Calculating Dead and Live Loads for Building Design

  • Thread starter quickzx
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In summary, the speaker is a first year civil engineering student who is working on a project to design a building. They have not been taught how to calculate the estimated weight for their building and the dead and live loads the columns will be under. They are asking if anyone knows any basic formulas for estimating the weight and calculating the loads. Some possible solutions are checking local building codes and using 100 psf per floor as a rough estimate.
  • #1
quickzx
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Hey guys I am a first year civil engineering student and we have a project where we have to design a building! everything is all good except we havnt been taught anything at all about calculating an estimated weight for our designed building and how do get the dead and live loads the the columns will be under if the building was complete!
my question is does anybody know any basic formulas for guestimating a weight for my structure and how to calculate basic dead and live loads??

cheers!
 
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  • #2
quickzx said:
Hey guys I am a first year civil engineering student and we have a project where we have to design a building! everything is all good except we havnt been taught anything at all about calculating an estimated weight for our designed building and how do get the dead and live loads the the columns will be under if the building was complete!
my question is does anybody know any basic formulas for guestimating a weight for my structure and how to calculate basic dead and live loads??

cheers!

Local building codes will give you the dead and live loads. Other than that, your statics book should have some values listed.

CS
 
  • #3
Guesstimate - 100 psf per floor, which includes dead + live loads.
 

FAQ: Calculating Dead and Live Loads for Building Design

What are dead and live loads?

Dead and live loads are types of forces that act on a building. Dead load refers to the weight of the building's structure and permanent fixtures, such as walls, floors, and roofs. Live load refers to the weight of temporary or moveable objects, such as furniture, people, and equipment.

How do dead and live loads affect building design?

Dead and live loads are important factors to consider in building design as they determine the strength and stability of the structure. The design and materials used must be able to support the expected dead and live loads to ensure the safety of the building and its occupants.

How do you calculate dead and live loads for building design?

To calculate dead and live loads, you need to determine the weight of each component of the building, including the structure, floors, walls, roofs, and any expected live loads. This can be done using reference tables or by conducting on-site measurements. The total dead and live loads must then be compared to the building's design capacity to ensure that the structure can safely support the expected loads.

What are some common factors that affect dead and live loads?

Some common factors that affect dead and live loads include the type of building construction, building materials, occupancy type, and intended use of the building. For example, a high-rise building will have a higher dead load compared to a single-story house due to the additional weight of the structure and materials used.

What are some strategies for reducing dead and live loads in building design?

One strategy for reducing dead and live loads is to use lightweight building materials, such as steel or aluminum, instead of heavy materials like concrete. Another strategy is to design the building with open floor plans to reduce the weight of interior walls. Additionally, proper maintenance and removal of temporary objects can help reduce live loads on a building over time.

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