LOADS ACTING ON HIGH RISE
BUILDING
Prepared BY:
Prof. V. V. Nalawade
Loads on Tall Buildings
Gravity Loads
Gravity loads
● Gravity loads are the
vertical forces that act on
a structure.
● The weight of the
structure, human
occupancy and snow are all
types of loads that needs
to have a complete load
path to the ground.
● The simple structure in
the above picture can be
used to demonstrate how
gravity loads move from
the top of a structure to
the ground.
Gravity loads
1. A floor slab is designed to support
the imposed gravity load.
2. This load travels from the floor
slab to the beams that support it.
3. Upon reaching the beam, the load
travels to the end of a beam,
which is connected to a girder.
4. This girder is supporting the
accumulated loads from the floor
slab and beams and transmits the
load to a connecting column.
5. The load then travels down the
column to the foundation and is
distributed to the ground.
Lateral Loads
● Lateral loads (wind and
earthquake loads) must also
have a complete load path to
transfer them to the ground.
● Unlike gravity loads, which act
in a downward direction, lateral
loads can act in a horizontal
direction or even cause an uplift
effect.
● A shear wall is a compilation of
smaller structural elements into
one larger element that is used
to resist lateral loads.
● The shear wall in the above
picture shows how a lateral load
moves from the top of the
structure to the ground.
Lateral Loads
1. The lateral load is
distributed throughout the
top of the wall.
2. This load travels through the
shear wall and is output at
the base of the wall.
3. The connection between the
base of the wall and the
foundation forces the load
into the foundation and is
eventually transferred to the
ground.
Difference
Difference
Difference
Comparison
Structural Forms & Systems
1. Cross Bracing System
● Exterior Braced Tube
● Interior Braced Tube
● Cross bracing can increase a
building's capability to
withstand seismic activity.
Picture : Maritime Plaza, San Francisco
Exterior Cross bracing System
Interior Cross bracing System
Framed Tube Systems
● This is the simplest incarnation
of the tube. It can appear in a
variety of floor plan shapes,
including square, rectangular,
circular, and free form.
The Aon Center, Chicago
Next Lecture
Braced frame structural system. ...
Rigid frame structural system. ...
Wall-frame system (dual system) ...
Shear wall system. ...
Core and outrigger structural system. ...
Infilled frame structural system. ...
Flat plate and flat slab structural system. ...
Tube structural system.
Shear Walls
● Shear wall is a structural member used to resist lateral forces.
● For slender walls where the bending deformation is more, Shear wall
resists the loads due to Cantilever Action.
● In other words, Shear walls are vertical elements of the horizontal
force resisting system.
● The shape and plan position of the shear wall influences the behavior
of the structure considerably.
● Structurally, the best position for the shear walls is in the center of
each half of the building. This is rarely practical, since it also utilizes
the space a lot, so they are positioned at the ends.
● It is better to use walls with no openings in them. So, usually, the walls
around lift shafts and stairwells are used. Also, walls on the sides of
buildings that have no windows can be used.
Coupled Shear Wall
● When two or more shear walls are interconnected by a system of beams or
slabs, it is well known that the total stiffness of the system exceeds the
summation of the individual wall stiffnesses
● This is because the connecting slab or beam restrains the individual
cantilever action of each wall by forcing the system to work as composite
section.
Coupled Shear wall