Lateral Forces

Wind
Wind loads result from the forces exerted by the kinetic energy of a moving mass of air,
which can produce a combination of direct pressure, negative pressure or suction, and
drag forces on buildings and other obstacles in its path. Wind forces are typically assumed
to be applied normal, or perpendicular, to the affected surfaces of a building.
Earthquakes
Seismic forces result from the vibratory ground motions of an earthquake, which can
cause a building’s base to move suddenly and induce shaking of the structure in all
directions simultaneously. While seismic ground motions are three dimensional in nature
and have horizontal, vertical, and rotational components, the horizontal component is
considered to be the most important in structural design. During an earthquake, the mass
of a building’s structure develops an inertial force as it tries to resist the horizontal ground
acceleration. The result is a shear force between the ground and the building’s mass,
which is distributed to each floor or diaphragm above the base.
Wind loads.
The wind load is a lateral load produced by wind pressure. It is a
type of dynamic load that is considered static to simplify analysis.
The magnitude of this force depends on the shape of the building,
its height, the velocity of the wind in which the building exists.
Seismic loads (Earthquakes loads).
The earthquake load is a lateral load caused by ground motions
resulting from earthquakes. The magnitude of such a load depends
on the mass of the structure and the acceleration caused by the
earthquake.
Earth pressure.
water pressure loads.
Impact loads.
These loads consider secondary load for the ordinary low rise
buildings, but
for high rise buildings or special buildings, these loads consider
main loads
Wind loads
Characteristics Of Wind
Winds that are of interest in the design of
buildings can be classified into 3 major types
• Variation of wind velocity with height.
• Wind turbulence.
- Prevailing winds (trade winds)
• Statistical Probability.
• Vortex shedding phenomenon.
• Dynamic nature of wind-structure
-Seasonal winds
Interaction
-Local winds
Reducing wind pressure by design
Earthquake

Inertial Force

• The first reponse of a building during an

earthquake is lto not move at all due to the
inertia of its mass. Almost instantaneously,
however, the ground acceleration causes the
building to move at the base, inducing a
lateral load on the building and a shear force
at the base (seismic base shear). The inertial
force in the building opposes the base shear
but both forces reverse directions as the
building vibrates back and forth.

• Inertia can be lessened by reducing the

building’s mass. Therefore, lightweight
construction is advantageous in seismic
design. Light buildings, such as wood-frame
houses, generally perform wellin
earthquakes, while heavy masonry structures
are susceptible to significant damage.
Damping
Lateral Resisiting
Mechanism