Load Paths and Load Transfer in Structural Engineering Explained.

In this video, I break down how vertical loads travel through a building – from the roof all the way to the foundation. As structural engineers, one of our key responsibilities is to ensure loads like snow, dead, and live loads are transferred through beams, slabs, columns, and other structural elements to the ground. And by doing so, making sure these structural elements don't fail. I’ll walk you through a 3-step process to understand vertical load paths: - Step 1: Defining the static systems (beams, slabs, columns, etc.) - Step 2: Applying vertical loads like snow, dead and live loads - Step 3: Load transfer from roof to foundation using static systems We’ll also explore a practical example of a basic structure with a one-way slab, beams, and columns. You'll learn: - How to choose the right static system (simply supported vs continuous) - What hinge and moment connections actually do - How to calculate and transfer reaction forces from slabs to beams to columns - Why understanding load paths is essential for designing real buildings, not just textbook beams +++ Check out my e-book Loads on Residential Buildings: https://shop.structuralbasics.com/products/loads-on-residential-buildings My free gift for you! Sign-up for the free 8-day email course about loads: https://structuralbasics.kit.com/free-loads-course Download the free Structural Design Cheatsheet: https://structuralbasics.kit.com/cheatsheet Join our free weekly newsletter: https://structuralbasics.kit.com/newsletter +++ For everyone who is new to the channel: Hi, I am Laurin, structural engineer, content creator and athlete. In the last 3 years I built Structural Basics which is a learning platform and community for structural engineering. We have a weekly newsletter with over 12000 subscribers, a blog with 100+ articles and 40.000+ monthly visitors, and this YouTube channel, where I am sharing snippets of my life as a structural engineer and structural engineering knowledge. On this channel, I am sharing my learnings and failures being a structural engineer, but also my journey creating Structural Basics. Let’s grow together! +++ If you think you get value from this and/or entertainment, follow for more. I appreciate you. Stay tuned! +++ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/structural.basics/ +++ 0:00 Introduction - what is vertical load transfer? 0:18 3 step process of the load path from roof to foundation 0:52 why understanding the load path is not easy 1:26 university doesn't teach us how loads travel 2:55 example of vertical load transfer 3:07 determine the static systems of your structure 4:27 applying the loads to the static systems 4:39 load transfer using the static systems 6:10 more information +++ Song: Agua Cristalina Artist: Quincas Moreira Music by: CreatorMix.com #loadpaths #loadtransfer #structuralengineering