Design Floor Live Load

[cedent]

I am working on an elevated floor system for a new puplic high school. This area has the school's science labs, computer labs, math classrooms, and a broadcasting/video editing suite.

The math classrooms are standard classrooms, but the science and computer labs are roughly twice the size (53'X27').

In the past we have designed simlar floor systems for colleges with 100 psf and a tight deflection limit. This deflection limit was requested by the owner to minimize vibrations in the research labs.

The math classrooms will be designed with the standard classroom live load of 40 psf.

I vaguely recall an older code definition of a assembly area based on square footage. Do you remember any such definition?

 

[MikeE55]

I don't think a science lab, etc. would require the 100 psf live load as if this was an assembly area. Conservatively, though, I typically design these for the corridor load - 80 psf live. Also for a partition load which can be a big number if your school has masonry partition walls.

 

[cedent]

Thank you, I was thinking along the same lines.

 

[DaveAtkins]

And I am not confident that designing for a high LL or a tight deflection will necessarily control vibration. That should be checked separately.

DaveAtkins

 

[DonPhillips]

IBC Chapter 10 gives you the square footage per person used to calculate occupancy load. Is this what you were remembering? E occupancy is 20 sf net for classroom and 50 sf net for vocational occupancies, which I would interpret labs as.

Don Phillips

http://worthingtonengineering.com

 

[271828]

DaveAtkins typed: "And I am not confident that designing for a high LL or a tight deflection will necessarily control vibration. That should be checked separately."

I do floor vibrations as part of my living and I can back that up 100%. It is VERY easy to design a floor for 100 psf that might still have vibe problems.

It's just so darn easy to check this nowadays with AISC DG11 out there.

 

[cedent]

Thank you all for your comments. I had planned on running it through DG11 as well.