This document summarizes occupant load calculation methods according to different building codes. It outlines general conditions such as:
1. How occupant load is calculated by dividing floor area by an occupant load factor.
2. Means of egress must be sufficient for the occupant load of each story or occupied space.
3. When exits serve more than one floor, only the occupant load of each individual floor is considered, not the cumulative load of all floors.
4. Outdoor areas and occupant loads from accessory areas may need to be included in calculations if egress passes through the building.
5. Occupant loads are based on the number of fixed seats for areas with fixed seating
This document summarizes occupant load calculation methods according to different building codes. It outlines general conditions such as:
1. How occupant load is calculated by dividing floor area by an occupant load factor.
2. Means of egress must be sufficient for the occupant load of each story or occupied space.
3. When exits serve more than one floor, only the occupant load of each individual floor is considered, not the cumulative load of all floors.
4. Outdoor areas and occupant loads from accessory areas may need to be included in calculations if egress passes through the building.
5. Occupant loads are based on the number of fixed seats for areas with fixed seating
This document summarizes occupant load calculation methods according to different building codes. It outlines general conditions such as:
1. How occupant load is calculated by dividing floor area by an occupant load factor.
2. Means of egress must be sufficient for the occupant load of each story or occupied space.
3. When exits serve more than one floor, only the occupant load of each individual floor is considered, not the cumulative load of all floors.
4. Outdoor areas and occupant loads from accessory areas may need to be included in calculations if egress passes through the building.
5. Occupant loads are based on the number of fixed seats for areas with fixed seating
THE SPACE AT ANYTIME. DETERMINED BY DIVIDING THE FLOOR AREA ASSIGNED TO THAT USE BY THE OCCUPANT LOAD FACTOR. (FCP)
B. THE NUMBER OF PERSONS PERMITTED IN ANY
BUILDING OR PORTIONS THEREOF, DETERMINED BY DIVIDING THE FLOOR AREA ASSIGNED TO THAT USE BY THE UNIT AREA ALLOWED PER OCCUPANT. (NBC) OCCUPANT LOAD GENERAL CONDITIONS CONDITIONS FCP NBC LSC IBC 1. COMPUTATION DETERMINED BY DIVIDING DETERMINED BY DIVIDING DERIVED BY DIVIDING THE DETERMINED BY DIVIDING THE FLOOR AREA ASSIGNED THE FLOOR AREA ASSIGNED AVAILABLE FLOOR AREA BY THE FLOOR AREA UNDER TO THAT USE BY THE TO THAT USE BY THE UNIT THE OCCUPANT LOAD CONSIDERATION BY THE OCCUPANT LOAD FACTOR. AREA ALLOWED PER FACTORS THAT REPRESENT OCCUPANT PER UNIT OF (RULE 10 DIVISION 5) OCCUPANT. THE USES. (CHAPTER 12 AND AREA FACTOR ASSIGNED TO 13) THE OCCUPANCY AS SET ALL PORTIONS OF THE FORTH IN TABLE 1004.1.1. BUILDING SHALL BE (CHAPTER 10 SECTION PRESUMED TO BE OCCUPIED 1004.1.1) ALL AT