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Can an elevator shaft be load bearing?

demetriadesn

I'm in high school and looking to get into architecture. I've made a few building designs, and for some, the elevator shaft would need to be load bearing; is this possible? Sorry if this is a childish question. Thanks

 
May 2, 16 1:57 pm
Non Sequitur

... it depends. In many cases, such as high-rise office buildings, the elevator shaft walls are designed as part of the building's shear walls. You may certainly use the enclosure of your elevator shafts (shaft is really a term best used for the actual hole, not the walls) to support structure above as long as you show them thick enough.

May 2, 16 2:05 pm  · 
 · 
citizen

That's a great question!  And the answer is yes, as Non Sequitur notes.

To the terminology question: shaft, shaft enclosure, and hoist way are all involved here, often confusingly so.

May 2, 16 2:31 pm  · 
 · 
shellarchitect

fun fact, the connections should be detailed so that the beams may fail without harming the shear walls ( fire cut)

May 2, 16 3:24 pm  · 
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cadomestique

Yes, shaft walls can be load bearing. 

Generally speaking (there always will be exceptions) shorter wood buildings shaft walls are load bearing while taller concrete o steel buildings are not because structural columns do that work, however if needed they can be engineered to take some load. 

May 2, 16 8:07 pm  · 
 · 
shellarchitect

in tall structures elevator and stair shafts are usually used to control shear

May 2, 16 10:09 pm  · 
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Yes, also as a shear wall.

May 4, 16 5:21 am  · 
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