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17May 2020Metal Buildings

Structural Loads Are More Important Than You Think

structural-loads-are-more-important-than-you-think

When it comes to the integrity of your steel structure, it’s crucial that you have all the knowledge needed to understand structural loads and how they effect buildings. And although every building material can be affected by these loads, steel behaves quite differently when put under pressure. Now, structural loads may not drive all the design detail for your custom metal building, but they still need to meet the load requirements in your county.

What are the Different Types of Structural Loads?

There are several types of pressure buildings are expected to be put under once installed, but the three types of structural loads are some of the most important. The three types that should be considered for your building design include dead loads, live loads and environmental loads.

  • Dead Loads - Dead loads, which are also known as permanent or static loads, are the permanent material used to construct your building. This includes rigid frames, the roof, walls, foundation systems and additional exterior coverings. Any material that will remain constant, or fairly constant, over time is included in dead loads.
  • Live Loads- Also known as imposed loads, these are the uniform forces that are caused by all temporary forces. These forces include people, vehicles, furniture, and similar objects. Live loads have more variables to them because they are temporary; they can be taken away at any point in time.
  • Environmental Loads - Weather conditions cause the environmental loads and depending on how severe they may be, you might be required to include additional elements to withstand the conditions. It’s important that you looking to your local building codes for any environmental load requirements.
  • Wind Loads- These are applied based on the movement of air around the metal structure.
  • Snow Loads- Snow loads are put in place based on the accumulation of snow on any section of the unit.
  • Seismic Loads- Also known as horizontal loads, these are imposed during disasters such as earthquakes.
  • Thermal Loads- These are based on the contraction and extraction of building materials during temperature changes.
  • Settlement Loads- This type of load occurs when one part of a metal building settles more due to soil conditions and other various factors.

Structural Loads - Their Impact is More Important Than You Think

Yes, when you partner with Coast to Coast Carports, we guarantee you will get the structure you need AND want. But we do so much more than just provide you with a solution to your current problem - we educate. Even if you aren’t putting the unit up yourself, we know how important it is that you understand every factor that is considered during construction. So, if you’d like to know more about the details of your building or if you’d simply like to speak with someone about our available units, call us today at (866) 681-7846.

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