Design Loads

[FishTheStructure]

Sometimes I second guess if my design loads are adequate:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamil...river-charged-with-impaired-driving-1.2724276

Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds - Albert Einstein

 

[BAretired]

It would not be easy to design for such severe impact loads on the bridge, but it might make sense to provide a hefty arch at each end to catch a looney truck driver before he can reach the bridge.

BA

 

[rb1957]

WTC7 also found out about extreme events that can happen in real life ...

Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati

 

[IDS]

I have long thought we should make three limit states explicit (they are already implied in design provisions for seismic and impact loads):

Serviceability Limit - Repair or un-planned maintenance required
Strength Limit - Failure of any structural member
Collapse Limit - Total collapse of all or part of a structure

Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services

http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/