×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Design load for industrial walkways

Design load for industrial walkways

Design load for industrial walkways

(OP)
We are making steel walkways - steel grating supported by steel channels.  Nothing out of the ordinary, just personnel accessing valves and getting over piping.  Is there a required design load for these structures?

RE: Design load for industrial walkways

At least 25 psf minimum.  Some people use 60 or even 100 psf depending on anticipated loads.

RE: Design load for industrial walkways

(OP)
Thanks, MIke - I'm looking for a reference to document the loading used for our design - is the 25 psf OSHA, ASCE, IBC, etc?

RE: Design load for industrial walkways

(OP)
ASCE 7-05 says 40 psf / 300 pound concentrated for "Catwalks for maintenance access" and 60 psf for "Walkways and Elevated platforms (other than exit ways).  Now all I have to do is determine if these platforms are catwalks or walkways.

RE: Design load for industrial walkways

(OP)
Now this is interesting - further into ASCE 7-05 in table C4-1 Catwalks are listed for 25 psf live load.  My previous post referenced Table 4-1
 

RE: Design load for industrial walkways

25 psf comes from the OSHA standard on "light weight" loads for scaffolding.  I generally interpret that to mean just a couple of guys walking around.  Be sure to check for a concentrated load of 250 lbs per guy - again another OSHA assumption.  A 250 lb boilermaker would be considered a lightweight.  Those guys soemtimes go 350 plus!!  Once had a 450 lb technician wanting to get on my already built scaffold to inspect an airplane.  I said NO WAY!!

I like 50 - 60 psf - usually doesn't really affect your design or cost that much and you can sleep nights.

RE: Design load for industrial walkways

(OP)
I think I'll use 60 psf per ASCE 7 for walkways and elevated platforms.  Thanks for you help and advice.  This is a good board to bounce ideas off of.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources