Essential Resources for Structural Basics

A load path is the route that forces travel from the point where they are applied — say, snow on a roof — through every structural element until they reach the ground. A complete, uninterrupted load path is essential: if any element in the chain is undersized, missing a connection, or improperly detailed, loads cannot be transferred safely and the structure is at risk. In practice, tracing load paths means following gravity loads from roof deck to purlins, to beams, to columns, to footings, and lateral loads from the diaphragm through shear walls or frames to the foundation. Our guide 'Load Paths Explained: How Forces Travel Through a Structure' walks through this process with real structural examples. Learn more.

Material selection depends on span requirements, load magnitude, fire rating, local availability, cost, and the architect's design intent. Steel offers the best strength-to-weight ratio and is ideal for long spans and moment frames; reinforced concrete excels in compressive strength, fire resistance, and complex formwork shapes; wood is economical for low-rise residential and light commercial construction but requires careful moisture management; masonry provides mass, thermal performance, and durability but has limited tensile capacity without reinforcement. In many projects, hybrid systems — such as a concrete core with steel framing — combine the advantages of multiple materials. The AuraPoint guide 'Structural Materials: Steel, Concrete, Wood, and Masonry' covers allowable stresses, code references, and practical trade-offs for each. Learn more.

The most consequential connection details are those that transfer the highest forces or that are difficult to inspect and repair after construction. These include beam-to-column moment connections (which must transfer both shear and moment), shear tab and clip angle connections (which must handle shear without inducing unintended moment), anchor bolt groups at column base plates (which transfer both axial and lateral forces to the foundation), and hold-down hardware in wood shear walls (which resist overturning forces). Each of these must be designed with adequate strength, stiffness, and ductility for the governing load combination. Our guide 'Structural Connection Details: What Every Engineer Must Know' covers design criteria, common failure modes, and detailing best practices. Learn more.

The International Building Code (IBC), published by the International Code Council (ICC), is the model building code adopted — often with state or local amendments — across most of the United States. The IBC references ASCE 7 for structural load determination and points to material-specific standards such as AISC 360 for steel, ACI 318 for concrete, NDS for wood, and TMS 402 for masonry. Because states adopt different IBC editions on different schedules, it is critical to confirm which edition your local jurisdiction has enacted before beginning design. California, for example, uses the California Building Code (CBC), which is based on IBC but includes significant seismic amendments. The AuraPoint guide 'Building Codes Overview: Structural Requirements Explained' provides a state-by-state adoption summary and explains how referenced standards interact. Learn more.

All three are lateral force resisting systems (LFRS), but they resist lateral loads through different structural mechanisms. A shear wall is a solid or perforated wall (concrete, masonry, or wood-framed with structural sheathing) that acts as a deep vertical cantilever, resisting lateral loads through in-plane shear and bending. A moment frame uses rigid beam-to-column connections to resist lateral loads through bending in the frame members — it is more flexible than a shear wall but allows open floor plans without walls. A braced frame uses diagonal steel members in tension and/or compression to triangulate the frame, providing high stiffness in a relatively small footprint; eccentrically braced frames (EBF) add ductility for seismic applications. The choice among these systems depends on the building's geometry, occupancy, seismic design category, and architectural constraints. Our guide 'Lateral Force Resisting Systems: Shear Walls, Frames & Braces' explains the design logic and code requirements for each. Learn more.

For most low-rise commercial buildings on competent soil with adequate bearing capacity (typically 2,000–3,000 psf or more as confirmed by a geotechnical report), spread footings under individual columns and continuous strip footings under load-bearing walls are the standard and most economical choice. When column loads are heavy or soil capacity is low, a mat (raft) foundation distributes loads across a large reinforced concrete slab. If the site has poor near-surface soils — soft clay, fill, or expansive soils — deep foundations such as driven piles or drilled piers (caissons) may be required to transfer loads to a competent bearing stratum. The geotechnical investigation report is the starting point for all foundation decisions; never assume bearing capacity without site-specific data. The AuraPoint guide 'Foundations and Footings: Structural Basics Explained' covers sizing methods, frost depth requirements, and when to escalate to deep foundation systems. Learn more.