IBC Chapter Sixteen - Structural Design

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1602.3 Table: Minimum Uniformly Distributed Live Loads

 

Code Excerpt:
Occupancy or Use Uniform (psf) Concentrated (lbs.)
1. Apartments (see residential) -- --
2. Access floor systems    
Office use 50 2,000
Computer use  100 2,000
3. Armories and drill rooms 150 ----------
4. Assembly areas and theaters    
Lobbies 60 --
Movable seats 100 --
Stages and platforms 125 --
Follow spot, projections and control rooms 50 --
Catwalks 40 --
5. Balconies (exterior) 100 --
On one-and two-family residences only and not exceeding 100 ft. 2 60 --
6. Decks Same as occupancy served h --
7. Bowling alleys 75 --
8. Cornices 60 --
9. Corridors, except as otherwise indicated 100 --
10.Dance halls and ballrooms 100 --
11. Dining rooms and restaurants 100 --
12. Dwellings (see residential) -- --
13. Elevator machine room grating (on area of 4 in. 2) -- --
14. Finish light floor plate construction (on area of 1 in. 2) -- --
15. Fire escapes 100 --
On single-family dwellings only 40 --
16. Garages (passenger vehicles only) 40 See Section 1607.6 Note a
Trucks and buses See Section 1607.6 See Section 1607.6 Note a
17. Grandstands (see stadium and area bleachers) -- --
18. Gymnasiums, main floors and balconies 100 --
19. Handrails, guards and grab bars See Section 1607.7 See Section 1607.7  
20. Hospitals Wards 60 1,000
Operating rooms, laboratories 40 1,000
Private rooms 40 1,000
Corridors above first floor   80 1,000
21. Hotels (see residential) -- --
22. Libraries    
Reading rooms 60 1,000
Stack rooms 150b 1,000
Corridors above first floor 80 1,000
23. Manufacturing    
Light 125 2,000
Heavy 250 3,000
24. Marquees 75 --
25. Office buildings          
File and computer rooms shall be designed for heavier loads based on anticipated occupancy    
Lobbies and first-floor corridors 100 2,000
Offices 50 2,000
Corridors above first floor 80 2,000
26. Penal institutions    
Cell blocks 40 --
Corridors 100 --
27. Residential    
One-and two-family dwellings   --
Uninhabitable attics without storage 10 --
Uninhabitable attics with storage 20 --
Habitable attics and sleeping areas 30 --
All other areas except balconies and and decks 40 --
Hotels and multifamily dwellings   --
Private rooms and corridors serving them 40 --
Public rooms and corridors serving them 100 --
28. Reviewing stands, grandstands and bleachers Note c --
29. Roofs         See Section 1607.11 See Section 1607.11
30. Schools    
Classrooms 40 1,000
Corridors above first floor 80 1,000
First-floor corridors 100 1,000
31. Scuttles, skylight ribs and accessible ceilings -- 200
32. Sidewalks, vehicular driveways and yard, subject to trucking 250 d 8,000 e
33. Skating rinks 100 --
34. Stadiums and arenas 100c --
Bleachers Fixed seats (fastened to floor) 60c --
35. Stairs and exits 100 Note f
One-and two-family dwellings 40 Note f
All others 100 Note f
36. Storage warehouses (shall be designed for heavier loads if required for anticipated storage)    
Light 125 --
Heavy 250 --
37. Stores        
Retail First Floor 100 1,000
Upper Floors 75 1,000
Wholesale, all floors 125 1,000
38. Vehicle barriers See Section 1607.7 See Section 1607.7
39. Walkways and elevated platforms (other than exits) 60 --
40. Yards and terraces, pedestrians 100 --

Notes to table 1607.1\

For SI: 1 inch=25.4mm, 1 square inch=645.16mm2, 1 pound per square foot=0.0479kN/m2, 1 pound=0.004448 kN. 1 pound per cubic foot=16 kg/m3

A. Floors in garages or portions of buildings used for the storage of motor vehicles shall be designed for the uniformly distributed live loads of Table 1607.1 or the following concentrated loads:(1) for garages restricted to vehicles accommodating not more than 9 passengers, 3,000 pounds acting on an area of 4.5 inches;(2) for mechanical parking structure without slab or deck which are used for storing passenger vehicles only, 2,250 pounds per wheel.

B. The loading applies to stack room floors that support non-mobile, double-faced library book stacks, subject to the following limitations: 1) The nominal book stack unit height shall not exceed 90 inches; 2) The nominal shelf depth shall not exceed 12 inches for each face; and 3) Aisles not less than 36 inches wide shall separate parallel rows of double-faced book stacks.

C. Design in accordance with the ICC Standard on Bleachers, Folding and Telescopic Seating and Grandstands.

D. Other uniform loads in accordance with an approved method that contains provisions for truck loadings shall also be considered where appropriate.

E. The concentrated wheel load shall be applied on an area of 20 square inches.

F. Minimum concentrated load on stair treads (on area of 4 inches) is 300 pounds.

G. Where snow loads occur that are in excess of the design conditions, the structure shall be designed to support the loads due to increased loads caused by drift buildup or a greater snow design determined by the building official (see Section 1608). For special-purpose roofs, see Section 1607.11.2.2.

H. See Section 1604.8.3 for decks attached to exterior walls.

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