Ring Beam: Definition, Types and How to Calculate It

The ring beam is the rectangular or cube-shaped structural element of the building which has been located at the top of the building wall. The ring beams have the ability to bind the structure among the walls as well as even out the heavy load of the building structure above the beam. As an example, the ring beam helps to even out the load of the roof frame. The ring beam is also known as the mainframe in the construction unit as it helps to provide support for the walls and the upper structure of the building.

In addition, the ring beam also plays an important role in transmitting the pressure to the other structures below including foundations and columns. A proper arrangement of the ring beam can also affect the room temperature as well as the air circulation within the room. In the case of the ring beam is too low, the air within the building will heat up. The ring beams work along with the beams which help to support the structural load of the building, in which beams are involved in assisting the load distribution of the building and the ring beams focus on the distribution of the entire building’s load.

Different types of ring beams used in the construction unit

There are different types of ring beams have been used in the construction site which are as follows:

Continuous Ring Beam

These types of ring beams are more complex rather than the other types of ring beams. A single rectangular cube has been used in the continuous ring beam which surrounds the entire building structure in the form of a reinforced concrete ring. This helps to maintain the stability and robustness of the entire structure of the building. The installation procedure of the continuous ring beam needs strategic support. These strategic supports can be columns or poles which helps to resist the bending moments as well as helps to reduce the impact of the beam’s height. In the complex shape and sized buildings including industrial buildings, shopping centres and multi-storey buildings, the continuous ring beams can be used. These types of ring beams can be also used for distinctive architectural elements including domes and other types of roof shapes.

Simple Ring Beam

These types of ring beams have a circular shape which surrounds the bottom or top of the building structure. These types of ring beams help to distribute the load from the building structure and roof above it. These types of ring beams also help to prevent damage and cracks to the building structure because of the concentrated loads.

Eaves Ring Beam

These types of ring beams have been composed of multi-storey blocks. The connection between the beams helps to provide the strength of these types of beams. The installation of the ties and bolts helps to ensure that these types of ring beams fit together which helps to prevent the excessive accumulation of the loads as well as reduces the risks of damage and cracks in the building.

Suspended Beam

These types of ring beams are also known as the supported ring beams which have been composed of several connected beams. These suspended ring beams help to support the load of the curved roof structure which is different from the simple or flat-roofed building. These types of ring beams have been designed specially to handle the load of complex roof structures. These ring beam also helps to maintain the stability and integrity of the building roof structure as well as ensure that the roof structure will resist snow, wind or other types of building loads.

Cantilever Beam

In these types of ring beams, single or several bemas have been installed at the end of the building which helps to strengthen the end of the building. The cantilever ring beam is usually used in buildings with flat, large and complex roofs as they tend to have evenly distributed loads across the surface area.

These types of ring beams also help to reduce the risk of load buildup thus helping to ensure that the building structure remains stable.

Fixed End Beam

The fixed-end ring beams help to play an important role in maintaining the strength and stability of the building structure. These types of ring beams can also be used in buildings with large, complex and heavy loads.

In a Fixed End beam, there are two strong support points on the column or the wall which help to make them flexible and capable of enduring different types of pressures. In this regard, these types of ring beams have been used in buildings with complex roofs or in those building structures which need strong support at the ends.

The construction procedure of the ring beams

The ring beams help to separate the windows from the roof and enable the window to be fixed at the required angle. The ring beams are usually made of reinforced steel or concrete which helps to provide the tensile strength that the brickwork lacks. The ring beams help to provide the building structure super stability and provide support for the roof of the building. It needs to be ensured that the ring beam will not be overloaded rather than its capacity.

To learn more, watch the following video tutorial.

Video Source: Building Construction | Civil Engineers

In this context, proper calculation and engineering are required to strictly follow the rules of the construction of the ring beams. For the reinforcement of the ring beams, the ratio for cement, aggregate and sand should be 1:2:4. At least, 7 to 10 days should be given during the construction to set up the ring beams. In the case of the immediate construction of the ring beam is required, the concrete mixture should be proper which helps to ensure the proper support of the building structure.