Stepped profile

Add article description

A stepped profile describes the edge of something that has a series of defined steps.^[1] It has applications in architecture, construction, engineering, and geology.

A water tank with a stepped profile at Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India

Applications

Architecture and construction

In building design a stepped profile is used to reduce the visual impact of, or airborne noise around a building.^[2]^[3]^[4] A stepped profile is also used to calculate seismic and wind loads in multi-story building design.^[5]

The spillway from a dam can have a stepped profile, which dissipates energy from the released water.^[6]

Engineering

In engineering, a stepped profile may be used on a bearing surface to reduce friction between the moving parts.^[7]

Geology

A mountain with a stepped profile has a number of denudation terraces caused by erosion.^[8]

A river with a stepped profile has a step-like variation in its gradient along its length.^[9] This may be caused by changes in the height of the underlying bedrock.^[10]

Notable examples

Altar Mountain, a mountain in Victoria Land, Antarctica
Drapers’ Gardens, an office block in the City of London, United Kingdom
Cairn of Barnenez, a Neolithic monument in Brittany, France

References

[1]

Cowan, James J. (2006). Advances in holographic replication with the Aztec structure (PDF). 7th International Symposium on Display Holography.
[2]

Edwards, Brian (2004). The Modern Airport Terminal: New Approaches to Airport Architecture. Taylor & Francis. p. 63. ISBN 9781134537648.
[3]

Johnson, Stuart (1993). Greener Buildings: Environmental Impact of Property. Macmillan Education. p. 62. ISBN 9781349227525.
[4]

The Making of an African Building: The Mpumalanga Provincial Government Complex. MPTS Architectural Library. 2001. p. 32. ISBN 9780620282949.
[5]

Shapiro, Ian M. (2016). Energy Audits and Improvements for Commercial Buildings. Wiley. p. 54. ISBN 9781119084167.
[6]

Chanson, H. (1995). “History of stepped channels and spillways: a rediscovery of the “wheel”“ (PDF). Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering. 22 (2): 247–259. doi:10.1139/l95-034.
[7]

Wróblewski, E.; Iskra, A.; & Babiak, M (2017). “Geometrical structures of the stepped profile bearing surface of the piston”. Procedia Engineering. 192. Elsevier: 965–970. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2017.06.166.
[8]

Alexander Stahr; Ewald Langenscheidt (2014). Landforms of High Mountains. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 64. ISBN 9783642537158.
[9]

Luna Bergere Leopold (1994). A view of the river. Harvard University Press. p. 79. ISBN 9780674937321.
[10]

Gary J. Brierley; Kirstie A. Fryirs (2013). Geomorphology and River Management: Applications of the River Styles Framework. Wiley. p. 409. ISBN 9781118685303.