RESEARCH GRANT UPDATE: RGA #06-22 Live Load Research - June 2023
While occupancy live loads have been the subject of significant research over the past 100 years and more, there has never been a systematic approach and consideration of reliability-based scenarios for assembly loads. There are many reasons for this, and the current imperatives are clear, as explained below. The expertise is at hand “to advance innovation in the design …of buildings.” Our industry has the opportunity to lead with improved concepts for design, creating more consistency while preserving valuable resources and embedded energy for safe, reliable buildings. It is time for an innovative approach to conceptualizing and calibrating design floor loads for assembly areas.
This research conducted a thorough review of prior load surveys and theoretical models from the viewpoint of assembly loads. The team then conducted a Delphi to establish the live loads for the various assembly loading scenarios that we are interested in evaluating. The Principal Investigator for this proposed research is the same one who conducted the Delphi for ANSI A58.
A key aspect of this research initiative is to clearly demonstrate the scenarios being evaluated (i.e., live load in office “assembly” spaces), and to explain the diversity of live load in venues such as stadiums. The research encompasses floorplan sketches that describe the live load scenarios. These can also serve as a basis for future simulations that could assist in visualizing the scenarios.