# Superstructure

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{{Short description|Upward extension of an existing structure or ship}}
{{about|upward extensions of physical structures such as ships or buildings|other uses|superstructure (disambiguation)}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2013}}
[[File:MV Ascension in Port Canaveral.jpg|thumb|The superstructure of this cargo ship is at the back and includes a [lifeboat.](/source/Lifeboat_(shipboard))]]
[[File:Mega smeralda bastia.JPG|right|thumb|The [cruiseferry](/source/cruiseferry) ''[Mega Smeralda](/source/MS_Mega_Smeralda)''.  The blue and white part of the ship is the superstructure and the yellow part of the ship is the [hull](/source/hull_(watercraft)).]]

'''Superstructure''' is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as [building](/source/building)s, [bridges](/source/Bridge_(nautical)), or [ship](/source/ship)s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mane |first=Vikrant |date=2023-01-19 |title=Superstructure in Building Construction |url=https://civilengineeringnotes.com/superstructure-in-building/ |url-status=live |website=Civil Engineering Notes |access-date=2023-01-31 |archive-date=2023-01-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131132127/https://civilengineeringnotes.com/superstructure-in-building/ }}</ref>

=={{anchor|Ships}}Aboard ships and large boats==
On water craft, the superstructure consists of the parts of the ship or a [boat](/source/boat), including [sailboat](/source/sailboat)s, [fishing boat](/source/fishing_boat)s, [passenger ship](/source/passenger_ship)s, and [submarine](/source/submarine)s, that project above her main deck. This does not usually include its [mast](/source/Mast_(sailing))s or any [armament](/source/armament) [turret](/source/gun_turret)s. Note that, in modern times, turrets do not always carry [naval artillery](/source/naval_artillery). They can also carry [missile launcher](/source/missile_launcher)s and/or [antisubmarine warfare](/source/antisubmarine_warfare) weapons.

The size of a watercraft's superstructure can have many implications in the performance of ships and boats, since these structures can alter their structural rigidity, their displacements, and/or stability. These can be detrimental to any vessel's performance if they are taken into consideration incorrectly.
[[File:CSD+TMS4.jpg|thumb|Superstructure of the [freight ship](/source/freight_ship) [Cap San Diego](/source/Cap_San_Diego) ]]
The height and the weight of superstructure on board a ship or a boat also affects the amount of [freeboard](/source/freeboard_(nautical)) that such a vessel requires along her sides, down to her [waterline](/source/waterline). In broad terms, the more and heavier superstructure that a ship possesses (as a fraction of her length), the less the freeboard that is needed.

==Bridges==
The [span](/source/span_(engineering)) of a bridge, the portion that directly receives the live load, is referred to as the superstructure.  In contrast, the [abutment](/source/abutment), [pier](/source/pier)s, and other support structures are  called  the '[substructure](/source/Substructure_(engineering))'.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Waddell |first=J. A. L. |year=1916 |title=Bridge Engineering |others=Volume 2 |location=New York |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |oclc=366744 |chapter=Chapter LXXX: Glossary of Terms |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bxAkAAAAMAAJ |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bxAkAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA2088 |pages=2088 "Structure" and 2089 "Superstructure"}}</ref>

==Earthquake protection==

In order to improve the [response during earthquakes](/source/seismic_performance) of buildings and bridges, the superstructure may be separated from its [foundation](/source/foundation_(engineering)) by various [civil engineering](/source/civil_engineering) [mechanism](/source/mechanism_(engineering))s or [machinery](/source/machinery). All together, these implement the system of earthquake protection called [base isolation](/source/base_isolation).

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary|superstructure}}

Category:Building engineering
Category:Ship compartments
Category:Shipbuilding
Category:Nautical terminology
Category:Bridge components

[de:Suprastruktur](/source/de%3ASuprastruktur)
[id:Superstruktur](/source/id%3ASuperstruktur)
[tr:Üstyapı](/source/tr%3A%C3%9Cstyap%C4%B1)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Superstructure](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstructure) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstructure?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.