BCGBC4010A Apply structural principles to residential low-rise constructions
Primary loadsStructural principles - Loads
The structure of a building is the part which is responsible for maintaining the shape of the building under the influence of the forces to which it is subjected.
A building must be designed to safely withstand the most severe combination of forces or loads likely to be applied during its lifetime.
The loads that are to be assumed while designing a structure are usually specified in the 'loading codes' (see Australian Standard The Standards are published documents which set out specifications and procedures to make sure of the quality and consistency of products in Australian society. They are issued by Standards Australia. AS/NZS 1170).
In Australia we use the unit kilopascals (kPa) to measure stress and pressure, and kilonewtons (kN) to measure forces and loads.
Note: 1 kPa = 1 kN/m2