What is your interpretation of BOCA live load?

[daski]

BOCA Table 1606 says: Hotel, Guestrooms and coridors = 40 psf; public rooms and corridors = 100 psf. I think ASCE-7 says &quot;guestrooms and corridors serving guestrooms = 40 psf&quot;.<br><br>I interpret this to mean that the elevated floors that have only guest rooms and a corridor down the spine can be designed for 40 psf, i.e., corridor = 40 psf.<br><br>Some of my fellow workers say that all corridors are public corridors and must be designed for 100. (i.e., &quot;corridors serving guestrooms&quot; are corridors IN guestrooms.)<br><br>Any opinions? Or how do I get a definitive answer from BOCA? <p> <br><a href=mailto:markdaski@aol.com>markdaski@aol.com</a><br><a href= > </a><br>

 

[Ron]

One more reason for a Unified National (or International) Building Code!!<br><br>These are almost always confusing because of the lack of specificity of the requirements as well as conflicting and overlapping requirements.&nbsp;&nbsp;For example, in a hotel, you wouldn't use the elevator for egress in a fire, so you use the stairs.&nbsp;&nbsp;The stairs (as a means of fire egress) must be designed for 100 psf, yet as you correctly interpreted, the stated requirement in the table is for Corridors to be designed for the occupancy served (Rooms and Corridors, 40 psf).&nbsp;&nbsp;Additionally, for corridors in other occupancies, the requirement above the first floor is 80 psf.&nbsp;&nbsp;Gross disparity available in interpretation.&nbsp;&nbsp;I would tend to view corridors as more public than the rooms and opt for a greater load, whether 80 or 100 psf.&nbsp;&nbsp;Either is defensible.<br><br>If you contact BOCA for an interpretation, I would be interested in their interpretation and would also be surprised if you got 40 psf, even though that is what is stated in the table, because of all the other little &quot;I Gotchas&quot; that are available in codes for weasle-ing.<br><br>I tend to like using ASCE 7 because of its defensibility as a &quot;Standard of Care&quot; as perceived by other engineers, not code officials.

 

[Imagineer]

daski,<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;You can either, have the appropriate building official call BOCA or contact them yourself.&nbsp;&nbsp;They have an 800 number for questions from members but you do have to be a member or professional affiliate.&nbsp;&nbsp;The clarification is free.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;A couple of reasons for guest room corridors to be lower loading: 1) Hotel rooms rarely average more than 2 people per room; A large hotel might have more than 50 rooms on a floor.&nbsp;&nbsp;2) People are about the only load on the corridor, no heavy equipment, office furniture, etc.&nbsp;&nbsp;Nuts, I don't even like a 15# suitcase. 3) The only time the floor will be fully loaded is in a fire in the middle of the night but we are again back to few people. <p> Imagineer<br><a href=mailto: > </a><br><a href= > </a><br>