Patent ID: 9471720
Filing Date: 2016-10-18
CPC Classification: E04B,G06F,G06T

Claim Text:
1. A method of determining loads of vertical columns in multi-story irregular building structures based upon both horizontal load factors and vertical load factors in a three-dimensional (3D) model of the building structures on a computer display device, the method comprising: using a computer, obtaining slab definition data that defines a plurality of planar slabs or floors of a building structure, and location points of a plurality of vertical columns that are on, into or above the slabs or floors, without using definitions of horizontal beams or other load path input data that specifies an explicit load path among the columns, and displaying a 3D geometric representation of the slabs or floors and the columns; using the computer and the slab definition data, creating and storing slab tributary region data defining a plurality of tributary regions across each of the slabs or floors that are associated with the columns without using definitions of horizontal beams or other load path input data that specifies an explicit load path among the columns; determining, using the computer and the slab tributary region data, tributary data defining a tributary for each of the columns based only upon a geometry of the slabs or floors and the location points of the plurality of columns; determining, using the computer and the tributary data, independent of and without considering the slab definition data, one or more load transfer elements that indicate structural elements of the building structure that transfer load from a first particular column of a first one of the slabs or floors to a second particular column of a second one of the slabs or floors wherein the load transfer elements are selected based upon the slab tributary region data; using the computer, without consideration of elastic distribution of forces between slabs, columns and walls, determining and graphically displaying a plurality of proposed load takedown paths in the building structure through the columns and the one or more load transfer elements and corresponding column load values associated with the columns of the building structure; creating and causing displaying a list of the tributary regions and column load values.