ABSTRACT
LOADING ON BUILDINGS 14.1 INTRODUCTION Structures are subjected to various types of loading caused by gravity, wind, earthquake, blasts, explosion and so on. The nature of their variation in time and space, the frequency of their occurrence and the possibility of several types of loads acting at the same time at their maximum values are all highly variable and almost impossible to predict with any certainty. Similar uncertainty attaches to strength of materials as well. The only sensible approach that one can take is to work in terms of statistical variations of loads and strengths of materials. Fig. 14.1 shows qualitatively the statistical variation of load and strength of material. The variation is usually represented by what are known as normal distribution curves.
