The structural system transfers loads through interconnected elements or members.
Commonly used structures can be classified into five major categories, depending on the type of primary stress that may arise in the members of the structures under major design loads.
[1] The structural system of a high-rise building is designed to cope with vertical gravity loads as well as lateral loads caused by wind or seismic activity.
The structural system consists only of the members designed to carry the loads, and all other members are referred to as non-structural.
A classification for the structural system of a high-rise was introduced in 1969 by Fazlur Khan and was extended to incorporate interior and exterior structures.