Are the load paths different for a skipped-floor system verses a tied-off system?
Absolutely. In a skipped-floor system, the overturning forces transfer up the building until a restraint point is reached. As a result, all elements at the restrained point have to resist the uplift forces for any non-restrained stories below. In a tied-off system, the incremental uplift at each level is transferred directly into the tiedown system at that level. View this animation.
