machine structure
Structures which operate as machines or as integral parts of mechanized processes.
A machine structure is a fixed constructed object which functions as part of some mechanized process or which performs mechanized processes independently. The various types of machine structures may differ vastly from each other in appearance. These do not include structures built to shelter or enclose machinery; the machinery must be inextricably linked to the structure's form.
The physical form participates directly in the mechanical process. A surrounding building that only houses equipment has a separate sheltering role.
Appearance alone need not be shared across these structures. The relationship between the constructed object and its mechanical function is the common feature.
machine structure Photos
More specific definitions
10 sub-definitions-
blast furnace
A freestanding industrial furnace structure with supporting equipment for smelting metal ores. -
chimney
A freestanding vertical conduit for the passage and emission of smoke, steam, or other gas. -
cooling tower
A large structure built to remove heat from a power plant or an industrial plant. -
crane
A freestanding lifting machine anchored to the ground or fixed tracks, excluding mobile and construction tower cranes. -
drilling platform
A structure on a body of water designed to drill beneath its natural bed and extract material through the drilled hole. -
headframe
An exposed framework above a mine shaft that supports a hoisting system for moving loads into and out of the mine. -
reactor building
A structure designed to enclose an energy-producing reactor, commonly in a simple shell-like building. -
transformer cluster
An outdoor transformer or group of transformers transferring electrical energy between circuit systems. -
wind turbine
A structure with rotating blades which converts wind energy into electricity. -
windmill
A structure whose rotating blades convert wind energy directly into mechanical power for a local application.
Related definitions
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amusement ride
A non-portable structure which moves riders along a determined course for amusement or thrills. -
bulk storage structure
A fixed enclosure for bulk liquid, gas, or particulate commodities, generally without routine human access. -
infrastructure
A distinct structure which forms an integral part of a large public functional network. -
monument
Decorative or symbolic structures which generally have some referential meaning for the local place or population. -
open-air structure
A building or shelter where most of the interior space is not fully enclosed. -
tower
A predominantly vertical structure with little space for inhabitation, even where part of it has a building-like form.