Column vs. Beam — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 22, 2023
Column is a vertical structural member; beam is a horizontal structural member, both essential for structural stability.
Difference Between Column and Beam
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Columns and beams are fundamental structural elements in architecture and engineering. Columns are vertical structural components designed to support the weight above them, transferring it downwards to a foundation. They are crucial in distributing compressive forces within a structure, ensuring stability and strength. Columns can be of various forms and materials but are generally known for their ability to bear loads vertically.
Beams, on the other hand, are horizontal structural elements that predominantly bear load across their length. They are designed to carry and transfer loads to columns and walls, absorbing both tension and compression. The primary purpose of beams is to resist bending and shear forces, preventing structures from collapsing and deforming. They maintain the shape and integrity of structures by distributing loads effectively.
While columns and beams serve different functions, they work in tandem in many structures, especially in buildings and bridges. A column supports the load from above, transferring it to the foundation, and a beam spans between columns, bearing the loads from the floors or roofs. Their interaction is fundamental in creating stable, resilient structures, allowing for various architectural designs and innovations.
Columns, often characterized by their height and material, are crucial in determining the vertical stability of a structure. Their design varies according to architectural styles, and they often add aesthetic value to buildings. The integrity of columns is vital, and they are meticulously designed to prevent buckling and deformation.
Beams are versatile in their application and can be seen in various forms, sizes, and materials. The structural integrity and design of beams are pivotal in the horizontal stability of a structure. They are meticulously calculated to endure the stresses and loads they encounter, ensuring the safety and durability of the built environment. They are not only integral for structural support but also define the spaces they inhabit.
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Comparison Chart
Orientation
Vertical
Horizontal
Function
Supports load vertically and transfers it to the foundation.
Spans between supports and carries loads.
Forces
Encounters compressive forces.
Resists bending, shear forces, and could have tension.
Design
Characterized by height and material.
Characterized by length, material, and cross-sectional shape.
Positioning
Can be free-standing or part of a wall.
Typically placed on top of columns or walls.
Compare with Definitions
Column
A column is a vertical object or shape usually used for support.
The column of water reached a significant height during the experiment.
Beam
A beam is a line of light or other radiant energy.
The beam of the flashlight pierced the darkness.
Column
It denotes a regular feature or series of articles in a newspaper, magazine, or periodical.
She writes a weekly column for the local newspaper.
Beam
A beam refers to the width of a vessel.
The boat had a beam of approximately five feet.
Column
A column is a vertical division of text on a page.
The article continued in the next column.
Beam
A long, sturdy piece of squared timber or metal used to support the roof or floor of a building
There are very fine oak beams in the oldest part of the house
The cottage boasts a wealth of exposed beams
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member.
Beam
A ray or shaft of light
A beam of light flashed in front of her
The torch beam dimmed perceptibly
Column
A vertical structure usually consisting of a base, a cylindrical shaft, and a capital, used as a support or standing alone as a monument.
Beam
A radiant or good-natured look or smile
A beam of satisfaction
Column
Any slender vertical support, as of steel or reinforced concrete.
Beam
Transmit (a radio signal or broadcast) in a specified direction
The satellite beamed back radio signals to scientists on Earth
Column
Something resembling an architectural column in form or function
A column of mercury in a thermometer.
Beam
(of a light or light source) shine brightly
The sun's rays beamed down
Column
One of two or more vertical sections of text lying side by side in a document and separated by a rule or a blank space.
Beam
Smile radiantly
She beamed with pleasure
Column
An arrangement of numbers in a single vertical line.
Beam
A squared-off log or a large, oblong piece of timber, metal, or stone used especially as a horizontal support in construction.
Column
A feature article that appears regularly in a publication, such as a newspaper.
Beam
A transverse structural member of a ship's frame, used to support a deck and to brace the sides against stress.
Column
A formation, as of troops or vehicles, in which all elements follow one behind the other.
Beam
The breadth of a ship at the widest point.
Column
(Botany)A columnlike structure, especially one formed by the union of a stamen and the style in an orchid flower, or one formed by the united staminal filaments in flowers such as those of the hibiscus or mallow.
Beam
The side of a ship
Sighted land off the starboard beam.
Column
(Anatomy)Any of various tubular or pillarlike supporting structures in the body, each generally having a single tissue origin and function
The vertebral column.
Beam
(Informal) The widest part of a person's hips
Broad in the beam.
Column
(architecture) A solid upright structure designed usually to support a larger structure above it, such as a roof or horizontal beam, but sometimes for decoration.
Beam
A steel tube or wooden roller on which the warp is wound in a loom.
Column
A vertical line of entries in a table, usually read from top to bottom.
