LOADS ON STRUCTURES

The objective of a structural engineer is to design a structure that will be able to withstand all the
loads to which it is subjected while serving its intended purpose throughout its intended life span.
The loads that act on common civil engineering structures can be grouped
according to their nature and source into three classes:

(1) dead loads due to the weight of the structural

system itself and any other material
permanently attached to it;
(2) live loads, which are movable or moving loads
due to the use of the structure; and
(3) environmental loads, which are
caused by environmental effects, such as wind,
snow, and earthquakes.
The structure is finally designed so that it will be
able to withstand the most unfavorable combination
of loads that is likely to occur in its lifetime.

Permanent actions.

Variable actions.

accidental actions.
 STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS FOR TRANSMITTING LOADS

In most common buildings, bridges and other

civil engineering facilities, two or more of the
basic structural types (e.g., beams, columns,
slabs and trusses, etc.) are assembled
together to form a structural system that can
transmit the applied loads to the ground
through the foundation. Such structural
systems are also referred to as framing
systems or frameworks, and the components
of such an assemblage are called structural
members.
The floor and roof slabs of
multi-story buildings, and
the deck slabs of bridges,
are often supported on
rectangular grids of beams
and girders called floor
systems.
During the design process, an engineer needs to determine how much of the total distributed load
applied over the area of the slab is carried by each member (i.e., a beam, a girder or a column) of
the floor system. the portion of the slab area whose load is carried by a particular member is
called the tributary area of the member.
Dead Loads

Dead loads are gravity loads of constant

magnitudes and fixed positions that act
permanently on the structure. Such loads
consist of the weights of the structural system
itself and of all other material and equipment
permanently attached to the structural
system.
Live loads
Live loads are loads of varying magnitudes and/or positions caused by
the use of the structure. Sometimes, the term live loads is used to refer to
all loads on the structure that are not dead loads, including environmental
loads, such as snow loads or wind loads.
 Wind Loads and Earthquake Loads

Wind loads are produced by the flow of wind around the

structure. The magnitudes of wind loads that may act on
a structure depend on the geographical location of the
structure, obstructions in its surrounding terrain, such as
nearby buildings, and the geometry and the vibrational
characteristics of the structure itself.

Earthquake Loads
An earthquake is a sudden undulation of a portion of the
earth’s surface. The magnitude of the vertical component
of ground motion is usually small and does not have a
significant effect on most structures. It is the horizontal
component of ground motion that causes structural
damage and that must be considered in designs of
structures located in earthquake-prone areas.
SUMMARY
In this chapter, we learned about the loads that act on common civil engineering structures and the
structural systems used for transmitting loads. these loads can be grouped into three classes: (1)
dead loads, (2) live loads, and (3) environmental loads.

Dead loads are gravity loads of constant magnitudes and fixed positions that act permanently on the
structure. Such loads consist of the weights of the structural system itself and of all other material
and equipment permanently attached to the structural system.