Institute for Architectural Science and Technology (IAST)

Course Description

Before anything can be sized, the loads must be known. This course provides architects and building design professionals with practical knowledge of structural load assessment for façade systems – covering self-weight, imposed loads, wind pressure and suction, seismic actions where applicable, impact loads, and the load combinations required by relevant structural design codes. You’ll learn to trace the load path from the outermost cladding component through brackets, rails, and fixings into the primary structure. The course explains how to determine characteristic and design values, apply partial safety factors, and understand the difference between serviceability and ultimate limit state checks as they apply to façade elements. Presented by Eugene Korch (façade engineer and IAST Programme Director), the course uses real façade load schedules and structural calculation extracts to show how loads are tabulated, combined, and communicated between the façade designer and the structural engineer. Through load diagrams, calculation templates, and project examples, this course helps you read and review structural calculations with confidence – and understand where design responsibilities lie between architect, structural engineer, and façade subcontractor.