Floor Loading

[strguy11]

I am designing a fitness center, and the building has the weight room located on the second floor. I wont know the locations of the equipment so I cant just use point loads, so the only thing is to design the floor with a uniform load. Any tips on what the floor loading should be?

 

[PEinVA]

strguy11,
I think if you took the loads of the machines and weights and did a distribution of their loads, along with a 30-50psf person live load, you'll see that the loads are not as high as you'd expect. The spacing and clearance for these items is usually high enough, large loads are not a concern.
However, if you are designing a composite steel structure that this gym is in, then I'd look at AISC Design Guide #11 - Vibration.

That's just how my office has looked at it, in the past.



RC
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Edmund Burke

 

[JAE]

You might try to get "typical" equipment data sheets and determine some "typical" range of point loads.

With these you can try to get a feel for the overall uniform live range and establish that for the main members with larger tributary areas.

Then with the same data, use the point loads to check slabs and smaller/shorter members.

 

[csd72]

Also allow for impact from dropping individual weights.

I would think a concentrated load and an average udl would cover it.

 

[msquared48]

csd72:

Were you talking about dumbells, or the dumbells using them?



Mike McCann
McCann Engineering

 

[hokie66]

Doesn't your loading code specify live loads for gyms? In Australia, we use 5 kPa (about 100 psf) for uniform loading, and a minimum of 3.6 kN for concentrated loads. The uniform load usually controls, but we are required to consider the concentrated loads separately.

 

[abusementpark]

http://www.wbdg.org/design/physical_fit.php

A quick google search produced this link. If you read on it says to use 150 psf. I'd be comfortable with that number.

 

[msquared48]

Yes we do Hokie. Look at Table 4-1, ASCE 7-05 under Gymnasiums.

It says 100 psf for main floors and balconies.
(4.79 kN/m2).

Mike McCann
McCann Engineering

 

[hokie66]

Well, that's two answers from the US. What controls, as the OP is asking?

 

[abusementpark]

I thought vibration usually governed for fitness centers.

 

[msquared48]

I really don't think that 100 psf is unreasonable. Take a 300# set of weights on a 150# machine with a 250# man, that's 700#. It only has to be spread out over 7 square feet to be 100 psf. That's 2' X 3.5'. Perfectly reasonable. Throw in the aisles, and the average live load goes down. And not all the machines are that heavy. Not all the people either. Perfectly reasonable from my experience in gyms. No worries here.

I have found the same figure in weight tables and codes over 50 years old.

Mike McCann
McCann Engineering

 

[csd72]

abuseentpark makes a good point,

If there are aerobic activities in this building then the vibration needs to be looked at very closely.

Refer the recent thread on dancefloors.

 

[PEinVA]

See the first response for the suggestion to look at vibration.



RC
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Edmund Burke

 

[msquared48]

The vibration you are talking about here is that from dropping a single weight, not the synchronized rhythm of a dance floor or an aerobics workout to music. Two different animals here. Remember that we were talking about a weight room, not a dance floor.

Mike McCann
McCann Engineering

 

[PEinVA]

Mike,
He doesn't mention a weight room, he mentions a fitness center. That is what the group of us making comments have turned it into. Most fitness centers have aerobics classes of some sort. This is why I wrote what I did. I don't think vibration from a single weight dropping is of real particular concern unless its repetitive. I think the point load of that drop is of concern though.

Just my thoughts.



RC
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Edmund Burke

 

[msquared48]

RCraine:

Not to belabor the point, but strguy11 originally posted:

"I am designing a fitness center, and the building has the weight room located on the second floor."

There is a weight room here, not located on a SOG as would be the optimal case, and, therein lies the problem - it's suspended.

Mike McCann
McCann Engineering

 

[abusementpark]

I had vibration from the fitness machines in mind... treadmills, ellipticals, etc.