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Building Loads

Structural Properties of Materials


Structural Systems

Materials & Methods of Construction


Department of Architecture
University of Idaho
Diane Armpriest, Associate Professor

Characteristics of a Building Structure

•  resists gravity, wind and seismic forces while carrying


all loads to the earth.
•  accommodates vertical and horizontal circulation
•  organizes interior spaces and enclosure systems
•  creates level planes for occupation by users

Loads on Buildings

Load Types

Gravity Loads Lateral Loads

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Load Path

Chin, BCI

Gravity Loads

Gravity Loads

Dead Loads Live Load Rain Load Snow Load

Floor Live Load Roof Live Load

Static Loads

Chin, BCI

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Lateral Loads

Lateral Loads

Wind Loads Earthquake Load Other Lateral Loads

Earth Pressure
Water Pressure
Blast and Impact Loads

Wind Load Basics

  Primarily horizontal
  Also exert an upward force on flat and low-
slope roofs
  Loads are resisted by
  Anchorage to foundation
  Wind bracing elements (stiffening elements)

Wind loads

Chin, BCI

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Seismic Loads
deformation due to ground movement

Wind vs. Earthquake: design for whichever


causes the worst effect (greater stresses)

Earthquake Wind
Acts on building & its Acts on building
contents enclosure

Structure must remain Structure suffers no


intact in the event of an permanent damage
intense earthquake, under worst conditions
even though it may be
permanently deformed

Stresses in a cable

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Tensile failure -
elongation & necking provide warning before failure

Deformation = Change of length in a member


caused by a tensile or compressive stress

Strain (δ)= Relative change in length

Approximate values of ultimate strain


selected materials not to scale

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Ductile materials

  Materials with large deformations at failure


  Steel (equal strength in tension & compression)
  Warning before failure

Compressive forces & stresses

Compressive failure - sudden and catastrophic

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Brittle materials

  Materials with little or no deformation at failure


  Brick, stone and glass
  No visual warning before failure

Malleable materials

  Materials that can be shaped by hammering,


forging, pressing and rolling.
  Not always ductile.

Elastic material

Material which when deformed under load,


recovers its original shape when the load is
removed.

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Plastic (inelastic) material

Material that does not recover its original shape


when the load is removed after it has deformed.

Elastic-plastic materials

Materials that are elastic up to a particular yield


stress value, and plastic thereafter.

  Steel
  Aluminum

Bending

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Stress distribution on small length of beam
Structural efficiency

Structural efficiency
The I-section in wood & concrete

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Strategies for improving structural efficiency

Steel
reinforcing in concrete increases bending strength

Shear stress

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Buckling failure

Lateral
buckling

Types of Structures

Frame
Bearing Wall
Other
Composite

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Stone: brittle, weak in tension, short spans

Frame Structure

Racking & the diagonal brace

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John Hancock
Center, Chicago

Sears Tower, Chicago

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Bearing Wall Structure

Load-bearing Elements

VERTICAL HORIZONTAL

Columns Beam
Walls Truss
Arch
Catenary (cable
or fabric)

Beam

Material Span Depth/Length


Wood 20’ - 30’ 1 in. / 1 ft.

Steel 30’ - 50’ 1/2 in. / 1 ft.


Concrete > 100 ft Special Shapes

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Compressive and tensile stresses in a
wood truss

Material Span
Truss
Wood & Steel > 100’

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Arch

Material Span
Masonry & 600’ - 800’
Concrete

Evolution
of the Arch

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Allen.HBW.

100 meter glulam arch span. Sugar Storage Facility, Osawa, Japan

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Tensile and compressive stresses in a
suspension bridge

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Other types of structures

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Surface Structure

Orvieto aircraft hangar, Nervi, RC


Concrete, Span 44.8M, L 115 M, 1935

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Folded Plate: steel frame with concrete panel. Neues Tempodrom, Berlin

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BUILDING DETECTIVE 101

Building: Menil Gallery (architect Renzo Piano)


Time & date: 12 noon, Dec. 31
Location: Houston, TX

Study the images of the Menil Gallery and be prepared


to answer several questions.

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