Thanks to this roller joint, the beam can swell in the sun and slide over the column without damaging the structure. When the ground beneath a structure jerks back and forth during an earthquake, the structure is experiencing an earthquake, or seismic load. Earthquake loads push and pull horizontally on a structure. That was more rattling and shaking than this poor structure could handle. They resist loads that push or pull horizontally on a structure.
Shear walls can handle being pushed, pulled, rattled, and shaken during an earthquake.
They're a great way to strengthen a structure prone to earthquake load. When the soil beneath a structure settles unevenly, it is called settlement load. Structures will sink and change shape when they experience settlement load. Heavy concrete pillars, or piles, are used to support structures on soft soil. The piles rest deep in the earth on stable, solid soil and support the weight of the heavy structure above.