LOADS ON STRUCTURES

Assigning Design Loads

CIVL 331 Steel and Timber Design

By:
Ferya Moayedi,
Salman Soleimani
January 18, 2013
Total of 27 Pages

Load Combinations

Structures, components, and foundations shall be

designed so that their design strength equals or exceeds
the effects of the factored load combinations
Analyze the structure considering all of the different
possible load combinations. Use the worst case scenario
as the governing load case
Table 13 of CSA-S16-01 (Part 1 of HSC)

CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

Load Combinations

Why factoring the Dead Load ?

Uncertainties!
Conservatism in design and safety!

1.25D or 0.9D?!
Use 1.25 when the dead load is unfavorable for design
Use 0.90 when the dead load is in favour for design
CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

Load Combinations
1.25D or 0.9D?!

Want to check Soil strength:

Force

Want to check overturning:

Force

DL
DL

In this case use 1.25D

In this case use 0.9D

CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

Companion Action

Permits logical decisions or extensions

for unusual or special cases

Turkstras Rule (early 80s)

Worst case of combined transient
loads occurs when:
one load, the principal action, is its
extreme value
other loads, the companion
actions, are the largest that would
be expected while the principal
action has its extreme value

Better represents the

situation of one
extreme event with
the other loads that
may be acting

CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

Companion Action (Case Study)

2000/2001 Failures: Sarnia Mall, Ontario

Collapse

Source: Globe and Mail 2000 December 09

Part of the mall's

roof collapsed
after more than
20 inches of
snow fell, killing
one shop worker
and injuring
another

CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

Determining Loads

Dead Load
Weight of the structural components
Floors, ceilings, exterior walls, permanent partitions
Water in swimming pool

Weight of permanently installed equipment

Safe in bank
Permanent machinery (elevators)

Refer to Part 7 of the Handbook of Steel Construction (HSC)

Design Dead Load of Materials

CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

Determining Loads

Live Load

Use and Occupancy

Furniture
Moveable equipment
Books

Refer to Table 4.1.5.3 in NBCC

CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

Determining Loads

Snow load

Governing live load for roof design in most locations in Canada

Design loads are stipulated in building codes
An associated rain load (Sr) is added to the factored snow load
Clause 4.6.1 of the NBCC
= +

CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

Determining Loads

Snow load

CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

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Wind Load

Stipulated in building codes

(NBCC 2010, Clause 4.1.7.)

Dynamic load effect

Equivalent static pressure method is
used for buildings
The net specified pressure due to wind
is the algebraic difference of the external
pressure and the internal pressure
= +
Where
=
=
=
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Wind Load

Overall Wind Load

=
Where:
P = equivalent static external wind
pressure
q = reference velocity pressure
Ce = exposure factor
Cg = gust effect factor
Cp = external pressure coefficient
Iw = Importance factor for wind load

Internal wind pressure

=
Where:
P = equivalent static internal wind
pressure
q = reference velocity pressure
Ce = exposure factor
Cgi = internal gust effect factor
Cpi = internal pressure coefficient
Iw = Importance factor for wind load
CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

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Determining Loads

Wind load

CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

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Determining Loads

Wind load

CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

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Determining Loads

Wind load

CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

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Determining Loads

Wind load

CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

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Determining Loads

Earthquake Loads
Earthquakes do not impose loads, they impose displacements
with highly varying frequencies, velocities and accelerations

What happens at the epicenter is not what the building will

experience
The forces on different parts of the building to a large extent
depend on the characteristics of the building itself
Earthquakes are highly unpredictable, therefore we try to build
structures that can absorb as much as energy as possible
without failing
CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

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Shock Wave Propagation of an Earthquake

Variables that affect
the ground motion
shear waves
(horizontal/vertical)
pressure waves

rock formations

distance

rupture

deflection
frequency content (~2-30 Hz)

CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

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Responses of Buildings to an Earthquake

3rd mode 15
25 Hz

1st mode
3 5 Hz

CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

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Responses of Buildings to an Earthquake

F3= M3.a3

F2= M2.a2

F1= M1.a1

M3

M2

M1

Base shear V
Input motion
CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

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Earthquake Loads
Dynamic analysis (can be quite complex)
Equivalent Static Force procedure is used according to
the requirements of NBCC 2010
Advanced courses offered at UBC: CIVL 505, 507, 509

CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

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Earthquake Load

=
0
Source: Clause 4.1.8.11, NBCC 2010

Where
= base shear
= response factor; this depends on the buildings characteristics
(function of , )

= Higher Mode Factor (depends on the building)

= importance facto for earthquake load
= total weight of the building
= force reduction factor for ductility of structure
0 = force calibration factor for overstrength
CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

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Importance Factors
Defined in Cl. 6.2.2 of CSA-S16-01
Building importance categories are based on
use and occupancy of the building

Buildings with higher importance are given greater

importance factors
e.g. hospitals, police stations, schools

Different importance factors are used for ULS

and SLS
Refer to Table 11 of CSA-S16-01

CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

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Load Path

Primary function of any structure is

the transfer of loads

The final support is the ground

Load path is the term used to

describe the path by which loads
are transmitted to the foundation

As the complexity of the structure

increases, identification of the load
path becomes more difficult
CIVL331 - Loads by F. Moayedi, S.Soleimani

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Tributary Area

Once the load path has been determined, we need to

distribute the loads to different load carrying structural
components

Loads from the slab get distributed to beams, girders,

and columns

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Tributary Area

How to distribute the loads to structural members?

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Any Questions?

Salman Soleimani:

salman@civil.ubc.ca
Ferya Moayedi:

ferya@civil.ubc.ca

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