# Plinth Beam Function and Purpose

> A plinth beam is an RCC beam at ground level that ties columns together and carries wall loads. See a 300 mm x 450 mm example and how SuperWise schedules it.

Canonical: https://superwise.site/glossary/plinth-beam/
Last updated: 2026-11-01

A reinforced concrete beam at ground level that ties the columns together and carries the walls above to the foundation.

## What is Plinth Beam?

A plinth beam is a continuous RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete) beam cast at or just above ground level, known as the plinth level. It ties all the columns of a building together, carries the dead load of the masonry walls built on it and passes that load to the foundation columns, which limits differential settlement.

## Practical example

Before ground-floor [brickwork](https://superwise.site/glossary/brickwork/) starts, the contractor casts a 300 mm x 450 mm plinth beam connecting every column base. If the soil under one part of the floor settles slightly in the monsoon, the stiff plinth beam keeps the brick wall resting on it from cracking.

## In SuperWise

In a SuperWise schedule, plinth beam casting is a task with the ground-floor masonry tasks linked after it as successors, and the critical path is calculated from those links. The casting task can carry a start checklist for the pre-pour check, and the move to the super-structure can be marked as a zero-duration milestone, shown as a diamond on the Gantt.

[Construction scheduling](https://superwise.site/features/construction-scheduling/)

## Related terms

- [Brickwork (Chinai)](https://superwise.site/glossary/brickwork/)
- [Lintel Band](https://superwise.site/glossary/lintel-band/)
- [Damp Proof Course (DPC)](https://superwise.site/glossary/damp-proof-course/)
- [Strip Foundation (Continuous Footing)](https://superwise.site/glossary/strip-foundation/)

## Related
- [Brickwork (Chinai)](https://superwise.site/glossary/brickwork/)
- [Lintel Band](https://superwise.site/glossary/lintel-band/)
- [Damp Proof Course (DPC)](https://superwise.site/glossary/damp-proof-course/)
- [Strip Foundation (Continuous Footing)](https://superwise.site/glossary/strip-foundation/)
- [Construction scheduling](https://superwise.site/features/construction-scheduling/)