Loadsand Load Paths

Loads and Load Paths
"Architecture is inhabited sculpture."

-Constantin Brancusi

Structural Design
Design Loads
Dead Load
Live Load
Snow Load
Lateral Loads
Load Types
Load Combinations
Load Path
Calculating Beam Loads
Steps in Structural Design

1. Planning How will the building be supported?
2. Establishing the loads
3. Designing preliminary structural configuration and
layout
4. Analyzing structural members
5. Selecting preliminary structural members
6. Evaluating the preliminary design
7. Redesigning (if needed) Repeat the above steps
as necessary to achieve a safe and efficient
design
8. Designing and detailing the structural components
Design Loads
The load that is assumed for the design
of a structure
May include one or more of the
following:
Design Loads
Dead Loads (DL) fixed
loads
The weight of the building
components
The weight of fixed service
equipment
Photos courtesy www.constructionphotographs.com
Design Loads
Live Loads (LL) transient
and moving loads
Loads produced by the use
and occupancy of a
building
Live load may be variable
during a structures lifetime
Specified in building codes
iStockphoto.com
iStockphoto.com
Design Loads
Snow Load
Force of accumulated snow on a roof
Specified in building codes (or local building
department)
Depends on
Location
Exposure to wind
Importance of building
Roof slope
iStockphoto.com
Design Loads
Design Snow Load Calculation
p s 0.7C s C e C t I s p g
ps Design snow load
C s Roof slope factor
Ce Exposure factor
Ct Thermal factor
I s Importance factor
p g Ground snow load
Design Snow Load

Find the ground
snow load
For Springfield, CO
(red dot) the snow
load is 15 psf
Ground Snow Load in psf
Minimum Snow Load

If
, then
If
, then
Design Loads
Lateral Loads
Wind Loads
Earthquake Loads
Flood Loads
Earth Pressure
Loads
Design Loads
Wind Load (WL)
Resulting loads yield:
Lateral load on walls
Downward and upward
pressure on roofs
Overturning of the structure
Specified in building codes
ND
I
W
re
u
s
es
r
P
Up
lif
t
Suc
tion
Design Loads
Earthquake Loads (EQ)
Vertical and lateral forces
(dynamic)
Building codes can simplify
loading
Epicenter
Seismic
Forces at Base
of Building
Hypocenter
Design Loads
Flood Loads
Lateral forces resulting from
static and dynamic water
pressure
Building codes specify that
buildings be constructed
above the flood elevation or
flood-proofed
Design requirements dependent
on flood zone
Courtesy FEMA
BFE (Base Flood Elevation) The

water surface elevation resulting
from a flood with a 1% chance of
equaling or exceeding that level in
any given year
Dry flood-proofing: Building must
be designed and constructed to
be watertight to floodwaters
Design Loads
Soil Pressure Loads
Soil adjacent to a
structure will apply a
lateral force
Magnitude increases
with depth
SOIL
GRADE
BASEMENT
Load Types
Uniformly Distributed
Load
Concentrated Load
Load Combinations
A building will be subjected to many
loads simultaneously
Codes specify combinations of loads
that must be considered in the design
Examples
Where D = Dead load
D + L + (Lr or S or R)
D+L+W
D + L + S + E/1.4
L = Live load
Lr = Roof live load
W = Wind load
S = Snow load
E = Earthquake load
R = Rain load
Design Loads
The building dead load is the only
known load.
All other forces will vary in magnitude,
duration, and location.
The building is designed for design load
possibilities that may never occur.
Load Path
The path that a load travels
through the structural
system
Tracing or chasing the
loads
Each structural element
must be designed for all
loads that pass through it
HVAC
Load Path
Every load applied to the building will travel
through the structural system until it is transferred
to the supporting soil.
APPLIED
LOAD
Structural Elements
Within the structural systems, individual
structural elements must work together to
carry and transfer the applied loads to the
ground.
Examples of structural elements include:
Load Chasing for Structural Design

The structural design is performed by
chasing the loads of the dead and live
load from slabs to beams to girders, then
on to the columns or walls. The loads are
then carried down to the footing or
foundation walls and finally to the earth
below.
Girder
Beam
Footing
Column
Partial View of 2nd Floor Framing

For clarity the ground floor slab, 2nd floor slab, roof framing, and
roof deck are not shown.
Beam
Design Area
Girder
Partial 2nd FLOOR FRAMING PLAN
Girder
Tributary Area
3- 4 Half the
distance to each
adjacent beam
Beam B.3
6-8
Tributary
Width
Tributary Area = Beam Span (length) x Tributary Width
Beam B.3
6'-8''
Tributary
Width
Beam Uniform Load = Floor Loading (psf) x Tributary Width (ft)
Beam B.3
6'-8''
Tributary
Width
Tributary Area = Beam Span (length) x Tributary Width

Tributary Area = (18 ft) (6.67 ft) = 120 ft2
Calculating Beam Loading

Assume that the floor system must support
its own weight of 40 psf (dead load) and a
live load of 100 psf. What is the uniform
load applied to the beam?
Total Floor Load = 40 + 100 = 140psf
Uniform Load = Floor Load Tributary Width
140 ftlb2 6.67 ft 934 plf
Calculating Girder Loading

Exterior
Girder
Beam
DESIGN AREA
Interior
Girder
Calculating Column Loads

Beam
Girder
1
2
(20 ft) 10 ft
Tributary Area = (18 ft)(20 ft) = 360 ft 2

Assume that the floor system must support
its own weight of 40 psf (dead load) and a
live load of 100 psf. What is the column
load for column B3?
Total Floor Load = 40 + 100 = 140psf
Column Load = Tributary Area Total Floor Load
(360 ft 2 )(140 ft1b2 ) 50,400 lb

Structural Design
Design Loads
Dead Load
Live Load
Snow Load
Lateral Loads
Load Types
Load Combinations
Load Path
Calculating Beam Loads
Image Sources
iStockphoto.com
www.constructionphotographs.com
Federal Emergency Management
Agency
Partial Roof FLOOR FRAMING PLAN

Loadsand Load Paths

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Loadsand Load Paths

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Loads and Load Paths

"Architecture is inhabited sculpture."

Loads and Load Paths

Steps in Structural Design

Photos courtesy www.constructionphotographs.com

Design Snow Load

Minimum Snow Load

Specified in building codes

BFE (Base Flood Elevation) The

Load Chasing for Structural Design

Partial View of 2nd Floor Framing

Partial 2nd FLOOR FRAMING PLAN

Partial 2nd FLOOR FRAMING PLAN

Tributary Area = Beam Span (length) x Tributary Width

Beam Uniform Load = Floor Loading (psf) x Tributary Width (ft)

Tributary Area = Beam Span (length) x Tributary Width

Calculating Beam Loading

140 ftlb2 6.67 ft 934 plf

Calculating Girder Loading

Partial 2nd FLOOR FRAMING PLAN

Calculating Column Loads

Calculating Column Loads

Tributary Area = (18 ft)(20 ft) = 360 ft 2

Calculating Column Loads

(360 ft 2 )(140 ft1b2 ) 50,400 lb

Loads and Load Paths

Partial Roof FLOOR FRAMING PLAN

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