Every building in Georgia must safely resist the forces acting on it — the weight of the structure itself, the people and equipment inside it, the wind loading from a storm, the soil pressure against its foundation, and in some cases seismic forces. Structural load analysis is the engineering process that identifies, quantifies, and designs for each of these forces. It is the foundation of every structural drawing set produced by Ayikni Engineers for commercial and residential projects across Atlanta, Augusta, Evans, and the broader Southeast.
What Is Structural Load Analysis?
Structural load analysis is the systematic calculation of all forces that a building structure must be designed to resist over its service life. The engineer identifies each load type, quantifies its magnitude and distribution, combines loads according to code-required load combinations, and uses the resulting design forces to size structural members — columns, beams, floors, walls, and foundations.
Every structural member in a code-compliant building has been sized for the worst-case combination of loads the code requires the engineer to consider.
The Primary Load Types in Georgia Buildings
Dead loads are the permanent weight of the building’s own structure and any fixed equipment.
Live loads are the variable weights of occupants, furniture, and movable equipment — defined by the building occupancy and set by the International Building Code as adopted in Georgia.
Wind loads in Georgia are significant, particularly in coastal areas and around Atlanta, where design wind speeds require careful lateral system design.
Seismic loads are relevant in parts of Georgia and South Carolina near historical fault zones.
Soil and hydrostatic loads act against below-grade walls and foundations.
Why Load Analysis Determines Everything Downstream
The results of load analysis drive every structural sizing decision.
- An undersized column fails under design loads.
- An undersized beam deflects excessively, cracking finishes and potentially creating unsafe conditions.
- An inadequately designed lateral system allows the building to rack and sway under wind, damaging cladding and breaking glass.
Load analysis performed incorrectly — using wrong occupancy categories, ignoring applicable load combinations, or applying the wrong wind speed — produces a structurally deficient building that will not pass special inspection and will not receive a certificate of occupancy in Georgia.
How Ayikni Engineers Approaches Load Analysis
Every Ayikni Engineers project begins with a complete load analysis per ASCE 7 as adopted by the Georgia Building Code. The structural engineer establishes the risk category, occupancy classification, wind exposure category, and seismic design category before sizing any member.
Load paths are traced from roof to foundation to ensure every force has a continuous, adequately designed route to the ground. Load analysis results are documented in a stamped calculations package submitted with the drawing set during plan check.
Common Load Analysis Mistakes That Lead to Plan Check Rejections
The most frequent plan check rejections Ayikni encounters on documents produced by others involve:
- Wind pressures calculated using an outdated code edition
- Live load values that do not match the actual occupancy classification
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