THE SAME TIME. (RULE XII SECTION 1207) 2. CAPACITY OF MEANS OF SHALL BE SUFFICIENT FOR - SHALL BE SUFFICIENT FOR - EGRESS. THE OCCUPANT LOAD FOR THE OCCUPANT LOAD FOR ANY STORY, BALCONY, TIER ANY STORY, BALCONY, TIER OR OTHER OCCUPIED SPACE. OR OTHER OCCUPIED SPACE. (RULE 10 DIVISION 5) (CHAPTER 7 SECTION 7.3.1.1.1) 3. OCCUPANT LOAD WHEN ONLY THE OCCUPANT LOAD THE TOTAL EXIT WIDTH REQUIRED ONLY THE OCCUPANT LOAD WHERE EXITS SERVE MORE EXIT SERVE MORE THAN ONE OF EACH FLOOR CONSIDERED FROM ANY STOREY OF A OF EACH STOREY THAN ONE FLOOR, ONLY THE FLOOR INDIVIDUALLY NEED BE USED BUILDING SHALL BE DETERMINED CONSIDERED INDIVIDUALLY OCCUPANT LOAD OF EACH BY USING THE OCCUPANT LOAD IN COMPUTING THE OF THAT STOREY PLUS THE SHALL BE USED IN FLOOR CONSIDERED CAPACITY OF THE EXITS OF PERCENTAGE OF THE OCCUPANT COMPUTING THE REQUIRED INDIVIDUALLY SHALL BE USED THAT FLOOR, PROVIDED THAT LOADS OF FLOORS WHICH EXITS CAPACITY OF THE EXIT AT IN COMPUTING THE THE EXIT CAPACITY SHALL THROUGH THE LEVEL UNDER THAT STOREY, PROVIDED REQUIRED CAPACITY OF THE NOT BE DECREASED IN THE CONSIDERATION AS FOLLOWS: THAT THE REQUIRED EGRESS EXITS AT THAT FLOOR, DIRECTION OF EXIT TRAVEL. 50% OF THE OCCUPANT LOAD IN CAPACITY OF THE EXIT IS NOT PROVIDED THAT THE EXIT (RULE 10 DIVISION 5) THE FIRST ADJACENT STOREY DECRESED IN THE DIRECTION CAPACITY DOES NOT ABOVE (AND THE FIRST ADJACENT STOREY BELOW WHEN A STOREY OF THE EGRESS TRAVEL. DECREASE IN THE DIRECTION BELOW EXITS THROUGH THE (CHAPTER 7 SECTION 7.3.1.4) OF THE EGRESS TRAVEL. LEVEL UNDER CONSIDERATION) (CHAPTER 10 SECTION AND 25% OF THE OCCUPANT 1004.4) LOAD IN THE STOREY IMMEDIATELY BEYOND THE FIRST ADJACENT STOREY. (RULE XII SECTION 1207) OCCUPANT LOAD GENERAL CONDITIONS CONDITIONS FCP NBC LSC IBC 4. OUTDOOR AREAS WHEN ANY REQUIRED - WHEN ANY REQUIRED WHERE OUTDOOR AREAS EGRESS CAPACITY FROM A EGRESS CAPACITY FROM A ARE TO BE USED BY PERSONS BALCONY OR MEZZANINE BALCONY OR MEZZANINE IN ADDITION TO THE PASSES THROUGH THE ROOM PASSES THROUGH THE ROOM OCCUPANTS OF THE BELOW, THAT REQUIRED BELOW, THAT REQUIRED BUILDING, AND THE PATH OF CAPACITY SHALL BE ADDED CAPACITY SHALL BE ADDED EGRESS TRAVEL FROM THE TO THE REQUIRED EGRESS TO THE REQUIRED EGRESS OUTDOOR AREAS PASSES CAPACITY OF THE ROOM CAPACITY OF THE ROOM THROUGH THE BUILDING, BELOW. (RULE 10 DIVISION 5) BELOW. (CHAPTER 7 SECTION MEANS OF EGRESS 7.3.1.6) REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BUILDING SHALL BE BASED ON THE SUM OF THE OCCUPANT LOADS OF THE BUILDING PLUS THE OUTDOOR AREAS. (CHAPTER 10 SECTION 1004.8) 5. ACESSORY AREAS - ACCESSORY AREAS WHICH - WHERE OCCUPANTS FROM ARE ORDINARILY USED BY THE ACCESSORY AREAS PERSONS WHO OCCUPY THE EGRESS THROUGH THE MAIN AREAS OF OCCUPANCY, PRIMARY SPACE, THE SHALL BE PROVIDED WITH CALCULATED OCCUPANT EXITS AS THOUGH THEY LOAD FOR THE PRIMARY WERE COMPLETELY SPACE SHALL INCLUDE THE OCCUPIED. HOWEVER IN TOTAL OCCUPANT LOAD OF COMPUTING THE MAXIMUM THE PRIMARY SPACE PLUS ALLOWABLE OCCUPANT LOAD THE NUMBER OF OCCUPANTS FOR THE FLOOR/BUILDING, EGRESSING THROUGH IT THE OCCUPANT LOAD OF THE FROM THE ACCESSORY AREA. ACCESSORY AREA/S SHALL BE (CHAPTER 10 SECTION DISREGARDED. 