Beam
An oscillating lever connected to an engine piston rod and used to transmit power to the crankshaft.
Column
A body of troops or army vehicles, usually strung out along a road.
Beam
The bar of a balance from which weighing pans are suspended.
Column
A body of text meant to be read line by line, especially in printed material that has multiple adjacent such on a single page.
It was too hard to read the text across the whole page, so I split it into two columns.
Beam
(Sports) A balance beam.
Column
A unit of width, especially of advertisements, in a periodical, equivalent to the width of a usual column of text.
Each column inch costs $300 a week; this ad is four columns by three inches, so will run $3600 a week.
Beam
The main horizontal bar on a plow to which the share, coulter, and handles are attached.
Column
(by extension) A recurring feature in a periodical, especially an opinion piece, especially by a single author or small rotating group of authors, or on a single theme.
His initial foray into print media was as the author of a weekly column in his elementary-school newspaper.
Beam
One of the main stems of a deer's antlers.
Column
Something having similar vertical form or structure to the things mentioned above, such as a spinal column.
Beam
A ray or shaft of light.
Column
(botany) The gynostemium
Beam
A concentrated stream of particles or a similar propagation of waves
A beam of protons.
A beam of light.
Column
(chemistry) An object used to separate the different components of a liquid or to purify chemical compounds.
Beam
A radio beam.
Column
A kind of pillar; a cylindrical or polygonal support for a roof, ceiling, statue, etc., somewhat ornamented, and usually composed of base, shaft, and capital. See Order.
Beam
To radiate light; shine.
Column
Anything resembling, in form or position, a column in architecture; an upright body or mass; a shaft or obelisk; as, a column of air, of water, of mercury, etc.; the Column Vendôme; the spinal column.
Beam
To smile expansively.
Column
A body of troops formed in ranks, one behind the other; - contradistinguished from line. Compare Ploy, and Deploy.
Beam
To emit or transmit
Beam a message via satellite.
Column
A number of ships so arranged as to follow one another in single or double file or in squadrons; - in distinction from "line", where they are side by side.
Beam
To express by means of a radiant smile
He beamed his approval of the new idea.
Column
A perpendicular set of lines, not extending across the page, and separated from other matter by a rule or blank space; as, a column in a newspaper.
Beam
Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.
Column
A perpendicular line of figures.
Beam
One of the principal horizontal structural members, usually of steel, timber, or concrete, of a building; one of the transverse members of a ship's frame on which the decks are laid — supported at the sides by knees in wooden ships and by stringers in steel ones.
Column
The body formed by the union of the stamens in the Mallow family, or of the stamens and pistil in the orchids.
Beam
(nautical) The maximum width of a vessel (note that a vessel with a beam of 15 foot can also be said to be 15 foot abeam).
This ship has more beam than that one.
Column
One of a series of articles written in a periodical, usually under the same title and at regular intervals; it may be written and signed by one or more authors, or may appear pseudonymously or anonymously, as an editorial column.
Beam
(nautical) The direction across a vessel, perpendicular to fore-and-aft.
Column
A line of (usually military) units following one after another
Beam
The crossbar of a mechanical balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended.
Column
A vertical glass tube used in column chromatography; a mixture is poured in the top and washed through a stationary substance where components of the mixture are adsorbed selectively to form colored bands
Beam
The principal stem of the antler of a deer.
Column
A linear array of numbers one above another
Beam
(literary) The pole of a carriage or chariot.
Column
Anything tall and thin approximating the shape of a column or tower;
The test tube held a column of white powder
A tower of dust rose above the horizon
A thin pillar of smoke betrayed their campsite
Beam
(textiles) A cylinder of wood, making part of a loom, on which weavers wind the warp before weaving and the cylinder on which the cloth is rolled, as it is woven.
Column
An article giving opinions or perspectives
Beam
The straight part or shank of an anchor.
Column
A vertical structure standing alone and not supporting anything (as a monument or a column of air)
Beam
The central bar of a plow, to which the handles and colter are secured, and to the end of which are attached the oxen or horses that draw it.
Column
(architeture) a tall cylindrical vertical upright and used to support a structure
Beam
In steam engines, a heavy iron lever having an oscillating motion on a central axis, one end of which is connected with the piston rod from which it receives motion, and the other with the crank of the wheel shaft.
Column
A column is a vertical structural element that transmits the load from above to a building's foundation.
The ancient Greeks built temples with sturdy stone columns.
Beam
A ray or collection of approximately parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body.
A beam of light
A beam of energy
Column
It refers to a tall cylindrical or square support in a building.
The column in the living room was decorated with vines.
