Tributary Load and Load Path

Child horse post

Assume 1 tributary

rotating platform
supporting gear

Tributary load

Prof Schierle

Load Path and

Tributary Load

Load path is the path load

travels from where it acts
to where it is resisted

Tributary load is the load

acting on a member
(needed to design it)

It is convenient to visualize and

compute load on a strip of unit
width (1 foot or 1 meter)
For example:

1 slab, resting on

1 wall, resting on

1 footing, resting on

1 soil
Tributary load

Prof Schierle

Lateral wind load

Load path: A > B > C
A wind wall
B floor and roof diaphragms
C shear walls

Tributary load:
A Wind wall resists wind pressure
B Floor/roof diaphragms resist wind wall load
( of wall above & of wall below)
C Shear walls resist each (2 walls) of
floor and roof diaphragms

Tributary load

Prof Schierle

Load Path

Tributary load

Slab / wall
Slab rests on walls

Deck / joist / wall

Deck rests on joists
Joists rest on walls

Slab / beam / wall

Slab rests on beams
Beams rest on walls

Deck / joist / beam / wall

Deck rests on joists
Joists rest on beams
Beams rest on walls

Deck / joist / beam / girder / post

Deck rests on joists
Joists rest on beams
Beams rest on girders
Girders rest on post (column)
All supported by footing

Prof Schierle

Tributary load
Point load
P = 8k
Post reactions
Ra = Rb = Rc = R
R=8/4

R = 2.0 k

Uniform load
w = 100 psf (pounds per square foot)
Post reactions
Ra = Rb = Rc = R
R = 100 x 12 x 10 / 4 = 3000 #
R = 3000 # / 1000
R = 3.0 k
Note:
# = pound
k = kip (1 kip = 1000 pounds)
Tributary load

Prof Schierle

Tributary load
Simple beam on 2 columns
Assume:
w = 200 plf (pounds per linear foot)
Reactions
Ra = Rb = R = w L/2
R = 200 x 30 / 2 = 3000 #
R = 3000 #/ 1000

R = 3.0 k

Two simple beams on three columns

Assume:
w = 2 klf
Reactions
Ra = 2 x 10 / 2
Ra = 10 k
Rb = 2 x (10+20) / 2
Rb = 30 k
Rc = 2x20 / 2
Rc = 20 k

Tributary load

Prof Schierle

Tributary load: deck / joist / beam / column

Assume
Uniform load
w = 80 psf
Joist spacing
e = 2
Joist span
L1 = 12
Beam spans
L2 = 10
L3 = 20
Find load path and tributary load
Load path: plywood deck > joist > beam > columns
Tributary loads:
Uniform joist load
wj = w e = 80 psf x 2
wj = 160 plf
Beam load
(assume uniform load due to narrow joist spacing)
wb = 80 psf L1/2 = 80 psf x 12 /2
wb = 480 plf
Post reactions
Ra = wb L2 / 2 = 480 plf x 10 /2
Ra = 2,400 #
Rb = wb (L2+L3)/2 = 480 (10+20) / 2 Rb = 7,200 #
Rc = wb L3 / 2 = 480 x 20 / 2
Rc = 4,800 #
Tributary load

Prof Schierle

Tributary load
Three-story building
1 Isometric view
2 Exploded visualization
3 Dimensions
Wind wall > diaphragms > shear walls
Assume
Wind pressure
P = 20 psf
Shear wall shear (2 walls)
Third floor
V3 = 20 psf x 100 x 5/1000
V3 = 10 k
Second floor
V2 = 20 psf x 100 x 15/1000
V2 = 30 k
First floor = base shear V
V = 20 psf x 100 x 25/1000
V = 50 k
Note:
Each diaphragm resists wind pressure from half the
wall above and below. Lower half of 1st floor resisted
by footing; hence shear walls dont resist lower half.
Tributary load

Prof Schierle

Tributary load
1 Concrete slab > wall
Concrete slab t = 8, span L = 20
LL = 50 psf
DL =120 psf (150 pcf)
=170 psf
Slab load on wall (per linear foot of wall)
w = 170 psf x 20/2
w =1700 plf
2

