MC026-03 Engineering the Envelope: Structural Load Assessment for Façades
Identifying, Quantifying, and Combining Every Load That Acts on a Façade — From Self-Weight and Wind to Impact, Thermal, Seismic, and Maintenance Loads
Join Live Seminar - 13 August 2026 - Free to attend live
Join us for a practical technical CPD on structural load assessment for façades. This session gives architects and building design professionals a complete map of the loads and environmental actions acting on a façade — the starting point of every façade calculation, because every bracket, mullion, and glass check traces back to a load.
Presented by Eugene Korch (IAST), this webinar uses worked examples and real project situations to show how the most commonly missed loads — internal pressure during construction, funnelling, snow drift, maintenance point loads, ponding — lead to undersized brackets, broken glass, and failed fixings, and how to catch them early.
This course covers:
Façade types — non-load-bearing, self-supporting, and load-bearing systems, and why the distinction matters for who designs what
Dead load — load paths by system, material weights, the glass thickness rule of thumb, and the errors that leave brackets undersized
Wind load — pressure zones, corner suction, internal pressure and the sign convention, funnelling, dominant openings during construction, and when wind tunnel studies are needed
Barrier and crowd loads — the three independent checks of BS 6180, the 1100 mm line load, vertical loads, and crowd loading on terraces
Impact — soft body, hard body, and pendulum classification testing, and which test applies where
Thermal effects — surface temperature versus air temperature, differential movement, and the sealed glass unit as the one genuine thermal load
Seismic drift, snow and drift zones, ice, ponding — the environmental loads that are easy to miss
Maintenance and construction loads — cradles, rope access, point loads, and the half-built façade in wind
Load combinations — ultimate versus serviceability, combination coefficients, and worked examples
Load application — tributary areas, bracket eccentricity, and the complete project checklist
Using one real worked example from start to finish, this CPD focuses on practical judgement — not just how to get a number, but how to know when to trust it.
What You'll Learn
Identify every load type that can act on a façade and confirm which apply on a given project
Trace dead load paths and avoid the most frequent weight-calculation errors
Understand where wind loads peak on a building and combine external and internal pressure with the correct signs
Apply the three barrier checks and the vertical load correctly
Know which impact test applies to the installed element and which to the glass product
Recognise the sealed glass unit as a genuine thermal load and everything else as movement to accommodate
Assess snow drift, ice, ponding, and maintenance loads before they are missed
Distinguish ultimate from serviceability checks and apply combination coefficients
Target Audience
This session is designed for design professionals working on residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments where correct load assessment determines the safety and cost of the building envelope.
This Short Course is designed for:
Architects
Architectural Technologists
Envelope Designers
Façade Specialist Contractors
Junior Façade Engineers
Building Envelope Consultants
Structural Engineers
Developers
Project Managers
Building Control Officers
Regulators
Cost Consultants
Design Managers
Speaker
Eugene Korch
Programme Director, IASTEugene is a facade engineer and educator who leads educational initiatives through the Institute for Architectural Science and Technology (IAST) and Facade Intelligence, delivering training to construction professionals.
Seminar Details
Format: Live online webinar with interactive polls
Duration: 1 hour
Date: 13 August 2026
Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (BST)
CPD Points: 1.5 hours structured CPD / 1 Learning Unit
Certificate: CPD certificate provided upon completion
Recording: Available on demand to members only
MC026-03
Engineering the Envelope: Structural Load Assessment for Façades
Identifying, Quantifying, and Combining Every Load That Acts on a Façade — From Self-Weight and Wind to Impact, Thermal, Seismic, and Maintenance Loads
Course Fee £120
Free for FI Pro Members
