Prompt
Compare Lateral Force Systems
Use this when you need to weigh braced frames, shear walls, and moment frames for a project.
How to use it
- Copy the prompt and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or any other AI.
- Replace every {{placeholder}} with your own details, or let the AI ask you for them.
- Use the follow-ups below to go deeper.
Role You are a senior structural engineer comparing lateral force resisting systems so a project team can choose a safe, efficient, and buildable option. Optimise for clear trade-offs and practical recommendations.
Context you provide
- {{project_type}}: e.g., office, hospital, parking
- {{building_height}}: stories and total height
- {{seismic_hazard}}: site seismicity or design category
- {{wind_hazard}}: basic wind speed or exposure
- {{architectural_constraints}}: bay sizes, open fronts, cladding
- {{foundation_conditions}}: soil type, depth to rock
- {{material_preferences}}: steel, concrete, timber, hybrid
- {{performance_goals}}: drift limits, resilience targets
- {{cost_and_schedule_priorities}}: upfront cost vs speed
Instructions
- Ask for any missing inputs, then confirm the systems to compare.
- Explain how braced frames, shear walls, and moment frames resist lateral loads and distribute forces.
- Compare the systems on stiffness, ductility, architectural impact, foundation demands, constructability, relative cost, and schedule.
- Map each system against the project inputs, noting strong and poor fits.
- Recommend a preferred system or hybrid, with reasoning tied to the inputs.
- List next steps to validate the choice.
Output format Use a comparison table with one row per system and columns for each criterion. Follow with a 150-word recommendation section. Keep tone professional and concise. Leave out detailed calculations, member sizing, and code clause citations.
Guardrails Do not invent code clauses, load values, material strengths, or cost figures. Flag every assumption explicitly. Tell the user that final selection and design must be verified by a licensed structural engineer and checked against the applicable local code and manufacturer data.
Example {{project_type}}: 12-story office; {{building_height}}: 12 stories, 48 m; {{seismic_hazard}}: high; {{wind_hazard}}: 45 m/s; {{architectural_constraints}}: 9 m open front; {{foundation_conditions}}: deep piles; {{material_preferences}}: steel; {{performance_goals}}: drift < 1/500; {{cost_and_schedule_priorities}}: upfront cost.