LRFD Load Combinations Page 1 of 3

A Beginner's Guide to ASCE 7-05

Chapter 2 - Load Combinations

© 2007, 2009, T. Bartlett Quimby

Overview
Section 2.2
The Load
Combination The Load Combination Equations
Equations
Comparing Last Revised: 09/04/2009

LRFD & ASD

Results ASCE 7-05 provides load combination equations for both LRFD and ASD. The ones that you will
use will depend on which of the two design philosophies that have been chosen for your
Example project.
Problems
You will note that several of the load combination equations have multiple permeations due to
Homework use of "or" or "+" in the equations (both wind, W, and seismic, E, are considered to be +
Problems loads). This is true of both the LRFD and ASD combinations.
References
Load and Resistance Factor Design

If you chose to use LRFD for your design philosophy, then you are to make sure that your
Report Errors or
structure is capable of supporting the loads resulting from the seven ASCE 7-05 basic load
Make
combination equations.
Suggestions
LRFD applies load factors to service level loads so that they are safely comparable to member
strengths (which are generally inelastic) while maintaining the actual (service) loads in the
elastic region. Member strength (the maximum load that the member will support) is generally
between 1.3 to 1.4 times the force that will cause yielding in a member. These load factors are
applied in the load combination equations and vary in magnitude according to the load type.

The magnitude of the LRFD load factors reflect the predictability of the loads. For example, the
load factor for D is generally lower than the load factor for L in any given equation where there
is equal probability of simultaneous occurrence of the full value of each load type. This is
because dead loads are much more predictable than live loads and, hence, do not require as
great of a factor of safety.

Example: Analysis of a structure shows that a particular member supports 5 kips

dead load and 6 kips live load. Using LRFD LC-2, the combined design load equals
1.2 times the dead load plus 1.6 times the live load, or 15.6 kips. The factor for
dead load (1.2) is lower than the factor for live load (1.6) because dead load is more
predictable than live load. The load factors are all greater than 1.0 since we want to
compare the result to the ultimate strength of the member instead of the yielding
strength of the member yet we don't want yielding to occur. The ultimate strength
is generally about 1.3-1.4 times the yield strength of the member.

Allowable Strength Design

For ASD there are eight basic load combination equations. You will notice that the large load
factors found in the LRFD load combinations are absent from the ASD version of the ASCE 7-05
load combination equations. Also, the predictability of the loads is not considered. For example
both D and L have the same load factor in equations where they are both likely to occur at full
value simultaneously. The probability associated with accurate load determination is not
considered at all in the ASD method. Hence the major difference between LRFD and ASD.

Example: Analysis of a structure shows that a particular member supports 5 kips

dead load and 6 kips live load. Using ASD LC-2, the combined design load equals
the dead load plus the live load, or 11.0 kips. The factor for dead load (1.0) is the
same as the factor for live load (1.0), hence not accounting for the fact that the
dead load is more predictable than the live load. The result of the load combination
equation is then generally compared against the yielding strength of the member to

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LRFD Load Combinations Page 2 of 3

ensure elastic behavior.

The Load Combination Equations

The published load combination equations are:

LRFD

1. 1.4(D + F)
2. 1.2(D + F + T) + 1.6(L + H) + 0.5(Lr or S or R)
3. 1.2D + 1.6(Lr or S or R) + ((0.5 or 1.0)*L or 0.8W)
4. 1.2D + 1.6W + (0.5 or 1.0)*L + 0.5(Lr or S or R)
5. 1.2D + 1.0E + (0.5 or 1.0)*L + 0.2S
6. 0.9D + 1.6W + 1.6H
7. 0.9D + 1.0E + 1.6H

When atmospheric ice is included, ASCE 7-05 requires modifications to equations (2), (4), and
(6), effectively resulting in three new equations which are listed here:

2ice. 1.2(D + F + T) + 1.6(L + H) + 0.2Di + 0.5S

4ice. 1.2D + (0.5 or 1.0)*L + Di + Wi + 0.5S
6ice. 0.9D + Di + Wi + 1.6H

*
Note that the load factor for L in equations (3), (4), and (5) is permitted to equal 0.5 for
occupancies in which the unit live load is less than or equal to 100 psf, except for garages or
areas occupied as places of public assembly.

ASD

1. D + F
2. D + H + F + L + T
3. D + H + F + (Lr or S or R)
4. D + H + F + 0.75(L + T) + 0.75(Lr or S or R)
5. D + H + F + (W or 0.7E)
6. D + H + F + 0.75(W or 0.7E) + 0.75L + 0.75(Lr or S or R)
7. 0.6D + W + H
8. 0.6D + 0.7E + H

For the purposes of this text, we will identify the equations and their permutations by the labels
defined as defined in Table 2.1.

