ABSTRACT
The philosophy behind designing and constructing any load-bearing structure will affect the structure along its lifetime. The structure’s probability of safety depends on the fluctuations of its load and this increases the importance of its design. The types of loads and their values vary according to geographic location. In European countries, the ice load is the most critical factor in the design of structures, whereas in Middle Eastern countries with very hot climates, especially in summer, the thermal load caused by increasing temperature is the most critical factor.
