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CHAPTER 3

2  DEAD LOADS, SOIL LOADS, AND HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE

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3  3.1 DEAD LOADS

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3.1.1 Definition

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5  Dead loads consist of the weight of all materials of construction incorporated into the building
6  including, but not limited to, walls, floors, roofs, ceilings, stairways, built-in partitions, finishes,

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7  cladding, and other similarly incorporated architectural and structural items, and the weight of
8  fixed service equipment, including the weight of cranes and material handling systems.
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3.1.2 Weights of Materials of and Constructions
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10  In determining dead loads for purposes of design, the actual weights of materials and of
11  constructions shall be used, provided that. Iin the absence of definite information, values
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12  approved by the Authority Having Jurisdiction shall be used.

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13  3.1.3 Weight of Fixed Service Equipment

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14  In determining dead loads for purposes of design, the weight of fixed service equipment,
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15  including the maximum weight of the contents of fixed service equipment, shall be included. The
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16  components of fixed service equipment that are variable, such as liquid contents and movable
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17  trays, shall not be used to counteract forces causing overturning, sliding, and uplift conditions in
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18  accordance with Section 1.3.6.

19  EXCEPTIONS:

20  1. Where force effects are the result of the presence of the variable components, the
21  components are permitted to be used to counter those load effects. In such cases, the
22  structure shall be designed for force effects with the variable components present and
23  with them absent.

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 1  2. For the calculation of seismic force effects, the components of fixed service equipment
2  that are variable, such as liquid contents and movable trays, need not exceed those
3  expected during normal operation.

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4  3.1.4 Vegetative and Landscaped Roofs

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5  The weight of all landscaping and hardscaping materials for vegetative and landscaped roofs

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6  shall be considered as dead load. The weight shall be computed considering both fully saturated

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7  soil and drainage layer materials, and fully dry soil and drainage layer materials, to determine the

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8  most severe load effects on the structure.

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9  3.1.5 Solar Panels

10  The weight of solar panels, their support system, and ballast shall be considered as dead load.
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3.2 SOIL LOADS AND HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE
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12  3.2.1 Lateral Pressures

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13  Structures below grade shall be designed to resist lateral soil loads from adjacent soil. If lateral
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14  soil loads are not given in a geotechnical report approved by the Authority Having Jurisdiction,
15  then the lateral soil loads specified in Table 3.2-1 shall be used as the minimum design lateral
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16  soil loads. Foundation walls and other walls in which horizontal movement is restricted at the top
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17  shall be designed for at-rest pressure. Walls that are free to move and rotate at the top, such as
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18  retaining walls, shall be permitted to be designed for active pressure. 

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19  Where applicable, lateral pressure from fixed or moving surcharge loads shall be added to the
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20  lateral soil loads. When a portion or the whole of the adjacent soil is below a free-water surface,
21  computations shall be based upon on the weight of the soil diminished by buoyancy, plus full
22  hydrostatic pressure.

23  Table 3.2-1 Design Lateral Soil Load

Description of Backfill Material Unified Soil Design Lateral Soil Loada psf per foot
Classification of depth ( kN / m 2 per meter of depth)

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 Well-graded, clean gravels, GW 35 (5.50)b
gravel–sand mixes
Poorly graded, clean gravels, GP 35 (5.50)b
gravel–sand mixes

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Silty gravels, poorly graded GM 35 (5.50)b

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gravel–sand mixes

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Clayey gravels, poorly graded GC 45 (7.07)b

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gravel-and-clay mixes

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Well-graded, clean sands; gravel– SW 35 (5.50)b
sand mixes

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Poorly graded, clean sands, sand– SP 35 (5.50)b
gravel mixes
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Silty sands, poorly graded sand– SM 45 (7.07)b

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silt mixes
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Sand–silt clay mix with plastic SM–SC 85 (13.35)c
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fines
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Clayey sands, poorly graded sand– SC 85 (13.35)c

clay mixes
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Inorganic silts and clayey silts ML 85 (13.35)c

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Mixture of inorganic silt and clay ML–CL 85 (13.35)c

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Inorganic clays of low to medium CL 100 (15.71)

plasticity
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Organic silts and silt–clays, low OL d

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plasticity
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Inorganic clayey silts, elastic silts MH d

Inorganic clays of high plasticity CH d

Organic clays and silty clays OH d

1  a
Design lateral soil loads are given for moist conditions for the specified soils at their optimum
2  densities. Actual field conditions shall govern. Submerged or saturated soil pressures shall
3  include the weight of the buoyant soil plus the hydrostatic loads.

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For relatively rigid walls, as when braced by floors, the design lateral soil load shall be
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2  increased for sand and gravel type soils to 60 psf ( 9.43 kN/ m ) per foot (meter) of depth.
3  Basement walls extending not more than 8 ft (2.44 m) below grade and supporting light floor
4  systems are not considered as being relatively rigid walls.