When atmospheric ice is included, ASCE 7-05 requires modifications to equations (2), (3), and
(7), effectively resulting in three new equations which are listed here:

2ice. D + H + F + L + T + 0.7Di
3ice. D + H + F + 0.7Di + 0.7Wi + S
6ice. 0.6D + 0.7Di + 0.7Wi + H

Table 2.1
ASCE 7-05 Load Combination Equation Permutations

LRFD ASD

LRFD-LC1 1.4(D+F) ASD-LC1 D+F

LRFD-LC2a 1.2(D + F + T) + 1.6(L + H) + 0.5Lr ASD-LC2 D+H+F+L+T

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LRFD-LC2b 1.2(D + F + T) + 1.6(L + H) + 0.5S ASD-LC2i D + H + F + L + T + 0.7Di

LRFD-LC2c 1.2(D + F + T) + 1.6(L + H) + 0.5R ASD-LC3a D + H + F + Lr
1.2(D + F + T) + 1.6(L + H) + 0.2Di +
LRFD-LC2i ASD-LC3b D+H+F+S
0.5S
LRFD-LC3a 1.2D + 1.6Lr + (0.5 or 1)*L ASD-LC3c D+H+F+R

1.2D + 1.6Lr + 0.8W ASD-LC3i D + H + F + 0.7Di + 0.7Wi + S

LRFD-LC3b
ASD-LC4a D + H + F + 0.75(L + T) + 0.75Lr
LRFD-LC3c 1.2D + 1.6S + (0.5 or 1)*L
LRFD-LC3d 1.2D + 1.6S + 0.8W ASD-LC4b D + H + F + 0.75(L + T) + 0.75S
ASD-LC4c D + H + F + 0.75(L + T) + 0.75R
LRFD-LC3e 1.2D + 1.6R + (0.5 or 1)*L
LRFD-LC3f 1.2D + 1.6R + 0.8W ASD-LC5a D+H+F+W

LRFD-LC4a 1.2D + 1.6W + (0.5 or 1)*L + .5Lr ASD-LC5b D+H+F-W

ASD-LC5c D + H + F + 0.7E
LRFD-LC4b 1.2D + 1.6W + (0.5 or 1)*L + .5S
ASD-LC5d D + H + F - 0.7E
LRFD-LC4c 1.2D + 1.6W + (0.5 or 1)*L + .5R
1.2D + (0.5 or 1.0)*L + Di + Wi + 0.5S ASD-LC6a D + H + F + 0.75W + 0.75L + 0.75Lr
LRFD-LC4i
ASD-LC6b D + H + F + 0.75W + 0.75L + 0.75S
LRFD-LC5a 1.2D + E + (0.5 or 1)*L + 0.2S
ASD-LC6c D + H + F + 0.75W + 0.75L + 0.75R
LRFD-LC5b 1.2D - E + (0.5 or 1)*L + 0.2S
ASD-LC6d D + H + F - 0.75W + 0.75L + 0.75Lr
LRFD-LC6a 0.9D + 1.6W + 1.6H
LRFD-LC6b 0.9D - 1.6W + 1.6H ASD-LC6e D + H + F - 0.75W + 0.75L + 0.75S

LRFD-LC6i 0.9D + Di + Wi + 1.6H ASD-LC6f D + H + F - 0.75W + 0.75L + 0.75R

ASD-LC6g D + H + F + 0.75(0.7E) + 0.75L + 0.75Lr
LRFD-LC7a 0.9D + E + 1.6H
LRFD-LC7b 0.9D - E + 1.6H ASD-LC6h D + H + F + 0.75(0.7E) + 0.75L + 0.75S
ASD-LC6i D + H + F + 0.75(0.7E) + 0.75L + 0.75R
* Note that the load factor for L in ASD-LC6j D + H + F - 0.75(0.7E) + 0.75L + 0.75Lr
LRFD equations (3), (4), and (5) is
permitted to equal 0.5 for occupancies ASD-LC6k D + H + F - 0.75(0.7E) + 0.75L + 0.75S
in which the unit live load is less than or ASD-LC6l D + H + F - 0.75(0.7E) + 0.75L + 0.75R
equal to 100 psf, except for garages or
areas occupied as places of public ASD-LC6m 0.6D + 0.7Di + 0.7Wi + H
assembly. Otherwise the load factor for ASD-LC7a 0.6D + W + H
L equals 1.0.
ASD-LC7b 0.6D - W + H
ASD-LC8a 0.6D + 0.7E + H
ASD-LC8b 0.6D - 0.7E + H

LRFD

ASD

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