Imposed Actions

Imposed Actions
Forces caused by intended use and
occupancy of structure.
Includes:
people (crowds)
storage
temporary partitions and furniture
weight of machinery
traffic loads
Something the owner/ccupier can alter without an engineer
Also construction
loads
Imposed Actions
Origin Distribution Certainty Duration
Imposed
actions
distributed concentrated known estimated longer-
term
shorter-
term
Occupancy -
people
mostly always always
Storage/
furniture
mostly under feet mostly mostly peak
loads
Machinery
weight
occasionally under bearings often operating
loads
always operation
loads
Construction/
maintenance
often (under jacks or
lifting points)
mostly always
traffic often
assumed
tyre loads mostly always
Imposed Actions
Known
weight of machines or fixtures supported
by manufacturers data
eg. cranes, air conditioners
storage actions for racks rated for a given load
construction actions for a specific lifting operation
Estimated
occupancy - people and furniture
construction and maintenance
Known
Known
Estimated
Known
Imposed Actions
Shorter duration
people - often crowd events
traffic
construction - people and
stacked materials, lifting points
Longer duration
furniture, displays, storage
close to average,
less than the peak events
FOR TIMBER - MUST ALWAYS EVALUATE BOTH
Flow chart- summary
Refer Figure 2.7
HB108-1998
Known actions
Shorter-term
Known +
Occupancy
Longer-term
Total longer duration Q

Strength Limit State 1.5Q


k
1
= 0.57
Known +
Occupancy
Shorter-term
Total shorter duration Q
s

Strength Limit State 1.5Q
s

k
1
= 0.8 to 1.30 given by shortest duration
Occupancy actions
(corrected for area)
Shorter-term
(nominal, without
modification)
Longer-term
Longer-term
(reduced nominal
load)
Longer-term imposed actions -

Can estimate from the Nominal Imposed Actions.
Known actions
Longer-term action from tare weight
Estimated actions
Point in time actions from
c
Q
Longer-term actions from

Q

From AS/NZS1170.0 Table 4.1
Gives ratio of average load to peak load
Different for different types of load
mainly

= 0.4
c
= 0.4
for storage is higher
for roofs

= 0
c
= 1
Construction
maintenance loads
estimated
Imposed actions (Q) applied to ROOFS
Classification <AS/NZ 1170.1 Clause 3.5.1>
Accessible for construction, maintenance
Awnings - likely viewing for parades etc.
Limited access - lower loads (use of boards)
Roofs with a floor function as trafficable for vehicles,
people loads (see floors)
Extra Loads
Lighting, plant, banners,
displays, scoreboards
generally known loads
Imposed actions applied to ROOFS
Structural elements
<AS1170.1 3.5.1>
Q = 0.25 kPa (not awnings)
extra for small tributary areas
for A< 14 m
2

Q
A
= +
|
\

|
.
|
18
012
.
.
Cladding
if cladding used for access use loads for
structural elements
if boards must be used to access
= no imposed loads
Imposed actions applied to FLOORS
All possible loads to be considered
Known loads (plant, machines etc.)
Construction and maintenance loads
workers, stacked materials
Occupancy loads * <AS1170.1 Table 3.1>
Concentrated loads usually shorter duration, under
equipment, drop loads etc. * <AS1170.1 Table 3.1 >
Concentrated
load
Known
storage
load
Crowd
load
Estimated Longer-term load
Occupancy
load
Imposed FLOOR actions
Domestic and residential
Offices and work areas
Areas where people congregate
Shopping areas
Warehousing and storage areas - equipment and plant
Light vehicle (< 2500 kg) traffic areas
Medium vehicle (2500 > 10000 kg) traffic areas
Floor areas are categorised according to their type
of activity or occupancy <AS1170.1 Table 3.1>
Imposed actions applied to FLOORS
Most occupancy peak imposed loads
correspond to crowding - hence short
duration.
Single houses
1.5 kPa (2.0 stairs, balcony)
Hospitals 2.0 kPa (4.0 corridor, balcony)
Office 3.0 kPa
Corridor (no wheeled vehicles) 4.0 kPa
Retail 4.0 kPa
Concentrated loads - function of
weight of equipment likely to be used
footprint area (0.01m
2
default).
FLOORS - reduction and increase
Large areas decrease in Q. Unlikely to
have full peak live load over whole area at
one time.
Q for floors multiplied by
a
where it is < 1
only for occupancy loads where Q < 5.0 kPa
not for corridors, assembly areas and sports
floors
Applies to uniformly distributed imposed actions only
Applicable to shorter and longer term loads
0.5 s 1.0
<AS1170.1 3.4.2>
3 . 0
3
+ =
A
a

