Design a bearing plate to distribute the reaction of a W21 x 68 with a span length of 15 feet 10 inches center-to-center of supports. The total service load, including the beam weight, is 9 kipsyft, with equal parts dead and live load. The beam is to be supported on reinforced concrete walls with f,c= 3500 psi. For the beam, Fy = 50 ksi, and Fy = 36 ksi for the plate.

Design criteria for structural loading

The different loads such as loads due to self-weight (dead load) and external loads such as live load, wind loads, seismic load, snow load, and other loads and load combinations that influence the design of a building are called structural loading. The nature of the applied load differs from changes in the location, design, and type of materials used. The design criteria require that structures must be designed and constructed to be able to withstand all load types that are expected to act upon the structure and render its usage for the designated purpose. The structural members such as beams, slabs, columns, and foundations help the structure to withstand the applied load. There are different institutes such as ASCE and ACI that provide building design codes to assure minimum safety requirements and quality of the structures.