Beam
(figuratively) A ray; a gleam.
A beam of hope, or of comfort
Beam
One of the long feathers in the wing of a hawk.
Beam
(music) A horizontal bar which connects the stems of two or more notes to group them and to indicate metric value.
Beam
(railway) An elevated rectangular dirt pile used to cheaply build an elevated portion of a railway.
Beam
(gymnastics) balance beam
Beam
(ambitransitive) To emit beams of light; to shine; to radiate.
To beam forth light
Beam
To smile broadly or especially cheerfully.
Beam
(transitive) To furnish or supply with beams.
Beam
(transitive) To give the appearance of beams to.
Beam
To transmit matter or information via a high-tech wireless mechanism.
Beam me up, Scotty; there's no intelligent life down here.
The injured crewmembers were immediately beamed to sickbay.
Beam
To transmit, especially by direct wireless means such as infrared.
Beam
To stretch something (for example, an animal hide) on a beam.
Beam
To put (something) on a beam.
Beam
To connect (musical notes) with a beam, or thick line, in music notation.
Beam
Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.
Beam
One of the principal horizontal timbers of a building or ship.
The beams of a vessel are strong pieces of timber stretching across from side to side to support the decks.
Beam
The width of a vessel; as, one vessel is said to have more beam than another.
Beam
The bar of a balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended.
The doubtful beam long nods from side to side.
Beam
The principal stem or horn of a stag or other deer, which bears the antlers, or branches.
Beam
The pole of a carriage.
Beam
A cylinder of wood, making part of a loom, on which weavers wind the warp before weaving; also, the cylinder on which the cloth is rolled, as it is woven; one being called the fore beam, the other the back beam.
Beam
The straight part or shank of an anchor.
Beam
The main part of a plow, to which the handles and colter are secured, and to the end of which are attached the oxen or horses that draw it.
Beam
A heavy iron lever having an oscillating motion on a central axis, one end of which is connected with the piston rod from which it receives motion, and the other with the crank of the wheel shaft; - called also working beam or walking beam.
Beam
A ray or collection of parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body; as, a beam of light, or of heat.
How far that little candle throws his beams!
Beam
A ray; a gleam; as, a beam of comfort.
Mercy with her genial beam.
Beam
One of the long feathers in the wing of a hawk; - called also beam feather.
Beam
To send forth; to emit; - followed ordinarily by forth; as, to beam forth light.
Beam
To emit beams of light.
He beamed, the daystar of the rising age.
Beam
A signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides pilots in darkness or bad weather
Beam
Long thick piece of wood or metal or concrete, etc., used in construction
Beam
A column of light (as from a beacon)
Beam
A group of nearly parallel lines of electromagnetic radiation
Beam
(nautical) breadth amidships
Beam
A gymnastic apparatus used by women gymnasts
Beam
Smile radiantly; express joy through one's facial expression
Beam
Emit light; be bright, as of the sun or a light;
The sun shone bright that day
The fire beamed on their faces
Beam
Express with a beaming face or smile;
He beamed his approval
Beam
Broadcast over the airwaves, as in radio or television;
We cannot air this X-rated song
Beam
Especially of the complexion: show a strong bright color, such as red or pink;
Her face glowed when she came out of the sauna
Beam
Experience a feeling of well-being or happiness, as from good health or an intense emotion;
She was beaming with joy
Her face radiated with happiness
Beam
A beam is a horizontal structural element that carries load primarily in bending.
The wooden beam across the ceiling adds a rustic touch to the room.
Beam
It refers to a long, sturdy piece of squared timber or metal spanning an opening or part of a building.
The beam of the old barn was engraved with ancient symbols.
Beam
It denotes a radiant or good-natured look or smile.
Her face was illuminated by a joyful beam.
Common Curiosities
Can beams be vertical?
Beams are primarily horizontal; vertical structural members are usually called columns or posts.
Can a column support a horizontal load?
While primarily for vertical loads, well-designed columns can also support some horizontal loads.
Are columns decorative?
While some columns are purely decorative, many serve a structural purpose.
Can columns be square?
Yes, columns can be square, rectangular, circular, or other shapes.
Can columns be made of wood?
Yes, columns can be made from various materials including wood, stone, steel, and concrete.
Can a column be horizontal?
Typically, columns are vertical; horizontal structural members are generally referred to as beams.
Are beams only found in buildings?
No, beams are found in various structures like bridges, towers, and vehicles.
Can beams be decorative?
Yes, some beams are used purely for decorative purposes and do not carry loads.
Are all beams subjected to bending?
Most beams are designed to resist bending, but the extent depends on the specific application.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
