Occupant Load
Hi,
I received a question on a black spectacles exam which asked for the maximum space per person based on either:
- Administration offices
- Lab classroom
- Business Classroom
- Lecture Halls
Based on IBC section 1004 and say you had an occupant load of 100, the admin. office would be 100 x 100 gross = 10,000 SF. The Lab would be 100 x 50 net = 5,000 SF. The business classroom would be 100 x 20 net = 2,000 SF. However for the lecture hall if you had 100 occupants how do you know the SF based on 100 occupants? You would do 100 x 1 = 100 SF?
Any clarification would be appreciated.
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For the lecture hall, the occupant load is determined by the number of seats. If there are 100 seats then the load is 100. However, there are other areas that would need to be taken into account.
What is the area of the stage? Is there any loading area inside the lecture hall before the seating? As what Melody mentioned, circulation within the room. I'm sure there is a formula out there to accommodate for seating and articulation, but I don't know.
On the exams, you will be given all the needed information to be able to answer the question.
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Normally you would have the sq footage to find the occupant load so you can size egress and not use occupancy load to determine sq. footage unless you are designing based on population. Either way, Lecture halls are assumed to be an A-3 Assembly. For Assembly occupancies with fixed seating, the seats are counted to determine the occupant load. Seating for benches without dividing arms (for example, bleachers) is calculated at 18 linear inches of seating length per person. Additional occupiable space (for example, a waiting area) is calculated using the occupant load factor for that space, which is then added to the number of fixed seats. REF IBC 1004.4
Several additional occupant load factors are listed for Assembly occupancies without fixed seating. Unconcentrated or less concentrated use (15 net square feet per person) may have tables and chairs, concentrated use may be set up with chairs only (7 net square feet per person), and standing space is addressed by the IBC with an occupant load factor of 5 net square feet per person.
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Hi David and Ruben.
For my surprise I didn't know NCARB's test refers to an old code.
Unless the sample question I posted, which comes from the Ballast book is not updated.
Is it fact that NCARB's test is based on 2015 IBC Code?
If so, Is there any reasons for that?
The only reason that come to my mind is the adoption of not a current IBC code in some state jurisdiction?At our office we use 2018 IBC Code, which I am currently most familiar with.
Any guidance on that?
Thank you both for the help.
Regards.
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Ronaldo,
It's 100% the 2015 IBC. There should be a list of resources in the ARE 5.0 Handbook which states which versions of all codes you should be referencing/studying. I don't know the "reason" for that other than that is what NCARB is using for now and it is what it is.
Although you have in fact discovered one difference between 2018 and 2015 with your original Business Use SF question, I don't believe there are too many differences between the two, so your knowledge of 2018 will help. But, just know that on the test you will be getting excerpts from 2015 and make sure you reference that moving forward.
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"
The only reason that come to my mind is the adoption of not a current IBC code in some state jurisdiction?
At our office we use 2018 IBC Code, which I am currently most familiar with."
Some state jurisdiction? You mean most states. As of a year ago, only two states (and two US terretoires) have adopted 2018 IBC:
https://cdn-web.iccsafe.org/wp-content/uploads/Master-I-Code-Adoption-Chart-DEC.pdf
And even though more states may have adopted 2018 over the past year, I suspect the 2015 code will stick around for a while.
But that's why it's always important to have the latest copy of the ARE5 Handbook, since it will list the relevant codes that are referenced on the exam (at the end of every section.) When I was doing my exams from 5/2018 to 5/2019, half of the exams I took were based on the AIA 2007 contract documents. And then they switched to 2017 earlier this past year. The only way folks knew about this change was from the revised ARE 5.0 handbook that was released with up to date info on each exam section.
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I might also add that one of my personal favorite references for the entire exam was the 2015 IBC WITH COMMENTARY.
The commentary section was extremely helpful with answering the question "why" behind most code sections, and offering much better insight into how to interpret various sections.
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