Would the self weight of something be included in the total axial load acting on it calculation?

[Waterbottle7]

Title, thanks

 

[hokie66]

Yes, but it is often a small proportion of the total load.

 

[racookpe1978]

Provide a sketch of your situation, and the weights and diameters involved.

The answer is, "It depends."

 

[JStephen]

A lot of times, it would be considered negligible and disregarded. Example: Hanging a weight from a cable, people don't usually factor in the cable weight.

 

[msquared48]

Yes. Had to do that for tilt-up walls in the PCA slender wall anslysis


Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)

 

[dik]

Often with geotechnical work (footings, piers, piles, etc.) the weight of the soil displaced is approximately the weight of the concrete placed, and, the weight of footings, etc. is ignored. In addition, the soil on top of the footing is often ignored because the soil already has the surcharge of these materials above the founding level.

Dik

 

[dik]

Mike... if it's something I can't lift by hand, like tilt up panels, I include the weight.

Dik

 

[rapt]

If it is a column and you are looking at
- the column capacity at the top, no
- the column capacity at the bottom, then yes.

 

[MotorCity]

Depending on the shape of the object, its mass distribution, and base fixity, it could also impart a moment on itself in addition to axial load.

 

[dhengr]

Waterbottle7:
Answer your own question. Does the self weight effect the stresses, failure mechanism, or some such, at the location you are considering in your analysis? If it does, then include it. As others have suggested if you have a 1000kip load and the supporting member weights a few hundred pounds, then the inclusion of the self weight may not make a big difference in the final results. You have to learn to use some engineering judgement, if you want to pretend to be an engineer.