Imposed actions applied to BARRIERS

Includes parapets, balustrades, railings and supporting
structure
<AS1170.1 Table 3.3>
Not to be considered simultaneously
with wind and earthquake actions
infill loads considered separately
Distributed load depending on
occupancy
handrail or top edge designed for
concentrated load of 0.6kN, positioned for worst
effect, acting inward, outward or downward
Distributed load depending on occupancy
Installed cranes, hoists, lifts and
machinery
Cranes, hoists, lifts accelerate mass
Dynamic actions
Nominal design loads
Still need factors for limit states
Vertical actions
Dynamic factor applied to static weight
Gives an equivalent vertical load
Crane rail
Horizontal actions
Apply to cranes
Based on static weight
<AS1170.1 Clause 3.7>
Carparks
Structure must be designed for horizontal actions
from vehicles
Impact loads on
structure
Braking loads on
structure
Impact at base
of ramps
<AS1170.1 Clause 3.8>
Design summary Imposed Actions
Q1. Analyse structure
find tributary areas
Q2. Find known imposed actions
information from suppliers, constructor
Q3. Find imposed actions due to occupancy
<AS/NZS 1170.1>
Q4. For floors, find reduction factor
a

<AS/NZS 1170.1 Clause 3.4.2>
only applies in some circumstances (estimated
portion of imposed action only)
function of contributory area A
Summary Imposed contd
Q5. Find shorter term imposed action
based on nominal (code) imposed actions and
known imposed actions
Q6. Find longer term imposed action
reduced nominal actions (

) or (
c
)
<AS1170.0 Table 4.1>
Q7. Analyse structure to give action effects
axial tension or compression, bending moment,
shear force, reaction force
these effects are used in design


Worked example
Determine imposed loads for joists supporting office floor
Joists @ 0.8 m centres with design span 4.5 m
0.8m
4.5 m
Worked example
Solution
Q1 Tributary area of one joist m
2


Q2 No known actions
6 . 3 5 . 4 8 . 0 =
88 . 1
60 . 3
3
3 . 0
3
3 . 0 = + = + =
A
a

Q3 <AS1170.1 Table 3.1> Activity B Offices for

General Use
Uniformly distributed loads 3.0 kPa
Concentrated loads 2.7 kN (No Safes)

Q4 Reduction for floors <AS1170.1 Clause 3.4.2>


use
a
= 1.0

Worked example
Q5 Shorter-term Imposed actions
Uniformly distributed load (udl) kPa
kN/m
Concentrated load (conc) P = 2.7 kN
40 . 2 8 . 0 0 . 3 = = w
0 . 3 0 . 3 0 . 1 =
Q6 Longer-term Imposed actions
For an office use AS1170.0 Table 4.1
udl
c
= 0.4
conc
c
= 0.6
Uniformly distributed load (udl)
kN/m
Concentrated load (conc) kN
96 . 0 4 . 2 4 . 0 = = w
62 . 1 7 . 2 6 . 0 = = P
Worked example
Q7 Action effects
Bending moments
Shorter term udl kNm
conc kNm
Longer-term udl kNm
conc kNm
Shear force
shorter term udl kN
conc kN
longer term udl kN
conc kN

16 . 2
2
5 . 4 96 . 0
=

= V
62 . 1 = V
4 . 5
2
5 . 4 40 . 2
=

= V
7 . 2 = V
82 . 1
4
5 . 4 62 . 1
=

= M
43 . 2
8
5 . 4 96 . 0
2
=

= M
04 . 3
4
5 . 4 7 . 2
=

= M
08 . 6
8
5 . 4 40 . 2
2
=

= M