim joist the spandrel appears to be load bearing.

   I have no construction experience with this, so maybe someone with more knowledge may stumble along.

   As far as Griffin's... don't know them personally but many mutual acquaintances. They're located out of Lafite, just north of Grand Isle-- probably within 10 miles of Katrina's eye... lotsa damage in the area. I'm about 40 miles WSW of them. If you look on a Louisiana map--- All the way south in the center of the coast, Terrebonne parish is the part hanging down in the Gulf fixin to fall off.

    

1. 
   donpapenburg | Mar 17, 2006 04:23am | #4

   Spandrels are the little decorative  turned wood spindles that go just under  a porch roof . above the railing .  The spandrel beam then would be the rail that holds them together  or the whole assembly.

1. 
   Gene_Davis | Mar 17, 2006 04:49am | #5

   Where'd you come up with that?

   I think the guy oughta go back to the architect and ask him WDF they are!  Sounds like mister so and so, A.I.A., is throwing around a little fluff.

2. 
   donpapenburg | Mar 17, 2006 05:13am | #7

   Home lumber company  catalog , all of the turned an sawn decorations that hang from the upper parts of the door and  wallopenings and around porch roof suport beams . The short spindles.

3. 
   dockelly | Mar 17, 2006 05:23am | #8

   A little clarification: this beam is around the periphery of the house and contacts the concrete pier foundation. In other words it is the lowest point of the house contacting the foundation. It is NOT a beam where decorative wood pieces are attached, NOT like the gingerbread fret work on a victorian home.

2. 
   plumbbill | Mar 17, 2006 04:53am | #6

   View Image"There are about 550000000 firearms in worldwide circulation. That's one firearm for every twelve people on the planet. The only question is...........How do we arm the other eleven?" Yuri Orlov<!----><!----><!---->

2. 
   jvhannah | Mar 17, 2006 05:27am | #9

   A spandrel beam is the beam at the perimeter of a floor that is loaded on one side only as opposed to an interior beam which is loaded on both sides.  Depending on how the connections are detailed there are torsion issues that must be checked.  This may be a bigger issue in concrete beams than in steel beams or word beams as steel and wood beams normally allow more rotation in there connections than concrete beams.  The devil is in the details.

   In Archictectural use many elements of cladding are referred to as spandrel elements as they around the perimeter of a floor and near a spandrel beam, however they don't serve any particlular structural function they merely act as cladding for the building.

   HTHs  JVH

1. 
   dockelly | Mar 17, 2006 05:31am | #10

   "HTHs JVH"I think that's sums it up, thanks for the reply.Kevin