Deck > joist > wall

Plywood roof deck
2x12 wood joists at 24, span L = 18
LL = 30 psf
DL= 20 psf
= 50 psf
Roof load on wall (per linear foot of wall)
w = 50 psf x 18/2
w = 450 plf

Tributary load

Prof Schierle

Tributary load
3
Concrete slab / beam / wall
Slab span L = 10, t = 5
Beam span L = 30
LL = 20 psf
DL = 70 psf (including beam DL)
= 90 psf
Beam load w = 90 psf x10 / 1000
Wall reaction R = 0.9 klf x 30 / 2
4

Tributary load

w = 0.9 klf
R = 13.5 k

Concrete slab on metal deck / joist/ beam

Deck span L = 8
Joist span L = 20
Beam span L = 40
LL = 40 psf
DL = 60 psf (including joist and beam DL)
= 100 psf
Joist load w = 100 psf x 8 / 1000

w = 0.8 klf

P = 16 k

Beam point loads P = 0.8 klf x 20

Beam reaction R = 4 P /2 = 4 x 16 k / 2
Uniform wall load w = 100 psf x 4 / 1000

P = 16 k
R = 32 k
w = 0.4 klf

Beam

Note:
Wall requires pilaster to support beams
Prof Schierle

10

7 x P=10k

Beam
P=35k

Girder
Tributary load

P=35k

Tributary load
Concrete slab on metal deck / joist/ beam / girder
Assume:
Spans:
Deck
L = 5
Joist
L = 20
Beam
L = 40
Girder
L = 60
Loads:
LL = 50 psf
DL = 50 psf (combined framing and deck load)
= 100 psf
Uniform joist load
w = 100 psf x 5/1000
Beam point loads (from joists)
P = 0.5 klf x 20
Girder point loads (from beams)
P = 7 x 10 k/2
Girder uniform load
w = 100 psf x 2.5 / 1000
Column reaction
R=(100 psf/1000)x40x60/4
Prof Schierle

w = 0.5 klf
P = 10 k
P = 35
w = 0.25 klf
R = 60 k
11

One-story concrete structure

Loads:
Roofing
3 psf
Ceiling
2 psf
10 concrete slab 125 psf (150 pcf x 10 / 12)
DL
130 psf
LL
20 psf

150 psf
Lx = 30
Lxc = 34
Ly = 25
Columns, 12x12 (t=12, t/2 = 6 = 0.5)
Column reactions A, B, C, D
Ra = 150 psf (30+34)/2 (25)
Ra = 120,000 #
Rb = 150 (30+34)/2 (25/2+0.5) Rb = 62,400 #
Rc = 150 (30/2+0.5) (25)
Rc = 58,125 #
Rd = 150 (30/2+0.5) (25/2+0.5) Rd = 30,225 #

Tributary load

Prof Schierle

12

Three-story concrete structure

Roof DL 130 psf
Roof LL
20 psf
Roof 150 psf
Floor DL 150 psf (includes columns, etc.)
Floor LL 50 psf (Office LL)
Floor 200 psf
Columns, 2x2 (t =2, t/2 =1)
Level 2 column reactions
w = 150 psf
Ra = 150 psf (30+34)/2 (25) = 150 (800)
Ra = 120,000 #
Rb = 150 (30+34)/2 (25/2+1) = 150 (432)
Rb = 64,800 #
Rc = 150 (30/2+1) (25) =
150 (400)
Rc = 60,000 #
Rd = 150 (30/2+1) (25/2+1) = 150 (216)
Rd = 32,400 #
Level 1 reactions w=150+200
w = 350 psf
Ra = 350 (800)
Ra = 280,000 #
Rb = 350 (432)
Rb = 151,200 #
Rc = 350 (400)
Rc = 140,000 #
Rd = 350 (216)
Rd = 75,600 #
Level 0 reactions w=150+200+200
w = 550 psf
Ra = 550 (800)
Ra = 440,000 #
Rb = 550 (432)
Rb = 237,600 #
Rc = 550 (400)
Rc = 220,000 #
Rd = 550 (216)
Rd = 118,800 #
Tributary load

Prof Schierle

13

happy end

Tributary load

Prof Schierle

14