| load-bearing construction | The most basic form of architectural construction in which the weight or load of the structure is borne by masses of solid material, usually stone or earth.
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| post-and-lintel | A construction system in which horizontal beams or lintels are supported by load-bearing vertical posts or walls.
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| arch | A curved structure that spans an opening. Arches come in many shapes and variations.
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| vault | In architecture, an arched roof, ceiling, or other covering of brick or stone.
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| dome | A roof formed by a series of rounded arches or vaults on a round, square, or many-sided base.
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| flying buttress | An exterior wall support system, used especially in Gothic cathedrals, consisting of an arch or a half arch that transmits the thrust of the building's vault or roof from the upper part of the walls to an outer support or buttress.
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| frame construction | A building method in which a frame of wood, metal, or another material operates as the skeletal structure that provides the basic support and shape of the final form.
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| suspension system | A construction system in which a bridge span or a ceiling is suspended from powerful cables or chains, anchored at either end, and supported by vertical towers or other uprights.
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