1004.1) (RULE XII SECTION 1207) OCCUPANT LOAD GENERAL CONDITIONS CONDITIONS FCP NBC LSC IBC 6. FIXED SEATING THE OCCUPANT LOAD OF AN - - THE OCCUPANT LOAD SHALL AREA HAVING FIXED SEATS BE DETERMINED BY THE SHALL BE DETERMINED BY NUMBER OF FIXED SEATS THE NUMBER OF FIXED SEATS INSTALLED THEREIN. THE INSTALLED. REQUIRED AISLE OCCUPANT LOAD FOR AREAS SPACE SERVING THE IN WHICH FIXED SEATING IS FIXED SEATS SHALL NOT BE NOT INSTALLED SUCH AS USED TO INCREASE THE WAITING AND WHEELCHAIR OCCUPANT LOAD. (RULE 10 SPACES, SHALL BE DIVISION 8) DETERMINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 1004.1.1 AND ADDED TO THE NUMBER OF FIXED SEATS. (CHAPTER 10 SECTION 1004.7) 7. INCREASE IN OCCUPANT - THE OCCUPANT LOAD - THE OCCUPANT LOAD LOAD PERMITTED IN A BUILDING PERMITTED IN ANY OR PORTION THEREOF MAY BUILDING, OR PORTION BE INCREASED IF THE THEREOF IS PERMITTED TO NECESSARY EXITS ARE BE INCREASED FROM THAT PROVIDED. (RULE XII SECTION NUMBER ESTABLISHED FROM 1207) THE OCCUPANCIES IN 1004.1.1, PROVIDED THAT ALL OTHER REQUIREMENTS OF THE CODE ARE ALSO MET BASED ON SUCH MODIFIED NUMBER AND THE OCCUPANT LOAD DOES NOT EXCEED ONE OCCUPANT PER 0.47 SQM. OF OCCUPIABLE FLOOR SPACE. (CHAPTER 10 SECTION 1004.2) OCCUPANT LOAD GENERAL CONDITIONS CONDITIONS FCP NBC LSC IBC 8. POSTING OF OCCUPANT - ANY ROOM HAVING AN EVERY ROOM CONSTITUTING EVERY ROOM OR SPACE THAT LOAD OCCUPANT LOAD OF MORE AN ASSEMBLY OCCUPANCY IS AN ASSEMBLY OCCUPANCY THAN FIFTY (50) WHERE AND NOT HAVING FIXED SHALL HAVE THE OCCUPANT FIXED SEATS ARE NOT SEATS SHALL HAVE THE LOAD OF THE ROOM OR INSTALLED, AND WHICH IS OCCUPANT LOAD OF THE SPACE POSTED IN A USED FOR CLASSROOM, ROOM POSTED IN A CONSPICIOUS PLACE, NEAR ASSEMBLY, OR SIMILAR CONSPICUOUS PLACE NEAR THE MAIN EXIT OR EXIT PURPOSE SHALL HAVE THE THE MAIN EXIT FROM THE ACCESS DOOR WAY FROM CAPACITY OF THE ROOM ROOM. (CHAPTER 12 THE ROOM OR SPACE. POSTED IN A CONSPICUOUS SECTION 12.7.9.3.1) POSTED SIGNS SHALL BE OF PLACE NEAR THE MAIN EXIT AN APPROVED LEGIBLE FROM THE ROOM. (RULE XII PERMANENT DESIGN AND SECTION 1207) SHALL BE MAINTAINED BY THE OWNER OR AUTHORIZED AGENT. (CHAPTER 10 SECTION 1004.3) 9. EGRESS CONVERGENCE WHEN MEANS OF EGRESS - WHERE MEANS OF EGRESS WHERE MEANS OF EGRESS FROM THE FLOOR ABOVE FROM A STORY ABOVE AND A FROM FLOORS ABOVE AND AND BELOW CONVERGE AT STORY BELOW CONVERGE AT BELOW CONVERGENCE AT AN AN INTERMEDIATE FLOOR, AN INTERMEDIATE STORY, IMMEDIATE LEVEL, THE THE CAPACITY OF THE MEANS THE CAPACITY OF THE MEANS CAPACITY OF THE MEANS OF OF EGRESS FROM THE POINT OF EGRESS FROM THE POINT EGRESS FROM THE POINT OF OF CONVERGENCE SHALL OF CONVERGENCE SHALL BE CONVERGENCE SHALL NOT NOT BE LESS THAN THE SUM NOT LESS THAN THE SUM OF BE LESS THAN THE SUM OF OF THE TWO. THE CAPACITY OF THE TWO THE TWO FLOORS. (CHAPTER MEANS OF EGRESS. 10 SECTION 1004.5)