A girder's seating length at its support must not be smaller than the required seating length. True or False?

• A. False
• B. True
• C. Not specified
• D. Irrelevant

Answer: (B)

The seating length is the contact length where the girder end rests on its support. Requiring the seating length to be at least the designated minimum ensures there is enough bearing area to transfer vertical loads, control rotation, and distribute stresses evenly along the seat. If the actual seating were smaller than the minimum, the bearing would carry load over a shorter, more stressed area, increasing risk of local damage, misalignment, and instability under load, temperature changes, and live loads. So the statement—that the seating length must not be smaller than the required length—is true.