ABSTRACT
Load paths are the routes by which external actions (loads) are carried through the members of a structure to its foundations. An ability to recognize these paths and the mechanisms by which loads are transmitted through individual members is central to the development of a qualitative understanding of the behaviour of a complete three-dimensional structure. The external loads applied to a structure can usually be resolved into horizontal and vertical force components that are resisted by structural members acting in bending, tension, compression, torsion, shear or some combination of these mechanisms. Identification of the primary load paths and transfer mechanisms in a structure provides information on the precise function that each member plays in carrying the external loads to the foundations.
