Horizontal Movements of Structures Induced by Vertical Loads

• Vertical loads acting on structures can induce horizontal movements. Exceptions are symmetric structures subject to symmetric vertical loads and (rarely) anti-symmetric structures subject to anti-symmetric loads.
• The magnitudes of the horizontal movements of structures in response to vertical loads depend on the load distribution and the structural geometry.
• When the frequency of a dynamic vertical load is close to one of the lateral natural frequencies of a structure, resonance in the lateral direction of the structure can occur.