Weight Room Live Loads
Weight Room Live Loads
(OP)
Designing a buidling with a workout room on the second floor. What should I use for the live load? I assume there will be machines and free weights., but I do not have equipment information.
Thanks
Thanks






RE: Weight Room Live Loads
But 100 - 150 psf might not be out of order??
RE: Weight Room Live Loads
It's a gov project in RFP phase and they are slow to repsond to RFIs.
RE: Weight Room Live Loads
RE: Weight Room Live Loads
Based on ASCE 7-10, Gymnasiums require 100 psf.
However, section 4.3.1 indicates that you, as the designer, must design the floor for "the maximum loads expected by the intended use or occupancy..."
Therefore the correct thing to do is:
1. Research the weights of the types of equipment anticipated to be used in the room.
2. Calculate their effective area load as compared with the 100 psf live load.
3. If the equipment results in a load larger than 100 psf, apply the equipment loads in appropriate areas based on their intended positions/placement and then apply 100 psf around them in other floor areas.
4. If the actual area of the equipment is unknown, or is known to change, you may have to design other areas of the floor to the higher load than 100 psf.
5. If the equipment results in a load smaller than 100 psf - use 100 psf everywhere.
The above is what I would do, based on the fact that this is a situation where my engineering judgement must come into play - and realizing that my judgement should be at least based on some data from the owner and the equipment manufacturers.
RE: Weight Room Live Loads
Garth Dreger PE - AZ Phoenix area
As EOR's we should take the responsibility to design our structures to support the components we allow in our design per that industry standards.
RE: Weight Room Live Loads
I would say that my suggested method above (100 psf with attention to specific weight equipment) could be acceptable based on the IBC but using 150 everywhere would be a valid alternative.
RE: Weight Room Live Loads
RE: Weight Room Live Loads
Commercial treadmills weigh in at 500-700 lbs, plus a user (up to 350 lbs.) with a machine foot print of 3 ft by 7 ft, so less than 50 psf.
A multi-gym weighing 3300 lbs takes a 13 ft by 16 ft space (15 psf) including weight stacks.
RE: Weight Room Live Loads
BA
RE: Weight Room Live Loads
It's relatively new (~10 years) and is concrete construction. Not sure if it's CIP or precast. There is some precast in the building but not sure about the floor system.
RE: Weight Room Live Loads
It was something my boss came up with and it's been too long ago now for me to remember the source or the number. Though I want to say it was 125 or 150 psf. Does anyone know what I might be referring to?
RE: Weight Room Live Loads
Worse, the person is likely to be crowding one end, so most of his (her?) 250 -275 lb weight will be on only 2 legs, not 4.
A dropped 250 lb barbell will hit on and 2x areas of maybe 4x2 sq inches each.
RE: Weight Room Live Loads
ASCE 7-10 for "Recreational uses - Gymnasiums" seems to be the logical choice, at 100 psf. At 100 psf, the unreduced load accounts for a sudden loading/impact premium of 100%, over the ENTIRE floor area.
Remember that parking garages are designed for 40 psf, even though the wheel loads can be upwards of 1000-1500 lbs each, and the point load design criteria is 3000 lbs., specified for jacking load (see the footnotes to the table.) The design of the slab for point/small area loads if you desire or need to do so is far different from designing an entire floor for such a high load.