Common structural systems

In simple words structural system define how the load are transferred to the foundation. Lateral and vertical loads are distributed among different structural members until they are applied to the ground. This article is aimed to give the students insight into what happens inside building structures. Vertical load transfer The first members which are subjected […]

Shear Wall Positioning

How should I position the shear wall? These is a question that comes up all the time among structural designers. To answer this question let me clarify what shear walls do. Shear walls provides extra stiffness to the structure to resist against lateral loads. So the dimension of shear walls must be large enough to […]

Mistakes in Civil Engineering

Defects in construction We all know humans are not immune of making mistakes. Throughout our video coarse, whenever I find the opportunity I try to introduce some common mistakes hoping other engineers do not make them again. In this article, construction defects are categorized and discussed briefly. Generally there are 3 sources of defect including […]

Braced Frame

As it is obvious, structures are always subjected to lateral loading such as wind load or earthquake. As a result the structure must be supported against lateral loading prevent any excessive deformation. A braced frame is a structural system to provide enough lateral stiffness for the building. These members are generally made of steel and have a significant […]

Live loads

Live loads are applied temporary during the lifespan of the structure. they are usually changeable and dynamic. Some examples of live load are the weight of occupants, furniture, equipment and vehicle traffic.  Live load can be either concentrated or distributed.   However their magnitude are variable, design codes define equivalent loads for different cases. Since their magnitude is not constant, the […]