oq-gem

Glossary for gem taxonomy

Authors: Luke Allen, Andrew Charleson, Svetlana Brzev, and Charles Scawthorn

This online Glossary explains around 400 terms contained in the GEM Building Taxonomy v 2.0 and nearly 700 images.

The terms have been listed in alphabetical and numerical order. Text description of each term is accompanied by illustrations (photos and/or drawings) where possible.

We welcome contributions in the form of photographs or images, illustrating glossary terms. If you have any questions you can also contact us at buildingtaxonomy@globalquakemodel.org


A lateral load-resisting system that is known but does not fit into the other definitions in this table. Other systems include tension structures, shell structures, space-structures, folded plates, tubes and other complex structural systems for very tall buildings.

LO_China_Willms_1

National Swimming Center in Beijing, China (also known as The Cube) is a space (3-D) frame assembled from 22,000 steel tubes welded to 12,000 nodes; this is a unique structure (D. Willms)

LO_Canada_Brzev_1

Space truss structure, Science World, Vancouver, Canada (S. Brzev)

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