TRM 160

TECHNICAL REFERENCE Rev 1

MANUAL Date 2/03

Civil & Structural
Page 1 of 4
LOAD TAKE-DOWN

INTRODUCTION

This TRM provides guidance in determining the loads carried by columns and walls, and in
particular in using the WSP spreadsheet TAKEDOWN for this purpose. This is explained by a
companion example sheet.

The normal way to allocate uniformly distributed loads is to define a ‘tributary area’ for each
individual column and wall, preferably by marking up floor plans accordingly. Point and line loads
can also be shown, with the proportion allocated to each support marked on. Walls and long
columns are best treated as two or even three separate supports to get the right distribution of
load for detailed design.

In continuous structures, ‘elastic shear’ increases the load taken by interior supports where high
negative moments exist, with a corresponding reduction in the load taken by perimeter supports
where negative moments are small. BS 8110-1 clause 3.8.2.3 states ‘The axial force in a column
may be calculated on the assumption that beams and slabs transmitting force into it are simply
supported’, ie elastic shear can be ignored. This advice appears highly dubious. Columns and
walls in compression are not very ductile, so even at ultimate load there will not be a great deal of
redistribution. This means that the load factors are being relied on for safety. Taking the –
admittedly extreme - example of the first interior column from a corner of a flat slab structure, a
tributary area of 0.6 L all round would increase the load over the simply supported value by
2
(0.6/0.5) = 1.44, ie close to the average load factor.

Another reason to take realistic tributary areas is to get good estimates of sustained loads which
can then be used for such checks as settlement of foundations, deflection of transfer beams and
axial shortening of columns and walls. However, it is not necessary to take overlapping tributary
areas.

ASSESSMENT OF LOADS

Loads have to be taken in accordance with BS 6399-1 for floors and BS 6399-3 for roofs; this is a
requirement of Approved Document A to the Building Regulations. TAKEDOWN is written for
primarily residential and office loading, ie where reductions for loaded area and number of floors
can be taken. Note that these reductions cannot be taken for roofs, plant areas, storage areas or
car parks. The reduction for loaded area is for beams, so strictly excludes flat slabs. The
reductions for loaded area and number of floors cannot be taken together, although the reduction
for loaded area can be used in place of the reduction for number of floors, sometimes benefiting
the top two or three storeys (explained more fully in TRM 139).

The loaded area for area reduction is not the tributary area but the whole area affecting the
support in question, ie the whole of the panels both sides of a beam and all four surrounding
panels in the case of an interior column.

More detailed advice on office floor loading is given in TRM 139, including recommendations for
sustained loading which are very different from the advice in BS 8110-2.

WSP Group
 TRM 160
TECHNICAL REFERENCE Rev 1

MANUAL Date 2/03

Civil & Structural
Page 2 of 4
LOAD TAKE-DOWN

SIMPLY SUPPORTED V CONTINUOUS SYSTEMS

In simply supported systems the allocation of load to tributary areas is straightforward. Uniformly
distributed loads are taken 50% to each support, point or line loads in proportion to their location
in the span.

Most structural steel frames are designed as simply supported. Even in composite structures
where the slabs are continuous over the supports the ‘give’ in the connections is usually enough
to make them behave closely as simply supported.

However, most concrete frames are continuous, often in both directions as in flat slabs.
Occasionally steel frames are too, perhaps to control perimeter deflections or provide greater
robustness. The continuity has a considerable effect on the definition of tributary areas.

Note that the distribution of load is largely elastic. This means that it should be assessed without
taking account of redistribution of moments. The one exception to this rule is the 20%
redistribution used to obtain the moments and shears in BS 8110-1 table 3.12. This is because it
is a device to get the moment envelope under all spans loaded to be the same as the actual
moment envelope.

So how should tributary areas in continuous structures be assessed? The Cardington flat slab
structure is used as an example, see figure 1 on the next page.
1 Perimeter panels. In flat slabs, perimeter columns take very little moment, so assume the
moments are as in table 3.12 with perhaps -0.015Fl at the perimeter. This gives a tributary
area split of 43:57.
2 Interior panels (longitudinal direction). Based on the moments in table 3.12 with a small
allowance for the greater stiffness at the first interior support gives a split of 53:47.
3 Middle panels (transverse direction). By symmetry a 50:50 split.

The resulting tributary areas are shown in figure 1, and the percentage of the simply supported
area for each support is also shown. These range from 74% for a corner column to 118% for the
first interior column from a corner.

SINKING SUPPORTS

The above analysis is based on the assumption that the supports will remain level throughout the
life of the building. The truth is likely to be different, for some or all of the following reasons.

Foundation settlement. All foundations – including piles – settle as the load is applied. In clay
soils this continues in much the same way as creep in concrete, the settlement under sustained
loading increasing by as much as a factor of three in London clay.

Axial shortening. Different loads on different columns and walls (especially concrete with
different reinforcement percentages) result in different amounts of shortening from creep and
shrinkage. Steel columns can also be affected if stressed at different levels. This effect is usually
only significant in buildings over about eight storeys, and is explained in more detail in TRM 111.

Transfer beams. Columns supported in the span of a transfer beam or slab will sink. The
amount will gradually increase as the load is applied (eg in multi-storey construction), and will
increase further under sustained load in concrete structures due to creep.

WSP Group
 TRM 160
TECHNICAL REFERENCE Rev 1

MANUAL Date 2/03

Civil & Structural
Page 3 of 4
LOAD TAKE-DOWN

Figure 1. Tributary areas defined for the Cardington flat slab structure

WSP Group
 TRM 160
TECHNICAL REFERENCE Rev 1

MANUAL Date 2/03

Civil & Structural
Page 4 of 4
LOAD TAKE-DOWN

It is difficult to give general guidance on these effects, as their importance will vary greatly from
one structure to another, and be irrelevant for genuinely simply supported systems. The best
approach is probably to start with a realistic assessment of loads assuming the supports are level.
This can then be used to estimate any differential sinking or settlement. These differentials can
then be used to estimate any additional elastic shear which should be taken into account.

In this exercise, it is important to use appropriate long-term parameters, including cracked

sections for non-prestressed concrete.

Sinking of supports can probably be ignored for structures less than eight storeys high, with no
transfer beams, and with predicted differential settlement less than span/400.

USING THE SPREADSHEET

The spreadsheet works with characteristic loads which it totals for foundation design. It also
multiplies them by the appropriate load factor to obtain ultimate loads for column design. To
obtain sustained loads it will generally be necessary to repeat the spreadsheet, although the
tributary areas will not change.

Because BS 6399 does not permit the reductions for loaded area and number of floors to be used
simultaneously, the spreadsheet only applies the number of floors reduction. As explained in
TRM 139, the loaded area reduction can be more favourable in the top three floors, but this has to
be incorporated manually on the printout.

As an alternative to dimensioned tributary areas, the spreadsheet allows a factor to be specified

for each column, normally used in combination with simply supported (ie 50:50) tributary areas.
This method can be easier to operate if the tributary areas are likely to change, eg if a sinking
supports analysis will be carried out.

The spreadsheet can distribute the load from a column carried by a transfer beam to the
supporting columns for lower floors and foundations.

REFERENCES

TRM 111 Axial shortening of columns and walls.

TRM 139 Realistic floor loading for offices.

KEYWORDS

Buildings; columns; concrete; design; loading; settlement; shortening; spreadsheet; transfer

beams; walls.

Author: Stuart Alexander, GTC, London

Sponsor: Group Technical Centre

WSP Group