Hi all,
In calculating W for the calculations of earthquake loads, do we have to account for the weight of the partition walls supported directly on the foundations? A colleague of mine thinks that half of that weight should be accounted for. also, how do you account for the weight of masonry...
The architect requested our opinion in removing a number of masonry partitions from the second floor of a 2-storey steel framed building built in the sixties. I reviewed the existing drawings and found no lateral resisting system. The beam/column connections were shear connections, no bracings...