word of the week: I-BEAM

2010 April 18

by Caroline Nye Stevens

I-BEAM: a beam, generally made of metal, with a cross-section that resembles the capital letter “I” (also called an H-beam).

I-beams typically offer a building structural support, but they can also be decorative as seen on the facade of Federal Center. Notice how the I-beams on the Kluczynski building (pictured) do not extend to the building’s base and therefore are ornamental and not supportive.