Live Load

2022-12-03

There are different types of load than working on a structure, the design, location, and similar nature of which will vary.

What Is Live Load?

"Live load" refers to a common civil engineering term that refers to the load that isn't continuous, but fluctuates in time.

Live loads may be caused by any process that adds, removes or shifting weight onto the structure. This can be caused by people walking over a surface or objects that may be transferred or carried.

Live loads may be evenly distributed or work at a specific point called the point load. The United States, a live load is measured in the number of pounds for each square inch (PSF).

Safeopedia Explains Live Load

Live loads are considered in the calculations for a building's capacity to load. A study by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) determines minimum requirements for live loads depending on the purpose of the building or temporary structure.

For instance, a home may require an average live load of 1.5 KPa, while an event hall could have to be able to handle an average living load that is 5.0 KPa in order to account for the large quantity of people that use the space at one time and the kind of events that are held in the space.

The approval of construction for the structure is based on its plans for structural and design which fully reflect the necessary live load requirements.

Temporary structures also have to factor this into. It is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the body that publishes and enforces standards for the construction and upkeep of scaffolding, which includes loads specifications.

Because of the nature of work in construction scaffolding is subject to a constant shift in load of construction workers, materials as well as tools. In order to accommodate the fact that scaffolding is subject to constant change, OSHA stipulates that the scaffolds as well as their components be designed to support at minimum four times the expected load.

Calculating Live Loads for Scaffolds

Before building scaffolding, the maximum live load needs to be calculated to ensure it's constructed using the right kind of tubing, bracing and planks.

The live load of a scaffold is comprised of the weight of workers and the equipment and materials that they will use at the time. The weights listed are approximations, and must, therefore, be estimated as accurately as you can to ensure the scaffold is able to safely support all the weight that is likely to be imposed on it.

There are a variety of methods for the calculation of live loads. employers should make sure they utilize the method that has been approved by the local building and planning authorities.

One of the most straightforward methods is to presume that there are 10 people on a scaffold at any time. Multiply the weight of each employee (erring at the higher end) by the number ten. Assume that the equipment and material weights add up to 1,000 kilograms.

Divide the weight of the entire unit by three, as each of the posts in the scaffold bay is designed to support one-third of the weight. The result is multiplied with the amount of platform in the scaffolding unit, to calculate the actual load on the scaffold.