Class 2

Continuous Load Path

Concepts
Load Paths
 Loads must go to “ground”
 Vertical loads
 Gravity
 Uplift
 Lateral loads
 Wind
 Earthquake
 Flood

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Load Paths
 Bridge loads
 Headers
 Beams
 Girders
 Interaction with the ground
 Shallow – spread, slab, stem wall
 Deep – piles, caissons, friction, bearing
 Possible failures – slope failure, liquefaction, erosion,
excessive moisture

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Load Paths
Vertical

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Deck collapse – gravity
failure

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Foundation gravity
failure

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Uplift failure

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Uplift column failure

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Flood

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Lateral displacement

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Earthquake

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Wind

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Vertical and Lateral
paths OK

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Lateral failure from wind

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Lateral wind failure

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Slope failure

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Masonry piers

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Beams – carrying loads

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Headers:

bridging
loads

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WTC-7 (Bridging loads
failure)  47 story building
 housed city’s OEM
 some missile impacts
 burned uncontrolled for
8 hours
 7 story electric
substation
 diesel fuel in building in
several tanks

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WTC 7 - 7th Floor Plan

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WTC 7

Penthouses start to collapse

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WTC 7

Interior collapse continues

- note the “kink”

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Load Path Concepts
 Materials chosen with sufficient strength
 Connections made with sufficient size,
strength, and number
 Any weak link could be a failure point
 Load path requires appropriate soil
bearing capacity
 Soil must be able to maintain bearing
capacity
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Vertical gravity loads

 Creates compression in members

 Creates shear in connections
 What materials and connections perform
well in compression?

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Vertical gravity loads
 Masonry
 Concrete
 Steel
 Wood (of proper size)
 Reinforcing steel for masonry and concrete
 Bolts

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Vertical gravity load

 Compression failures are most likely…?

 Buckling

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Vertical uplift loads

 Creates tension in members

 Creates shear or withdrawal in
connections
 What materials and connections perform
well in tension?

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Vertical uplift loads

 Steel
 Wood
 Bolts or welding for steel
 Bolts for wood

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Lateral loads

 Creates compression in wall panels

 Creates bending in single members
 Creates shear at panel edges
 Creates compression in struts between
panels or members

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Homework 1 – Due
9/12/07
 Find and mark the load paths on the 2
attached sketches
 Sketch headers, girders or beams as
bridging loads
 Take the loads into the foundation which
is a pile system

Name: ____________________________
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Pile
layout

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References

 Masonry Structures – text by Drysdale

 Design of Wood Structures – text by
Breyer
 ASCE 7
 ACI 530
 NDS
 Class web page
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