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5  For relatively rigid walls, as when braced by floors, the design lateral load shall be increased for
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6  silt and clay type soils to 100 psf ( 15.71 kN/ m ) per foot (meter) of depth. Basement walls

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7  extending not more than 8 ft (2.44 m) below grade and supporting light floor systems are not

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8  considered as being relatively rigid walls.

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9  d
Unsuitable as backfill material.

10  The lateral pressure shall be increased if expansive soils are present at the site, as determined by
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a geotechnical investigation.

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EXCEPTION: Foundation walls extending not more than 8 ft (2.44 m) below grade and
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13  laterally supported at the top by flexible diaphragms shall be permitted to be designed for active
14  pressure.
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Table 3.2-1. Lateral Soil Load.

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Description of Backfill Material Unified Soil Lateral Soil Load*a

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Classification psf per foot of depth (kN/m2 per meter of

depth)
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Active Pressure At-rest Pressure

Well-graded, clean gravels, gravel˗sand mixes GW 35 (5.50) 60 (9.43)
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Poorly graded, clean gravels, gravel-sand GP 35 (5.50) 60 (9.43)

mixes
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Silty gravels, poorly graded gravel-sand mixes GM 35 (5.50) 60 (9.43)

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Clayey gravels, poorly graded gravel-and-clay GC 45 (7.07) 60 (9.43)

mixes
Well-graded, clean sands,; gravel-sand mixes SW 35 (5.50) 60 (9.43)
Poorly graded, clean sands, sand-gravel mixes SP 35 (5.50) 60 (9.43)
Silty sands, poorly graded sand-silt mixes SM 45 (7.07) 60 (9.43)
Sand-silt clay mix with plastic fines SM-SC 85 (13.35) 100 (15.71)
Clayey sands, poorly graded sand-clay mixes SC 85 (13.35) 100 (15.71)
Inorganic silts and clayey silts ML 85 (13.35) 100 (15.71)
Mixture of inorganic silt and clay ML-CL 85 (13.35) 100 (15.71)
Inorganic clays of low to medium plasticity CL 100 (15.71) 100 (15.71)
Organic silts and silt-clays, low plasticity OL Unsuitable as backfill material

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 Inorganic clayey silts, elastic silts MH Unsuitable as backfill material
Inorganic clays of high plasticity CH Unsuitable as backfill material
Organic clays and silty clays OH Unsuitable as backfill material
1  *aLateral soil loads are given for moist conditions for the specified soils at their optimum
2  densities. Actual field conditions shall govern. Submerged or saturated soil pressures shall

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3  include the weight of the buoyant soil plus the hydrostatic loads.

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4  3.2.2 Uplift Loads on Floors and Foundations

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5  Basement floors, slabs on ground, foundations, and similar approximately horizontal elements

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6  below grade shall be designed to resist uplift loads where applicable. The upward pressure of
7  water shall be taken as the full hydrostatic pressure applied over the entire area. The hydrostatic

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8  load shall be measured from the underside of the construction element being evaluated.

9  Foundations, slabs on ground, and other components placed on expansive soils shall be designed
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10  to tolerate the movement or resist the upward loads caused by the expansive soils, or the
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expansive soil shall be removed or stabilized around and beneath the structure.
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12  3.3 ALTERNATIVE METHOD FOR LOADS FROM WATER IN SOIL

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This section is permitted as an alternative method to the requirements in Section 3.2. The
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14  alternative separates the computation of lateral loads from soil pressure from ground water
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15  pressure in soil. If this alternative is used, the load factors and combinations in Section 2.3.7 shall
be used. The lateral pressure from soil shall be computed as required in Section 3.2.1, but the
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17  ground water pressure in soil shall be included in Hw, not in H. Hw for lateral and uplift loads shall
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18  be based upon the maximum ground water elevation. The maximum ground water elevation shall
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19  be established such that the annual probability of exceedance does not exceed the following values:
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20  1. 0.0024 for Risk Category I

21  2. 0.0012 for Risk Category II
22  3. 0.0006 for Risk Category III
23  4. 0.0003 for Risk Category IV

24  For structures not located in a Design Flood Zone (see Chapter 5), the maximum ground water
25  elevation need not be above the ground surface. Where lateral pressures are used to resist other
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 1  variable loads and the soil is considered to be permanent, Hw shall be based upon the minimum
2  ground water elevation. The minimum ground water elevation shall be established so that the
3  annual probability of being at a lower elevation does not exceed the same values specified for the
4  maximum ground water elevation. The minimum ground water elevation need not be taken below

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5  the lowest portion of the structure.

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6  3.3 4 CONSENSUS STANDARDS AND OTHER REFERENCED DOCUMENTS

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7  No consensus standards and other documents that shall be considered part of this standard are

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8  referenced in this chapter.

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