Load Bearing Structure

[Zoya Hassan]

i have confusion regarding type of structure. load bearing are those where load is transfered through load bearing walls having no beams and columns so my question is that this term is only used for masonary walls? or it also covers shear walls if we have lets say 20 story building in which there are slabs and only shear walls having no beams and columns so this type of structure will come under load bearing structure or not?

[Badar (BAZ)]

Some engineers may have used this term, but it not a 'standarad term' to describe particular type of structure. Infact, I have only read the term 'bearing wall', which is used for masonry construction; the term is used to differentiate between walls that are part of load transfer mechanism and the walls that are needed for architectural reasons.

Every structure has to bear loads. How can a structure stand if it can't bear loads?

[WR1]

bearing walls means ...wall carrying load in axial direction ....masonry or concrete doesnt matter....if there is a wall carrying vertical load its a bearing wall...

like shear wall carries shear....bearing wall carries load too...

what will you if a wall carries both shear and vertical load?

[Badar (BAZ)]

Let me walk you through a process.I have a task of proportioning members of a RCC building to resistant lateral as well as gravity loads, and intend to use slab, beams, columns and some kind of foundation for the said purpose. I made a model, ran an analysis and found that lateral deflections are so much that they pose structural as well as functional threat.

Then I got an idea, i replaced few columns with a member haivng considerably large lateral stiffness. PROBLEM SOLVED, I called it a SHEAR WALL as it has a major contribtuion in resisting lateral loads. Where do you think, gravity loads will go around the vicinity of 'shear wall'?

Msonry can also resist shear forces, In fact masonry constructed with good practices can resist upto 100Ksf shear,it is the cyclic loading which creates problem: Ductility is required for that. In rcc, steel and confined concrete caters for that requirement.

In short, it is primary reason of choosing particular material or member, that takes the credit/name.

[Waqar Saleem]

actually there are two terms which are used comparatively load bearing structure and retaining structure,when load bearing structure is used it means gravity loads mainly ,when retaining structures refer to retaining walls and dams etc.

[Zoya Hassan]

actually i was saying this because i have seen an example where only shear walls and slab were used so what type of structue will be this in which there are only shear wall and slabs standard name for such structure ? if u can refer any good book regarding such concepts??

i will agree with baz that some engineers use this term. most of residential structure is of brick masonary so people use this load bearing term for such structure

[Waqar Saleem]

load bearing wall and non load bearing wall is obvious. all structures bear loads there is no use of any structure without load bearing either it is masonry or RC frame or dual,these are different mechanisms which are used to transfer loads to ground.shear walls are of two type designed for only lateral force and for both lateral and gravity.there is no exact name for such structure it is dual system.

[kHURRAM ALI]

can somebody explain how to design load bearing strucuter , what software i should use?

[EngrUzair]

Assalam-o-alaikum!

 

1. You may refer to the following thread for some good books related to the design of load bearing structures:

http://www.sepakistan.com/topic/1652-load-bearing-structure-design/#entry4141

 

 

2. There are several masonry design programs, available on the internet.  A few of them, based on US codes, are as under:

 

a. NCMA design software (http://ncma-br.org/sw.asp), 

 

b. CMD12 (http://www.cmacn.org/bookstore-computer.htm#CP001),

 

c. IES QuickMasonry (http://www.iesweb.com/products/quickmasonry/index.htm), etc., etc.

 

However, whether these are suitable for your requirements or not, may not be easy. You may download their demos or trial versions to check what they can do, and to what extent. (I myself have neither needed them, nor have used any of them so far.). IMO, It would however be better if you could develop your own spreadsheets for the design of different masonry elements, AFTER learning the design methodology, using the relevant codes & books (referred above, and elsewhere.)

 

 

If you could provide some details about the load bearing structure you want to design, you might get a better and more specific advice here.

 

 

Regards.

 

[Zain Saeed]

On 3/15/2015 at 12:32 AM, kHURRAM ALI said:

can somebody explain how to design load bearing strucuter , what software i should use?

Manual calculations are mostly performed and excel sheets are used to design conventional load bearing masonry structures