Live Load - Existing Food Court

[NewbieStruct]

We are designing a small addition to an existing building at the 2nd floor. The project was built in 1980. Is the assumption that the found court being a public room results in 100 psf of Live Load hold true with an existing building?

 

[briancpotter]

I'd classify it as "dining rooms and restaurants", but yes, 100 psf seems appropriate.

Do note the possibility of heavy point loads for kitchen equipment.

Brian C Potter, PE

http://simplesupports.wordpress.com

 

[NewbieStruct]

Thanks, I did not think about that being a dining room. We are actually making it an office space. So we are reducing the LL.

 

[BAretired]

The fact that it should have been designed for 100psf doesn't mean that it was. Check to make sure.

BA

 

[PSUengineer1]

I agree with BAretired. If you are putting load on the existing structure, check the capacity of the existing structure by making a site visit, you will sleep much better. Take your caliper if it is a steel structure. Take a lot of pictures on site. Make sure you assume the appropriate Fy if you are checking load capacity of an existing steel structure. As-builts are an added bonus if you can get your hands on them. Good luck.
jimjxs263

 

[JAE]

Restaurant kitchens sometimes need much more - perhaps 150 psf to 200 psf.

 

[TLHS]

If the seating or tables aren't fixed to the ground I'd talk to the owner and make sure it isn't used as an assembly area or anything. If this is something like a mall or a community centre or something you'll sometimes see people putting up temporary stages and things in that kind of space and then have an audience.

 

[BAretired]

If I understand the thread correctly, the existing dining area is going to be converted to office space.

BA

 

[TomDOT]

...but the real question is: Will there be synchronized dancing in the office space?


(At least based on prior threads.... )

 

[NewbieStruct]

We just received existing drawings. This area was modified in terms of who was handling the space quite a few times. Originally, it was retail shopping center (there was no load on the structural drawings - the joists were to be designed for a particular plf and the support joist girders had their panel point loads given. In addition, the minimum moment of inertia was given and running some quick calculations, it seems to be way lower than load prescribed - Was that a standard practice in the 1980s ?) . Later, it was changed to a food court (these drawings show 100 psf reducible LL - a new building was added on the outside and the floor was then cut in the area we are looking to add an elevator). Now it has become an office space.

 

[BAretired]

In addition, the minimum moment of inertia was given and running some quick calculations, it seems to be way lower than load prescribed - Was that a standard practice in the 1980s ?)

No.

BA

 

[TLHS]

You're right BA, I totally missed that post somehow.

 

[NewbieStruct]

The joists and the girders work with the given loads. The maximum moment per the given loads is about 20 to 30% lower than that new applied moments. However, the moment of inertia (minimum) given does not even come close to the moment of inertia required for the new loads or that of the original (retail) applied loads. Do we need to load test the building because of this?

 

[NewbieStruct]

Oops, reading by post above, the new moments due to the new applied loads is about 20 to 30% lower than the moments due to loads on the existing drawings. If the food court loading is applied the steel fails by about 10 to 15%.